USAF to retire 17 B-1B Lancer Strategic Bombers during Fiscal Year 2021

The legend of the B-1B bomber that broke windows all over the town of Abilene while performing her first flyover of the city

By Dario Leone
Jul 4 2020
Share this article

On Jun. 29, 1985 “The Star of Abilene” (83-0065) the second operational B-1B bomber was delivered to the 96th Bombardment Wing at Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas.

On Jun. 29, 1985 “The Star of Abilene” (83-0065) the second operational B-1B bomber was delivered to the 96th Bombardment Wing at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) near Abilene, Texas.

A crowd of about 45,000 people gathered at the Dyess flight line to see the new aircraft. The bomber conducted a flyover of the city of Abilene before landing. Rumors spread widely that the noise from the bomber would break windows all over town. This, of course, did not happen, but the first rumble of the B-1B was satisfyingly loud.

The legend of the B-1B bomber that broke windows all over the town of Abilene while performing her first flyover of the city
B-1B “The Star of Abilene”

Lore of this event says the Star of Abilene did not actually make it’s debut that day due to engine trouble. The only other operational B-1B (82-0001) on standby at Edwards AFB, with a Star of Abilene decal applied flew in for the dedication instead. During the flight the decal ripped partway off because the recently placed decal had not had time to cure to the painted hull. According to Dyess AFB Memorial Museum and Linear Air Park Facebook page, no documentary evidence of this story was found, but several related individuals reported the story.

The “Star of Abilene” (83-0065) was retired to the Dyess Linear Air Park for display inside the Dyess main gate following her final flight on Mar. 1, 2003. She gave 17 years and seven months of faithful service.

Initial operational capability (IOC) for the B-1B bomber was achieved on Oct. 1, 1986 and the final B-1B was delivered on May 2, 1988.

The legend of the B-1B bomber that broke windows all over the town of Abilene while performing her first flyover of the city
“The Star of Abilene”

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) eliminated the nuclear mission for the B-1 in 1994. Even though the Air Force expended no further funding to maintain nuclear capabilities, the B-1 was still considered a heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armament until 2007. The conversion to conventional only began in November 2007 under the original START treaty and was completed in March 2011 under the New START treaty.

Today the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America’s long-range bomber force: in fact it can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time.

B-1B Artwork
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. B-1B Lancer 28th FW, 34th BS Thunderbirds, EL/86-129 / 2005

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force


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