re: After 60 Years, B-52s Still Dominate U.S. Fleet

that flyover has happened recently I believe. I could have been hammered and mistaken about the plane that flew but i remember being amazed that a b-52 flew over.

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Colonel Kristen Goodwin

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She cute for a bomber pilot O-6

I mean the B-52............

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I know that exact timing is a priority with a flyover and all I can figure is that they aren't maneuverable enough to hit the timing.

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Maneuverability has nothing to do with time control unless you have totally fricked up a turn inbound and realize you need to really crank up the G's to get around the turn faster. That would be a very rookie mistake.

There are three likely reasons why you haven't seen it:
1. The game happens on the weekends, so unless it is a UTA weekend that our Reserves are flying we'd have to have our maintainers come in on the weekend to generate the sortie. Sounds like a pathetic abuse, but put yourself in their shoes and see if you want to work on your day off to have a jet do a flyby for some event you may not give a shite about.
2. The B-52 hasn't been requested when LSU does the request for the flyby.
3. If #2 is true, some other organization jumped on the request before any B-52 unit saw that a request for a flyby was out there.

Just to further prove #1 above, in 2004 I did all the leg work with the Cadets of the Ole War Skule to have a B-52 do the flyby for the LSU Salutes ceremony which occurs right at 1100. We were then going to return to land at Barksdale and the crew get in a gov't vehicle and drive back down to BR. Was a night game, so plenty of time to make that turn around and no way you can land a B-52 at BR's airport. Had it arranged for us to get free tickets into the game and recognized before the game for the flyby and because all of us were veterans of both OEF and OIF. Everything was good to go, but the 2d Bomb Wing's Maintenance Group Commander squashed it because he didn't want his maintenance troops to have to generate the sortie on a Saturday.

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sullivanct19a

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Upvote for excellent sarcasm.

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She's gay. And that's not a joke or a slight. Just a matter of fact.

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My buddy flies for the squadron up at Barksdale. He was selected to give her an intro flight on the B52 when she took over.

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I appreciate your service

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Thanks.

Most of time control is basic math. For straight lines, simply use the Speed = Distance/Time formula. When factoring in a turn, you just have to know your turn rate in degrees/sec. That's going to be the same in any aircraft whether it's a B-52, F-16, or Cessna 172.

The funny thing (and sort of ironic) about your original post is that B-52s are typically much better at controlling time because they have a Navigator who's primary job is to figure out the timing versus a single seat fighter where the pilot is trying to do all that and fly the aircraft by himself/herself.

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My buddy flies for the squadron up at Barksdale

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Do you know which squadron he is in? There are several flying squadrons at Barksdale.

93rd Bomb Squadron - Reserves, formal training unit
11th Bomb Squadron - Active Duty, formal training unit
343rd Bomb Squadron - Reserves, combat squadron
20th Bomb Squadron - Active Duty, combat squadron
96th Bomb Squadron - Active Duty, combat squadron
49th Test and Evaluation Squadron - Active Duty, Operational Test
340th Weapons Squadron - Active Duty, B-52 Weapons School

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How much would a B-52 need for takeoff and landing?

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Per regulation, we need a minimum runway length of 10,000 feet and minimum width of 200 feet. The Operations Group Commander can waive those, but typically you want at least 9,000 feet long and no narrower than 150 feet. The length is mostly needed because of our very poor braking system and you have to have enough to safely abort a takeoff if warranted and stop without going off the runway. The width is needed because our tip gear are 147.5 feet apart.

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Per regulation, we need a minimum runway length of 10,000 feet and minimum width of 200 feet. The Operations Group Commander can waive those, but typically you want at least 9,000 feet long and no narrower than 150 feet. The length is mostly needed because of our very poor braking system and you have to have enough to safely abort a takeoff if warranted and stop without going off the runway. The width is needed because our tip gear are 147.5 feet apart.

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Interesting. BTR runways are only 150 feet wide. So even if they had the length they don't have the width.


TWSS