“Red River Queen” Lands In Illinois: The Air Force has given the green light to send the “Red River Queen,” an F-105 Thunderchief fighter bomber that flew combat missions in the Vietnam War, to Centralia, Ill., reports the Morning Sentinel. The city plans to put it on display at a public park, in memory of one of its pilots, the late Lt. Col. Bill Pachura, who was stationed in Southeast Asia with the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Pachura, who died of cancer in 2002, was from the Centralia area. The aircraft has been at Lackland AFB, Tex.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
