Luke Air Force Base

Great accommodations our military is the greatest, came here for court testimony and was treated very professionally. These guys and gals don’t get all the credit they deserve.

I stayed here years ago and it was great but the new contractor management is terrible. Cold water is unavailable in summer months and Internet does not work. When I asked to switch rooms management refused. I recommend staying off base of at all possible.

I loved that the rooms at the hotel here are super spacious and come with full kitchens.
Also love the display of airplanes. It is really something cool to see.
I hate that you have to get civilian care as they don’t have an actual hospital but whatever. Not all bases do.

Cool base, somewhat confusing to drive around. Lodging is hit or miss. If you stay, try to stay in the buildings that are south from the office, not north. I stayed in the older building my first trip here and had black mold in the bathroom and the wifi didn’t work. I asked for the south building the next time and it was great. Facilities on base are pretty good, however the gym closes pretty early during the weekend.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR LUKE DAYS ONLY ³⁄₁₄
God bless America, and I love the military!
However, they HAVE to figure something out when it comes to the air show. The traffic and crowd control was horrible. People were screaming, crying, and fighting. I expected a stampede… and this was just to get out! Getting in took 2 hrs. It was really really bad.

Tried to attend the Air Force show but after a horrendous 2 hr wait in traffic and and an hour long wait to board a bus we gave up. Horribly inefficient and horribly executed event. No one directing traffic and no oversight. Joke of an event. Would never even try attending again!

The best kept secret in the Air Force! You can’t get any better than than this location. There is something always going on here and if your a sports fan it is paradise. No base has such great access to so much entertainment. Work is work but when your off duty is what matters the most.

Getting my ID. If possible come early. Goes fast though. Nice base. I was Army but still can appreciate a great post/​base.

It’s a base!
It does all those base things.
However, it is too far from where I live and that is where my PCM is! Dang it! Not their fault I moved to where I did though.
I don’t know what else to say.
Sooooo yep!

Military men in uniform, check. No sales tax, check, lots of shopping, check, mom spoiling you rotten on your visit with the items she purchased for you, check, check and check. I am so very thankful that I cannot shop at the Exchange or Commissary more often as I would really be broke. Hmm… now maybe if I meet someone who is in the military… :)

I have watched the jets fly over since I was 7… coming out over the weekends to watch the jets land and take off with my dad’s scanner.
Luke carries a little bit of a «home comfort» feel, even though none of my family has ever been in the military.
I always enjoy the Luke Day shows… great displays, great crappy food, awesome air demonstrations.

The only problem I have with Luke AFB is the women’s restroom at the BX is– and this is an understatement, disgusting.
Otherwise, A+

Enjoyed the air show March 2011… nice soldiers there, great pics, many airplanes, great air show at the end of the day. Ran out of cash but really wanted a bicycle cab to the parking lot which is a few blocks away and not fun at the end of the day so always have cash, debit cards cant buy everything!

Our family attend Luke Days on Sunday, March 20^th and had a good time. I love that the admission is free, so everyone can see the airplanes and the show. We did arrive early so we didn’t have any issues with traffic or parking. Everything was very organized. The show was awesome and the kids loved it! We will definately be going again next year.
However, there is room for improvement. The food was good but VERY pricey. The kid zone was also very pricey and the lines for the bounce houses were awful. We waited 30 – 40 minutes for the kids to go on the rocket ship bounce house and they all agreed that it was NOT worth it. The rides the older kids wanted to go on, were too much money. I understand they have to make up for the free admission for $ 10 per kid to go inside of plastic ball or jump on a trampoline, or $ 4 for a small fry, or $ 5 for a lemonade — even Disneyland is cheaper.
Suggestions for visitors next year: bring your own chair (rentals are $ 5 a chair and the ground is uncomfortable), bring your own water but don’t open until you’re inside, bring plenty of snacks, and don’t show your kids the kid zone unless you prepared to spend a lot of money.

Went to the Luke AFB Open House March 19−20^th, 2011. Great display of aircraft, nice demonstrations, free entrance. Everything went smoothly, thank you!

Attended the Open House and Airshow at Luke AFB on Saturday, March 19. If you are thinking of going on Sunday READ THIS FIRST! Mistake #1 was leaving later than I should have. Traffic getting there was a nightmare. Took 1.5 hours to get to off-​base parking and that is after I figured out a shortcut that took 30 minutes off the wait in VERY slow stop and go traffic. Part of the problem was that I was following directions from 3 years ago rather than the online map for this year. Mistake #2. My bad. I’ll do better next year.
Check out the Open House web site (
) for items that you can and cannot bring on base. The check point is in the parking area before you board the buses.
BTW: Parking is $ 10 per vehicle and entrance to the base is free.
The off-​base parking was a farmer’s field that had been cleared and leveled to make way for vehicles. Dusty and dirty, but it sufficed. School buses were used to shuttle us to the base and they were lined up and leaving 3 or 4 at a time. Nice that they did not make us wait long in the field. Good planning here.
We did not arrive on base until about 1PM and I was afraid we missed some of the best aircraft flights. Some guy was selling programs and other trappings for $ 10, but we opted out. I was greatly encouraged when the F-​22 Raptor started it’s routine as we were walking towards the flight line. And holy cow, what a walk! Maybe 600 feet to the edge of the taxiway. It was hard to tell if you were making good progress because the vendors and people in folding chairs were spread out all over the place and you really had to snake around to move closer to the flight line.
The aforementioned Raptor was amazing. I’ve seen video of it before, but this aircraft is truly something to see in flight. Because of the vectoring engine nozzles and fly-​by-​wire system this large jet can remain under the pilots control at extremely slow speeds and high angles of attack. Funny that the most impressive thing about this Mach capable stealth fighter is its slow speed capabilities.
This year Luke allowed folding chairs (just no reclining lawn chairs) and I brought some in the car. We decided that, since we were arriving so late, we would not take them in. Mistake #3. It did not take long for me to lament that decision since there were plenty of places to set up the chairs and it would have been a lot easier eating lunch.
Speaking of lunch. The vendors were everywhere! I do mean everywhere. The area allotted for visitors was so vast that they were spread out so far you could not see many of the vendors until you actually walked over much nearer. You could see some tents and signs all over the place, but what it was you were walking towards was not immediately clear. There is no «vendors row.» Thankfully, some of the vendors had duplicate sites so you wouldn’t have to walk a half mile to get the sandwich and beverage combination you desired. Food is expensive. Cost for 2 brauts and 1 bottled water = $ 17. You cannot bring in food or beverages.
Some very cool planes flew and even more are on static display. You cannot get close to the Raptor or any plane that is flying at the show, though. They are parked across the tarmac from the spectator area. They cancelled the Army Golden Knight parachute team demo. I do not know why. They did announce over the PA system, but unless you were standing very near them all it did was create background noise. I’d say grab a program so you would know what the schedule was, but they got so far off schedule by later afternoon it made little difference.
Eventually some kids in fatigues were driving around in a cart giving out the programs for free and I then saw that the Air Force Thunderbirds were set to fly next. It was another hour before they did finally get airborne though. This is my only real complaint about the air show. Pacing. At least that afternoon it moved very slowly. We actually were leaving just as the «Birds» were starting their routine. We saw a good deal of it on the way to the parking lot. We decided that we did not want to spend another hour-​and-​a-​half in traffic on the way out.
Overall, I would recommend the open house to anyone who enjoys watching military aircraft. It is a relaxed event. If you can deal with long lines getting in, out, and getting food it can be great fun. Take the sunscreen, umbrellas, folding chairs, and plenty of cash.
Super Secret Shortcut: If approaching from the north on 101 take Bell Rd exit. W. on Bell to Litchfield Rd. S. on Litchfield to Peoria. Officers and signage will direct you W. to the «B» lot. Detail map for last part of above:

If coming from the 303 just get on Waddell and go east to Litchfield. Could save you an hour unless you’re very early.
«A» lot? Can’t help you.

Location location location! Luke is a great place to work, the people are friendly, the layout is pretty easy to get used to but the buildings are pretty old. The gym is in need of a renovation (too small for the size of the personnel on base) and the hospital is not really a hospital but a clinic. You would have to utilize the surrounding hospitals and or urgent cares for any emergencies or care after business hours. Other than that, major California cities are a 4 – 5 hr drive and Las Vegas could be reached in 4.

Luke AFB all I have to say to you is.
You rocked my friggin world.
I was based at you for some time and I was not only a happy Airman but a content one as well.
Your location is ideal for flying, your friendliness is unmatched compared to other bases and your amenities are top notch, the BX here still blows my mind, even after several years of being assigned to a different unit.
Consider yourself a lucky AF member if you are based here because they’re are people in Kunsan just dying to have your slot.

The only place I can find Captain’s Wafers smoke house cheddar crackers, Yummy. Cheap too ;-{)