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Posted on 06/22/2025 1:24:44 PM PDT by marcusmaximus
The B-2 stealth bombers used to attack the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant are equipped with toilets, microwaves and usually a cooler for snacks to make life more comfortable for the pilots who were stuck in the cockpit for the 37-hour trip from Missouri to Iran and back.
The fleet of advanced American bombers — originally designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union — took off from the Whiteman Air Force Base outside Kansas City on Friday for an 18 hour ride across the world, refueling several times in mid-air, officials said.
For such long trips to be bearable, the high-tech bombers have their cockpits outfitted with mini refrigerators and a microwave oven to keep its crew fed an alert.
And just like any plane equipped for long-haul flights, the B-2 Spirit has a toilet, too.
There’s also enough room for one pilot to lay down and rest while the other flies the batwing jet.
The B-2 first entered service 1997 and each one costs more than $2 billion; the US Air Force has a fleet of 19 — after losing one in a crash in 2008.
With a wingspan of 172 feet and a crew of just two pilots — the B-2 relies on automation to help complete long-haul flights.
The seven B-2 bombers deployed for operation “Midnight Hammer” flew in near complete radio silence, with their two-man crews taking turns to sleep during the tense night, The Telegraph reported.
The 37-hours spent to attack Fordow marked the longest B-2 bomber mission since the initial American assault on Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Pilots for these types of aircraft are trained to endure long, grueling flights, with past crews bringing cots aboard or even full camping pads, according to The Atlantic.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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Mid-1960s I flew 4 long missions, “Chrome Dome and HardHat.”
Each mission was about 25 hours, 2 refuelings each.
The B-52 had a crew of six. Pilot, co pilot, Radar Navigator Navigator,Electronic Warfare offoce rand Gunner. we carried an extra pilot.,
Yes, the box lunches were OK. The heat up meals were not so good, at all.
I remember the fatigue. The landings were “arrivals,” just getting the big
horse on the runway and deploying the “drag chute!”
I felt that it was necessary to scrape, us, the crew, out of our seats!
The Strategic Air Command ended those missions following an accident that killed a friend of mine, Capt. Len Svitenko, In January 1968.
Ahhh, the memories, some good and one very sad.
See Post #20
This video.
https://x.com/MattEvansKMBC/status/1936858341910733208
at approx. 22 and 34 seconds you can see two more birds coming in.
Thank you for your service.
Nothing worse than a long flight with a lousy inflight movie. I drew Ishtar on a Tokyo-DC marathon. Horrible.
Probably a whole lot better than the Navy’s.
Sure did. Two big ones per plane.
You can get those on Starlink, I am sure.
I would need an ottoman for that flight.
The Piots deserve the Medal of Honor l.
There was a time when I had a choice of an Army mess hall or an Air Force dining facility. The Air Force was always the place to eat due to better food and more selections.
I don’t like seeing video posted of this landing. This is why China cannot own a square foot of land anywhere near a military base.
They are a remarkable aircraft and after all these years still in service. I knew several B52 mechanics and crew members.
I had a job where we watched them take off. I used to tell fresh young airmen how the B52 took off and flew up to altitude.
The B52’s would rev their engines on the runway, dump all the clutches and spin their wheels. That accounted for all the black smoke. Then point to a refueling picture and tell them that’s actually a tow bar to help them get to altitude.
And the F22 Raptor escorts, and the KC-135 Stratotanker pilots that kept everyone fueled, and the IDF F35 pilots who cleared out the anti-aircraft batteries on the target flight path. Incredible job well done by all. Historic mission.
No in-flight movie? how spartan!
But the post-strike movie would be positively gold!
I hope it is better than the toilet on the KC-135 we had fifty five years ago.
Looks like Florida, not Fordow.
Why was one of the pilots allowed to bring 3 cushions aboard? They caught fire.
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