March Air Reserve Base (IATA: RIV, ICAO: KRIV, FAA LID: RIV) (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB), is a United States Air Force Reserve base located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fourth Air Force (4 AF) Headquarters and the host of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW), the largest air mobility wing of the Fourth Air Force. In addition to multiple units of the Air Force Reserve Command supporting Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, and Pacific Air Forces, March ARB is also home to units from the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, California Air National Guard, and the California Army National Guard. For almost 50 years, March AFB was a Strategic Air Command base during the Cold War. The facility covers 2,075 acres (840 hectares) of land. (Wikipedia)

Spotting at March ARB is made easy by the March Field Museum situated on the west side of the base. As one can get right next to the fence, movements can be freely observed and photographed between 9 and 5 during the museum's operating hours. Websites such as spotterguide.net offer additional locations for photographing movements. It is worth mentioning that March ARB is located in a desert where it gets very hot during the day so be sure to drink water while visiting.

While spotting at March ARB, one can expect to see local cargo and tanker movements as well as the F-16s from the 144th FW. Additional visitors from MCAS Miramar and other nearby bases can also be seen semi-frequently.  DHS aircraft also operate out of March ARB with anywhere between one and three flights per day.

During Bamboo Eagle events, participating aircraft may stage out of March ARB which can be an attraction for spotters.

Overall, March ARB provides a fantastic assortment of aircraft to see from fast movers to cargo to contractor logistics aircraft, not to mention the wide array of preserved static displays at the March Field Museum. The ease of spotting combined with this variety makes March ARB a must for any spotter visiting southern California.

The March Field Museum is located on the west side of March Air Reserve base and provides access to both spotting at March ARB and viewing of its collection of dozens of preserved air frames for $18. Some highlights of the collection include an F-14A, KC-10, B-52D, SR-71 and an assortment of Soviet aircraft.