Minot Air Force Base to activate new B-52 squadron

Associated Press ^ | Aug 27, 2009

[AFPhys]

I don’t usually do videos, but if one of those shows the wings of a Buff “flapping” due to some turbulence or a pilot refueling, I would take the time to do it. That is a cool sight.

[neverdem]

Clinton's Gift to Russia Goes Awry

U.S. eyes Russian submarines off East Coast

[af_vet_rr]

Why? Opportunities & low cost of living.

Felt a lot colder and a lot more isolated in North Dakota. Maybe it was just the wind and flatness overall but it was not that enjoyable.

[MindBender26]

Why not Minot ?

[Squantos]

W80’s are still in the active inventory....as well the B61 mods 7 and 11. Also the B83. W87’s are in the holes with w76 an W88’s on the subs.

I think I heard a rumor about such somewhere...:o)

[El Gato]

lol! My grandfather flew them in Vietnam

Likely not the "H" models. The H models were standing alert,ready for Nuclear combat, toe-to-toe with the Russkies.

Vietnam was mostly D & G models. The H models, last one built in 1964, are all that is left. The last D was made in '57. The G's were all destroyed as part of the treaties with the aforementioned Ruskis.

The G & H models were considerably different aircraft than the earlier models. The main initial difference being the H models used, and use, the TF-33 medium bypass turbo-fan engines, while the Gs used the J-57 pure turbojet.

[Squantos]

Kincheloe AFB BTTT.....:o)

[El Gato]

Like somebody else pointed out - the original B-52s are either scrapped, in the boneyard, or museum pieces.

Yea, but even the very last B-52H came off the line in 1964. 45 years is plenty of time for a grandfather-grandchild pair to fly the same serial number bird. It's not like there are all that many anyway, 94, including 85 assigned to active units, and 9 to reserve units. (Yea the part timers fly the BUFF these days!) At least one of those is a the test bird out at Edwards. Boeing might have one too. NASA had one, to replace their really old "B" model, but then when their budgets were cut, and they no longer had any projects requiring that sort of lift, they gave it back to the Air Force. An all white Buff looks pretty cool.

[Squantos]

ALCM’s on the Buffs. B61 mod 7/11 and B83’s on the B-2’s with B-1’s delivering ALCM’s an the B-61 mod 11.

As well don’t forget the F-16 is also nuke capable. Lots of “sites” still around with that configuration.

[Freedom56v2]

We lived in Fargo, so maybe the slightest bit less flat than western part of state.

The people there that made it special as much or more than the jobs that both my husband and I obtained. Folks there were just wonderful.

My son just went there—got full ride to grad school, so North Dakota has been good to us.

Seems Alaska is so far from the lower 48, would be hard to get back to family if I lived there. That said we are looking at possible retirement to Ketchikan because it is far from lower 48....

Have you spent any time there?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem. I once read an anecdote; that when the last B-52 is flown off to be mothballed, the flight crew will come home on a B-52. It’s one of those cool folk song hyperboles / exaggerations / absurdities (”ten thousand was killed who never was born”) that shows that the B-52 is going to be around forever. :’) It’s already into its second calendar century, and flew the first time in 1952, 57 years ago, so the B-52 design could very well see it’s second *actual* century, and the way new systems are built in such small quantities and limited relevance due to changing technology, could actually be in military service of some sort on its hundredth anniversary.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/mark

[Skooz]

My dad refueled them over Vietnam.

[Skooz]

My dad was stationed at Minot when I was 7 - 11 years old.

Excellent place to be a kid. I loved it.

When we moved, I actually cried and vowed to myself that one day I would go back, even just to visit.

Now, almost 40 years later, I have planned the trip and, Lord willing, will be there, just to visit, in mid-October.