The airfield's  54' tall air traffic control tower was on the east edge of runway near the POL depot and across from the aircraft maintenance revetments. Operators were from the 361^st Air Operations Detachment and slept in the lower level of the tower. The 1,500'x50' runway was made of perforated steel plates (PSP) that interlocked and were coated with sand paint to improve adhesion. The sign in the foreground of the view to the right instructs: CROSS BETWEEN YELLOW LINES ONLY.

The Reliable Airfield (fixed-wing) was in the southwest corner of Dong Tam, adjacent to the Kinh Xang (canal), near its outlet on Dong Tam Harbor.

An Army utility truck is carefully unloaded by airmen from the belly of USAF Caribou No. 442 under the watchful eyes of the vehicle's driver. Although it has USAF markings this aircraft still retains the original US Army overall drab paint. When the USAF acquired the Army's Vietnam Caribou fleet in January 1967, they began painting them in camouflage colors.

The De Havilland Caribou was designed for short takeoff and landing (STOL) and was the largest fixed-wing airplane the 1,500' Reliable Airfield could accommodate. Taking off was a memorable experience. With full brakes applied, the Caribou would rev its motors to peak RPMs, then release its brakes in a jolt of vibration and head-snapping forward motion. The airplane would accelerate down the runway at maximum power and, to avoid sniper fire from across the river, would lift off as steeply as possible. Needless to say, disposable paper bags came in handy at times. Landing reversed the gravitational forces and was even more exciting.