Robin wrote:
Can't really see Ramstein shelters being any use for the KC-135's....
Both Ramstein & Spang have sufficient ramp space to house these units already. No doubt new infra structure and housing will be foreseen in the near future to make it more comfortable. As for the noise, I doubt the extra 15 KC's would have any effect on the noise levels at Ramstein as the number of local aircraft (and transient aircraft) dwindled down in the past few years.
As for Spangdahlem also also the traffic is downsized quite a lot compared to back in the early 2000's when there was a full complement of 4 squadron's (around 90 local aircraft). Yes, the noise level of a CV-22 is different to an A-10, but then again, it's considerable less noicy compared to an F-15 or F-16 for that matter.
In my opinion it's a logical decision and I welcome the transfer. It makes it more worth our while to visit Spang and Ramstein again.