The Air Force seemed determined that I'd fly B-52s. Tried to assign me to them twice. I managed to wriggle free both times, but had to separate from active duty the second time to avoid being a Buff INSTRUCTOR pilot. Can you imagine the horror of that?
I can think of a few fates worse than that! I'd give my left nut to be able to go back in time and take the turns in life that might have landed me in the cockpit of any military aircraft. I did the enlisted thing a couple of years after high school, then after I got out I did college taking my time. When I got my degree I went back to the Navy recruiter and inquired about the possibility of a commission and flight school. By then I was too old for the Navy and he suggested talking to the Army about flying helicopters. I spent a few minutes in the Army recruiter's office, then thought about it for a while. I nixed the idea because I didn't trust the recruiter. I wonder to this day what I would have found had I taken that path...
Don't be the darkness.
America will perish while those who should be standing guard are satisfying their lusts.
Rocky, I was at Castle AFB California where rookie BUF pilots learned to fly them. Taking a guy fresh out of a T-38 and putting him into a BUF made for some interesting takeoffs, and even more dramatic landings. Ever seen anybody land a BUF one gear at a time- - - - -including the wingtip protectors? I could always tell when the IP was at the controls- - - -they greased it in with no drama at all!
Picture taken just before our crew flew the ORI May 1981 Grand Forks AFB ND 319 BMW 46 BMS. That’s an H Model in the background. I was a young Navigator at the time. Upgraded to RN Bombardier later. 1500 hours in G’s & H’s. The big guy at the top right was our Aircraft Commander Pilot Capt. Borkowski “BORK”. One of the best pilots I ever knew and a great person. I am 2nd from Upper Left. Note one of the Crew Chiefs is wearing mukluks in May !
Is that the plane that flew out of Carswell in Ft. Worth?
Yes. They would fly thru the front door of the elem. school I attended and out the back door on west side of Ft. Worth. Then again in the wee morning hours at our house. Still remember the B-36’s flying over too!!
Edit;
Kid who lived down the street (Cuban expats) lost his father (pilot) on practice bomb run over Padre Island. Right into the Gulf. We all went to same school.
Last edited by kaywoodie; 11/24/21.
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
I was on maintenance flying status at Kadena - - - -rode the Avionics launch truck and fixed a few D models enroute to the target. Did the later models still use the MD-1 Astrotracker?
I worked with a retired B-52 tail gunner. He told me the "Chrome Dome missions were done with E & F models and that mission wore them out prematurely. He told me they would fly the northern route to Spain and back so the Russians never knew where they were.
The Karma bus always has an empty seat when it comes around.- High Brass
There's battle lines being drawn Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Rocky, I was at Castle AFB California where rookie BUF pilots learned to fly them. Taking a guy fresh out of a T-38 and putting him into a BUF made for some interesting takeoffs, and even more dramatic landings. Ever seen anybody land a BUF one gear at a time- - - - -including the wingtip protectors? I could always tell when the IP was at the controls- - - -they greased it in with no drama at all!
Twas the summer of '73 I was on a B-5 stand inspecting the boom nozzle of a tanker during a postflight inspection. A BUFF has taxied to the far end of the runway preparing for takeoff. Making the turn onto the active runway too fast the right wingtip smacked the runway so hard that it broke the tip gear which caused it to bend outward rupturing the tip tank. The tank contacted the runway which lit the fuel running out of the tank and started the wing tip on fire. The pilot taxied the aircraft to the departure end (closer to the fire department), shut down the engines. Next thing I know the hatch drops open and the flight crew jump out and they're halling a$$ upwind. Firefighters put the fire out, eventually Boeing brought in a wing tip to replace the damaged one. So went my baptism on a broken arrow...
- - - - A hotdog pilot could make that big MF'er do some impressive stuff!
Quite true - saw a hotdog Lt. Colonel roll and demolish a B52 and all on board during a show-off demo flight over at Fairchild in the 90s. That was impressive.
I worked with a retired B-52 tail gunner. He told me the "Chrome Dome missions were done with E & F models and that mission wore them out prematurely. He told me they would fly the northern route to Spain and back so the Russians never knew where they were.
A D model at Kaden tried to abort a takeoff past the go/no point when they lost two engines. 34 750 pounders plus 24 500's, and a full fuel load made quite a bonfire. The only survivor of the initial crash was the tail gunner, who popped the turret and dived onto the runway just before they hit the overrun. He died in the base hospital a couple of hours later. An E-3 bomb disposal troop made two stripes that day for defusing bombs between puddles of burning jet fuel. The base commander promoted him on the spot!
I was on maintenance flying status at Kadena - - - -rode the Avionics launch truck and fixed a few D models enroute to the target. Did the later models still use the MD-1 Astrotracker?
Yes. G’s & H’s in the early 1980’s. Sextant was inserted into the port for taking celestial fixes on Nav Legs. I believe that has now gone the way of the dinosaurs today.
At Kadena in Febr of '68 waiting for a C-130 to give us a ride to vietnam we looked around at the B-52's that were parked there. We noticed some of the wingtips were 10' or so off the ground while others were knee high. Someone asked why the difference and we were told the one's close to the ground were full of fuel and waiting for a mission, the others had just come back and there was very little fuel left in the wings. Couldn't believe the wings bent that much. Tet had started and no commercial aircraft were allowed to fly into vietnam so we rode in the 130's. A week later we were at Khe Sanh and got to see arc light's on an almost daily basis. Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all the air crews and the job they did.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/iodgDU6.jpeg)