Tag: Strategic Air Command
During the Jun. 2-3, 1995 Coronet Bat mission, the B-1s flew the entire route at 0.92 Mach using 100% Military Power, a day-and-a-half of continuous maximum non-afterburner performance. Curtis LeMay first flew KC-135A 55-3126 to Buenos Aires in November 1957 to demonstrate the operational capability of American airpower in the face of Soviet...
Although SAC had 380 B-52s and 1,367 B-47s by the end of 1958, compared with Britain's three V-Bombers, it is worth noting that Bomber Command's contribution to the Allied counter air offensive plans was out of all proportion to the relative size of the SAC and RAF forces. The strong working relationship between...
KC-10 tanker tail number 82-0190 exploded on the Barksdale ramp while undergoing routine maintenance after a mission. Taken on Sep. 17, 1987 at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) the photos in this post shows the only KC-10 Extender lost by the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The aircraft, KC-10 tanker...
On Mar. 5, 1962, Capts. Robert G. Sowers (pilot), Robert MacDonald (navigator) and John T. Walton (defensive systems operator) flew from Los Angeles to New York City in the Hustler in only 2 hours 56.8 seconds, an average speed of 1,214.17 miles per hour. The U.S. Air Force's first operational supersonic bomber,...
The B-52’s incoming speed was too fast and caused the aircraft to collide with the KC-135’s fueling boom. Major Larry G. Messinger, one of the bomber co-pilots, recalled, “All of a sudden, all hell seemed to break loose.” The U.S. military uses the term “Broken Arrow” to refer to an accident that involves...
Maintenance docks used to work on the B-36 bombers outdoors were thrown about and the steel cables tying down the bombers snapped as the planes were thrown about by the tornado like toys. In the 1950s, prior to the arrival of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the responsibility for the long-range strategic deterrent...
"As we approached the helo-ship, I noticed ten guys facing us, standing in a line across the landing pad. As we approached, all ten turned, dropped their pants, and mooned us. Navy guys, what a hoot!" Jay Lacklen is a former B-52 pilot with 12,500 flying hours and the author of two books, Flying the Line: An Air Force Pilot’s Journey and...
The tale said that President Johnson was supposed to name the Blackbird the "RS-71" and that he confused the letters, reversed them, and said "SR-71" The following story appears in Col. Richard H. Graham's book Flying the SR-71 Blackbird. On 24 July, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a news conference at the State Department auditorium with 315 people in attendance. For...
"The three B-52s sat behind the runway hold line awaiting permission for the final B-52 takeoff from U-Tapao. Then tower cleared us for takeoff. On interplane frequency, I said, 'OK, guys, let's take our Buffs and go home,'" Jay Lacklen, former B-52 pilot Jay Lacklen is a former B-52 pilot with 12,500 flying hours and the author of two books, Flying...
"'Ah, IP, copilot!' Oh, great, I thought, what problem could this rookie have now? I told him to go ahead. 'Ah, are there supposed to be holes in the engines?' 'Yes,' I told him, 'one in the front, one in the back.' 'No,' he said, his voice now quavering, 'I mean holes in the side of the cowling,'" Jay Lacklen, former...
