On that mission, you certainly couldn't rely on forward positioned support assets that would be taken out before you got there. You have what you left with and know that there will most likely be nothing to come back to.
Posts: 9019 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002
Slight thread drift. My dad was the base commander at Homestead during the rebuilding of the runway and aprons to accept the B-52. It had B-47's at the time. The first B-52 came in and if I'm not mistaken, spent the night. The next morning when it was going to leave I was sitting with my dad in his staff car off the left side of the aircraft. AS it powered up to start to taxi large chunks of the asphalt apron behind it started to peel up and tumble back. It was a sight to see. I also got to sit in his staff car off the side of the runway when B-47s were doing those minimal interval takeoffs. Great memories.
I saw b 52s take off from Kadena a number of times. The Ruykans were very unhappy about the whole thing and had a chant about "b-Go Nee" or in American, B-five-two.
It was always interesting to see them take off but not as interesting as watching an arc-light and feeling the ground shake, a lot, as they delivered their brand of chaos. Working through the area they hit was interesting too, in a very Holy Shit! kind of way.
My favorite part of the air force.
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Posts: 6489 | Location: Washington | Registered: November 06, 2006
bought a pile of guns from a former BUFF pilot, he told us of a few missions and the routes he flew from somewhere in NY (IIRC) to bomb Iraq and back, who would let them in thier airspace etc etc,
interesting guy, and a very long (distance and time) trips,
A number of years ago I was working in a substation that was just south of Lake Charles , Louisiana . It was directly in line with the runway at the old Chennault Air Base . That week the B-52's from Barksdale were practicing touch and go's using the Chennault runway because it's so damn long . I could see the plane dropping down and then go out of sight below the tree line and when it came back up it passed over me at very low altitude . It was so cool to watch . At one time Boeing leased the facility to do some upgrades to aerial tankers and they flew in and out right over us . Occasional I saw an F-5 with NASA markings fly over . A lot of activity there at that time .
Posts: 4234 | Location: Down in Louisiana . | Registered: February 27, 2009
When stationed at Griffiss AFB in NY there was a parking area on the far side of the runway that gave a clear view of the entire takeoff. Used to watch with another airman and it used to get her excited so we would then go back to my room to “discuss” it afterwards. The tankers would take off first to be in position to fuel the B52 as it couldn’t take off with full fuel tanks
Originally posted by Jumbo: it used to get her excited so we would then go back to my room to “discuss” it afterwards.
That's good When I delivered to Wright Patt in the 80's, the guards wouldn't stop me, just wave me into the base. I wonder if security is like that today? Ten years ago I delivered to the GE plant that makes the jet engines, I had to have an escort take me in.
I recently read an article in one of the defense rags I read that said B-52’s were getting major upgrades including new Rolls Royce engines that are more powerful and efficient giving the planes greater capacity and longer range. These improvements, including new avionics, will allow these planes to remain in the air for over a century…amazing!
------------------ Eddie
Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina
Posts: 6461 | Location: In transit | Registered: February 19, 2013
Originally posted by Jumbo: When stationed at Griffiss AFB in NY there was a parking area on the far side of the runway that gave a clear view of the entire takeoff...
I used to live south of Syracuse and was in the NY ANG at Hancock Field, 174TFW from 1980-86. Me and a guard pal used to visit Griffiss to, er...shop at the BX, but somehow we'd always get lost and drive the perimeter road past the alert area and weapons storage.
One time we were sitting at the very same parking area watching BUFFs when an SP came by and said we'd have to leave in ten minutes. He didn't say, but we knew they were about to move some bombs or ALCMs to/from the alert area.
Originally posted by Schmelby: A sight to see to watch one take off.
A sight to see to watch one land in a cross wind too. The main gear of a B-52 can be swiveled such that the wheels are aligned with the runway while the plane is crabbed into the wind. I know of no other plane with that capability.
Originally posted by BOATTRASH1: Slight thread drift. My dad was the base commander at Homestead during the rebuilding of the runway and aprons to accept the B-52. It had B-47's at the time. <snip>
I grew up in a small town not far from Whiteman AFB, which hosted B-47s. Decades later I became friends with Dave, a B-47 captain based there. He told me that his locker at Whiteman had a stenciled sign, PLT. The lockers of his copilot and navigator had COPLT and REPLT.
Dave was originally scheduled to fly B-58s, but the B-58 program was canceled.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pipe Smoker,
Serious about crackers
Posts: 9410 | Location: San Diego | Registered: July 26, 2014
A sight to see to watch one land in a cross wind too. The main gear of a B-52 can be swiveled such that the wheels are aligned with the runway while the plane is crabbed into the wind. I know of no other plane with that capability.
There are a few. One that I have flown is the Cessna 195, here's a photo of a 190 or 195 (siblings).
הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
Posts: 31340 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010
Originally posted by BOATTRASH1: Slight thread drift. My dad was the base commander at Homestead during the rebuilding of the runway and aprons to accept the B-52. It had B-47's at the time. <snip>
That’s an impressive posting. I’m sure you were enormously proud of your dad. And rightly so.
Serious about crackers
Posts: 9410 | Location: San Diego | Registered: July 26, 2014
We put the first observers on B-52's during Polo Hat Exercises in 1982. There is a training seat behind the pilot and co-pilot where you observed operations and took notes. The flight lasted 17 hours and the noise was bad even with headsets on.
We were trained at Andrews where they have a decompression chamber. We were issued full flight gear for flying on Airborne Command Posts. We wore parachutes and a flight crew member would be assigned if we had to bail out. There was a good chance you would be blown back into the fuselage if you had to bail out.
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Posts: 11859 | Location: Herndon, VA | Registered: June 11, 2009
