B-52 Wise Guy

Here are the first photos of “Wise Guy,” the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service

By Dario Leone
May 17 2019
Share this article

When the U.S. Air Force lost one of its bombers in 2016, it started a chain of events that made “Wise Guy” only the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service.

In the cockpit of “Wise Guy”, a B-52H Stratofortress which had been baking in the Arizona sun at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group since 2008, is a note that reads: “AMARG, this is 60-034, a cold warrior that stood sentinel over America from the darkest days of the Cold War to the global fight against terror. Take good care of her….until we need her again.”

The plea, scrawled on a metal clipboard in black marker, proved to be prophetic when both Reserve Citizen Airmen and active duty Airmen from flew the jet at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) on May 14 to begin the next phase of its life protecting U.S. interests at home and abroad.  

Here are the first photos of “Wise Guy,” the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service

The note’s unknown author probably knew the bomber’s chances of returning to active service were slim.  AMARG is often referred to as the “Boneyard” because aircraft sent to the desert environment are normally picked over for parts. Most B-52s sent there never fly again. 

But, as explained by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle, 307th Bomb Wing, in the article Wise Guy back in the sky, when the Air Force lost one of its bombers in 2016, it started a chain of events that made “Wise Guy” only the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service.  The first, nicknamed “Ghost Rider,” was brought at Barksdale in 2015, also by members of the 307th and 2nd Bomb Wings.

With more than 17,000 flight hours in its history and more than a decade baking in the desert, getting Wise Guy air worthy required help from multiple sources.

A B-52 Stratofortress, nicknamed “Wise Guy,” taxis into Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, May 14, 2019. The jet had been sitting at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona since 2008. It is being returned to service to replace a B-52 lost during takeoff in 2016. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle)

“This was a command wide effort, with reservists and active duty offering a great deal of experience,” said Col. Robert Burgess, 307th Operations Group commander and pilot for the flight. “It took four months to get ready, so it was really a small effort on the aircrew side and a major effort on the maintainer side.”

The bomber had a team of 13 to 20 maintainers working on it at any given time, said Master Sgt. Steven Sorge, a 307th Maintenance Squadron fuels system mechanic.

“The jet had cracks in the rear landing gear and was missing two engines,” he said. “It also needed all its fuels cells and hoses replaced, as well as its tires.”

Here are the first photos of “Wise Guy,” the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service

Wise Guy also needed its egress system overhauled, said Master Sgt. Greg Barnhill, 307th Maintenance Squadron egress shop supervisor. An egress system allows the aircrew to bail out of the aircraft in case of an emergency.

“All of our parts for repairing the ejections seats were basically in a five gallon bucket,” he said.  “It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.”

Fortunately, maintainers like Sorge and Barnhill have a deep well of experience, having worked on B-52s for more than two decades. They also had the advantage of the total force integration system, which combines the experience of Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 307th BW with active-duty Airmen from the 2 BW.

Here are the first photos of “Wise Guy,” the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service

“TFI worked great out there for us,” said Barnhill. “The active-duty Airmen in our shop and those from 2 BW worked well as a team and were a big help.”

Once maintainers has completed the necessary repairs, they ran multiple tests on the engines, landing gear, fuel and egress systems to ensure the jet was flight worthy.

From there, it was all up to the air crew to get the bomber to Barksdale.  The three man crew, with more than 10,000 flying hours between them, flew the B-52H low and slow all the way to Louisiana.

Here are the first photos of “Wise Guy,” the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. B-52H Stratofortress 2nd BW, 20th BS, LA/60-0008 “Lucky Lady IV”. Barksdale AFB, LA

With the bomber safely at Barksdale, Barnhill had time to reflect on his role in saving “Wise Guy” from becoming a historical footnote.

“Bringing a bomber out of AMARG is a once in a lifetime chance and I have been able to do it twice,” he said. “It’s just an honor to bring it back into service.”

Fully restoring the jet will require 550 personnel across multiple maintenance disciplines and cost approximately $30 million, according to guidance release by Air Force Global Strike Command. The aircraft is expected to be completely restored by early 2021.

Here are the first photos of “Wise Guy,” the second B-52H ever to be taken from AMARG for active service
This model is available from AirModels – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ted Daigle

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Error: Contact form not found.


Share this article
Back to top
My Agile Privacy
This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

List of some possible advertising permissions:

You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices