You are correct that the end of the Vietnam War led to the removal of B-52s from McCoy. With my recollection chastised, corrected, and refreshed, I think my tour of the B-52 was in that time frame when I returned home from college on break. I vaguely recall local news coverage to the effect that the open house for long-secret areas like the nuclear bunkers and front line aircraft at McCoy was a way for SAC to say goodbye to the Orlando area.
Crawling around inside B-52s, I can imagine that you saw a few odd things. My closest comparison is as a teen poking into and crawling around inside an old Navion airframe that my father was restoring. Tasked with eliminating wasp nests, I was armed with a can of insect spray, a flashlight, a small hand broom, and a rag. Somehow, I never got stung -- and my father still owns the Navion, nicely restored and a little older than even the B-52.
“The B-52 was plenty roomy compared to fighters and the small civilian aircraft that I was familiar with...the end of the Vietnam War led to the removal of B-52s from McCoy...I vaguely recall local news coverage to the effect that the open house for long-secret areas like the nuclear bunkers and front line aircraft at McCoy was a way for SAC to say goodbye...My closest comparison is as a teen poking into and crawling around inside an old Navion airframe...I was armed with a can of insect spray, a flashlight, a small hand broom, and a rag. Somehow, I never got stung — and my father still owns the Navion...” [Rockingham, post 55]
Your description of wasp-nest hunting captivated. Bug spray was an inspiration; could have used it while poking about derelict airframes and museum artifacts. Now I’m mildly chagrined I never thought of it.
My apologies - I cannot recall where I dug up the termination year of 1968 for bomb wing basing at McCoy. Later searches date it to 1974.
Fret not about dates. Realignment and closure activities are inherently chaotic and muddled. A truth I forgot: all the more embarrassing, as I served on the merger team when Strategic Air Command stood down in spring 1992. And my Society of SAC life member number is only a couple places beyond the seniority cutoff for “founding members.” The times were neither fun nor pretty.
Bombers have crew spaces of larger dimensions only in comparison to light aircraft, and fighters. Fighters are routinely back on the ground before a bomber crew accomplishes all the mandated system checks - even on a training sortie.
My guess is that you’d judge the B-52H crew compartment less congenial if you’d been aboard one of our special sorties. Up to nine people were assigned: six primary crew plus an extra for each station (usually instructors) - with all the requisite flying gear, survival gear, flight publications, and documentation. I chanced to be on board when our crew set a time/distance record in early 1980, for the H model. Moderately taxing.