Posted on 02/19/2015 8:02:37 AM PST by C19fan
The Air Force is working to get a B-52 bomber back into service after it sat collecting dust for seven years at the famous Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
On Feb. 13, the B-52H—with the serial number 61–0007—left the desert for its new home with the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This is the first time the Air Force has “regenerated” one of these bombers from the Boneyard back to active duty.
(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...
The Pima Air Museum offers tours now.
http://pimaair.org/visit/admission-hours
Costs $7.00 for adults, must have valid govt.-issued ID (drivers license or equivalent state ID, passport, military ID).
I heard of a guy that was the third genaration in his family to fly on that thing.
I see some B-1's down there!
Back when you heard lots of sonic booms and the TV announcer said 'That's the sound of freedom!' Back then, we liked it, nowadays, imagine the whining...
No. Well, not as of 2009, the last time I tried. Had my military CAC Card, 35E Badge and Credentials. SPs didn't care. No lookie-loos. You were either on the "list" or not. If not, you turned around and an unmarked SP Chevy Tahoe followed you around the base.
However, if you need to see some airplanes upclose, the Pima Co. Air museum is on the south side of the AFB and has an EXCELLENT collection. Got to touch a B-58 Hustler. Loved it. You can climb the old tower and use binoculars to overlook Davis AFB boneyard.
Fortunately, they coat the skins with a protective chemical with the viscosity of grease.
Because the climate is so dry, there is very little disintegration. The frame and engines are sealed up to prevent dust, and what little moisture there is.
Essentially, it is outdoor dry storage.
I used to watch these take off at Amarillo AFB back in 1962. I thought they were beautiful then and still believe that. Nothing like it. Occasionally I have seen them in high in the sky in Texas where they fly out of Barksdale in La. Still something to behold.
My recollection is that they cost only $9 million to build one of them when they were new. I’ve wondered why they couldn’t bring out the old plans and just replace the outdated components with updated electronics and engines and build new bombers.
Just imagine what they could do in the ME with a squadron of them carpet bombing the terrorists. Nothing would remain and they would get a real experience of true terror themselves.
If you let it play through, the next one auto plays .. Minimum Interval Take Off (real footage)
"Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana"
I was in La. years ago when you could see these 'Buff's ' flying. Then one day the paper noted there were nuclear bombs at the base and people went wild with horror...."How could this be possible? "
....I wondered what they thought these bombers would be carrying ?
I worked on B-52As at Walker AFB, then got sent to Little Rock AFB where I worked on KC-135Q. LRAFB also had the B-58s but I never worked on them.
FYI: https://mcsallyforcongress.com/the-a-10-and-davis-monthan/
(just wandered onto her site, know nothing about her)
Small correction to that article: The C/D models had 8 engines. The G/H models had 4 engines.
Also, when I was in SAC (from ‘69 to ‘71) the C/D models were painted camo and the G/H models weren’t. Interesting to see G/H models painted drab.
I remember discussion back then about mounting new engines on the D & E, so that discussion has been going on for over 40 years!
However, if you need to see some airplanes upclose, the Pima Co. Air museum is on the south side of the AFB and has an EXCELLENT collection. Got to touch a B-58 Hustler. Loved it. You can climb the old tower and use binoculars to overlook Davis AFB boneyard.
Not correct -
You can get a specific D-M boneyard tour starting at the Pima Air Space Museum -
http://www.pimaair.org/visit/tour
It's worth the trip.
When I win the Power Ball I will buy one of these and get a ground crew. Getting pilots and a Nav shouldn’t be a problem. The only problem I see as Weps officer is finding the ordinance.
What are the coordinates of the DNC in DC?
5.56mm
I was just a kid with no connection to the Air Force (other than a dad who was Army attached to the Air in WWII who helped enforce a training base’s sanitary rules to prevent disease outbreaks), and my experience was post war.
Yeah, living in Fort Worth (Carswell and the big bombers) I saw and heard them high overhead at times.
But once at a cookout on the shores of Lake Worth, I experienced this B-52 takeoff on a path right over my head and still very close to ground.
That sound pinned me to the spot I was in.
I literally could not move until it passed.
Yes!
The sound of FREEDOM.
Many years later I experienced more than one low B-1 flyover from Dyess in Abilene.
Wow!!!
“Hell, we could have a good weekend in Houston with all this stuff!”
I think that was the punchline to that whole spiel. Don’t quote me , I’m going off memory.
cC
ping
When I lived in Arizona I used to drive past that site quite frequently.
It was something to behold!
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