American Citizen writes about seeing two F-22s take off. That reminded me of this summer, when I was driving from Camp Borepatch, Atlanta to FOB Borepatch in Austin. I was just coming to Shreveport, and a squadron of B-52s chose that very moment to land at Barksdale AFB. One flew directly over us (and I mean directly over us) at about 150 ft altitude. It looked exactly like this picture from Wikipedia.
Like American Citizen, it all happened so fast that I couldn't take a picture. But it was simply spectacular.
* This is the affectionate name for the B-52: Big, Ugly, Flying Friend. Err, or something like that.
If Unc had not rescinded his invitation back in the day, flying these would have been my ambition. (Gramps was a bomber pilot in WWI).
ReplyDeleteA C5 gives ya something to think about as well.
Q
My employer hosts an F-18 flyover for Memorial Day every year. You can feel that deep in your guts when those things tear through.
ReplyDeletePatrick Air Force base is close enough that I live in the pattern, and we get to see all manner of things, from U2s to Harriers, F117s, and F-22s. BUFFs are rare here - only seen one once. They are pretty amazing airplanes. Legend says there's one or two situations where father and son have flown the same airframe.
ReplyDeleteIn the spring, they have an air show and we've been treated to the Thunderbirds doing maneuvers over our house. And if you ever get the chance, listen to a Thunderbird performance on a scanner. Almost as entertaining as watching.
Never saw a bomber in flight but I did see some great ones on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton. As you're walking around one section of the museum you don't ever realize there's a B-52 parked right above your head until you see these massive rubber doughnuts and realize they're the tires on the landing gear. Then you look up. What a giant.
ReplyDeleteHaving been in down in the vicinity of Beale AFB a little over a week ago, I saw what I'm pretty sure was a U2. Those things have been around for quite awhile. As for the BUFF, they're pretty impressive when you see 'em in the air, but what leaves a lasting impression is being where they've left their mark. It's an eerie feeling to slog through an area that only a few hours before had been rice paddies and tree line and seeing nothing but craters and green litter. Makes one realize that even if you look up, you wouldn't be able to see what'd done the damage when they were flying over. And, were we really sure they weren't up there right at that moment?
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I had Revell models of F86, F100 and some of the others, and thought I'd outgrown the fascination with jets, but when you get to Kadena AFB and watch the SR71 Habus flying out of there, you turn into an awestruck little boy all over again.
Rob J
If you ever get the chance, watching one take off is a real treat. The wings "take off" before the fuselage leaves the ground.
ReplyDeleteMy son works these up in the frozen north now.
I remember during Desert Storm my dad and I out on the patio of Darla's Good Dogs right across the street from Castle AFB. The B-52s were stacked up as far as the eye could see coming and going like 727s at LAX. Incredible watching those behemoths land and take off.
ReplyDeleteI grew up about an hour north of Barksdale, in Texarkana, Texas. When we went to Shreveport my eyes never left the skies. (I was and am a huge airplane freak, so you can imagine how cool it was for me to see 'em.) Occasionally we'd see the B-52s up in our neck of the woods. A couple even flew over my house once, so low that if I'd been sleeping they'd have awakened me. I ran out and watched them, lingering long after they were gone, basking in the awesomeness of the moment.
ReplyDeleteThey had a B-52 do the pre-game flyover for A&M's first home game this year. And my house is almost directly under the approach lane to Kyle Field. I take the boys out to the field at the nearby school to watch before games.
ReplyDeleteThey also had some sort of AF jet trainers (kinda disappointing, those, F-18s, and a flight of V-22s.
t.u. was a night game, so no flyover for that one.
Friend started his AF career in B-17s over Berlin and finished it in B-52s over Hanoi.
ReplyDeleteHis son started his career in B-52s and finished it in B-52s.
His grand son is approaching retirements after flying, yes, B-52s.
The Ma Duce of airplanes.
There is only one F in BUF. ArcLight forever.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories. The B-52's out of Minot used to fly over my elementary school at all hours. Got so the teachers just stopped talking for a moment when they heard the rumbling start.
ReplyDelete