Inside The Boeing TC-135: The Underrated Quadjet Still Active Today

The Boeing TC-135W is a flying legend that quietly carries the DNA of Cold War innovation into the present day, often hiding in plain sight among the US Air Force’s storied fleet. With its distinct four-engine profile and unmistakable Rivet Joint silhouette, this rare training and test derivative of the C-135/RC-135 reconnaissance family continues to train and test missions long after its contemporaries have retired. At the 2025 Malta International Airshow, I had the rare opportunity to step inside one of only two surviving TC-135Ws, serial 62-4127, gleaming under the Mediterranean sun at Luqa Airport , a living link to six decades of US aerial intelligence history. While most spectators crowded around the fast jets, helicopters and aerobatic teams, I was drawn to this quiet, unassuming Boeing parked near the static display line.