Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency officials celebrated the opening of the new USAF-run fuels-testing lab at the service’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. They dedicated the petroleum, oil, and lubricants facility on April 13. Until now, the Air Force had to ship all fuel samples from Plant 42 north to Edwards Air Force Base for analysis—a costly, slow, and burdensome endeavor. With on-site testing now possible in the POL lab, “Plant 42 will be able to ensure all aircraft operations, whether military or contractor, receive clean, dry fuel to support their missions, and with a substantial savings to the Air Force,” states a Palmdale release. Air Force Material Command manages Plant 42, a military aerospace complex with two 12,000-foot runways. Contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman work on advanced aircraft concepts there.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
