The Airplane That Won Die...

[birdguy 3,943]

Betty came home from the doctor's office yesterday with a magazine that had an article titled '100 is the new 80' alluding to the fact that there are over 75,000 Americans 100 years old or older.  That compares to 80years old just a few decades ago.

As a life member of The Air Force Association I get Air Force Magazine every month.  The General Electric ad on the back really struck me.

TIMELESS WARRIOR

Time to re-engine

Battle tested during more than 60 years of service, the B-52 fleet has earned a re-engining to sustain it's service well into the future.

This critical mission needs the company that can deliver proven performance and flawless system integration.

Trust GE to do it right.  We're the only ones who have done it for the Air Force three times before.

Pilots have flown the airplane their father's flew.  Now pilots will be flying the airplane their grandfathers flew.

80 is the new 60 indeed!

Noel

 

 

[charliearon 3,017]

Buff's probably gonna outlive me and/or most of us!  Very few, if any, modern aircraft can do what it does or as well as it does.  Now if we could only have Slim Pickins ride that bomb again, all would be well.

[Wink207 78]

51 minutes ago, birdguy said:

Betty came home from the doctor's office yesterday with a magazine that had an article titled '100 is the new 80' alluding to the fact that there are over 75,000 Americans 100 years old or older.  That compares to 80years old just a few decades ago.

As a life member of The Air Force Association I get Air Force Magazine every month.  The General Electric ad on the back really struck me.

TIMELESS WARRIOR

Time to re-engine

Battle tested during more than 60 years of service, the B-52 fleet has earned a re-engining to sustain it's service well into the future.

This critical mission needs the company that can deliver proven performance and flawless system integration.

Trust GE to do it right.  We're the only ones who have done it for the Air Force three times before.

Pilots have flown the airplane their father's flew.  Now pilots will be flying the airplane their grandfathers flew.

80 is the new 60 indeed!

Noel

 

 

Thank you for your service Noel and thanks to all the BUFFs and crew who have defended our nation for so long.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Wink207

[John_Cillis 2,406]

I used to remember watching the B52's fly over Napa during the Vietnam war, so quite up high, but with my telescope I could see the aircraft well.  Visited Guam once, what I remember is how dominating the airport/air base was over the island.  My father was also stationed briefly in Guam at the end of WWII before joining the occupation forces in Japan, which I also visited the same week I visited Guam.  The B52 is a sturdy aircraft although the B1B was my favorite aircraft, along with the F111 and B58 hustler.  On the fighter plane side I loved the F16 and A10, as well as the P38 and P51.  Says a lot that the B52 can be retrofitted with newer, more efficient engines.  GE has been a great provider for the military and civilian sector over decades and decades and having flown GE equipped aircraft one appreciates the safety and efficiency of their engines.

John

[Wink207 78]

49 minutes ago, Cactus521 said:

I used to remember watching the B52's fly over Napa during the Vietnam war, so quite up high, but with my telescope I could see the aircraft well.  Visited Guam once, what I remember is how dominating the airport/air base was over the island.  My father was also stationed briefly in Guam at the end of WWII before joining the occupation forces in Japan, which I also visited the same week I visited Guam.  The B52 is a sturdy aircraft although the B1B was my favorite aircraft, along with the F111 and B58 hustler.  On the fighter plane side I loved the F16 and A10, as well as the P38 and P51.  Says a lot that the B52 can be retrofitted with newer, more efficient engines.  GE has been a great provider for the military and civilian sector over decades and decades and having flown GE equipped aircraft one appreciates the safety and efficiency of their engines.

John

I love the Warthog. The only warbird I was ever tempted to add to my fSX hanger.

[shivers9 1,174]

The C130 is another great example. Does everything from Air Evac to delivering stale beer to the troops.

[scott967 62]

1 hour ago, shivers9 said:

The C130 is another great example. Does everything from Air Evac to delivering stale beer to the troops.

Though the "J" model is really a pretty up-to-date aircraft.   The coasties here at Air Station Barbers Point still fly the HC-130H.  We have a KC-135R squadron here at Hickam and that one is getting a bit long in the tooth as well.

 

scott s.

.

 

[shivers9 1,174]

1 hour ago, scott967 said:

Though the "J" model is really a pretty up-to-date aircraft.   The coasties here at Air Station Barbers Point still fly the HC-130H.  We have a KC-135R squadron here at Hickam and that one is getting a bit long in the tooth as well.

 

scott s.

.

 

That brings back memories. Was at Hickam in the 70's for 4 years. LOL that was so long ago we may have had cloth covered wings on the planes.😀

[birdguy 3,943]

The B-52 predates the C-130 by only 2 years.  B-52 first flight 1952.  C-130 first flight 1954.  Does anyone remember the 4 Horseman?  It was a C-130 flight demonstration like the Thunderbirds, but mostly flying around switching to different formations.  I saw them once at the same time I saw the Colorado Air National Guard flight demonstration team flying F-86s.  They called themselves The Minutemen.

When I joined the Colorado Air Guard in the early 90s one of the Minutemen F-86s was a static display at the main gate of Buckley ANG Base in Denver (Aurora).  I found out it was the same plane General France, the wing commander flew.  My CO brought me to headquarters to meet General France.  It was a perfunctory handshake with a new guard member until told him I saw him fly that F-86 at the main gate with the Minutemen when I was a young airman stationed at Selfridge AFB in the early 60s.  He said, "Pull up a chair."  I did and we talked about our careers for a time and when we left my commander said, "You just made a friend."  Whenever we would meet on base or in a hallway he would stop and ask me how I was doing.

Noel

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

The B-52 never ceases to amaze, the other old workhorse I love are the Seaking's, their numbers now reducing but they are very much a proven workhorse time and time again.

[stans 702]

It's pretty amazing to see the B-52 is expecting to still be in service into the 2050's, yet the much newer and more advanced B-1 and B-2 are expected to be retired from service in the 2030's.  The B-52, C-130, and A-10 were purpose built and well designed and well built for those purposes.

[Wink207 78]

9 hours ago, stans said:

It's pretty amazing to see the B-52 is expecting to still be in service into the 2050's, yet the much newer and more advanced B-1 and B-2 are expected to be retired from service in the 2030's.  The B-52, C-130, and A-10 were purpose built and well designed and well built for those purposes.

And not an original piece or part aboard.....

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

15 minutes ago, Wink207 said:

And not an original piece or part aboard.....

My Grandfather's axe was the same, he told me he had it for over 60 years, every so often the handle gets worn down so he replaced that a number of times, and on 2 occasions he replaced the head on it, but he says it is the same axe he has owned for over 60 years  😄

[Wink207 78]

1 hour ago, Matthew Kane said:

My Grandfather's axe was the same, he told me he had it for over 60 years, every so often the handle gets worn down so he replaced that a number of times, and on 2 occasions he replaced the head on it, but he says it is the same axe he has owned for over 60 years  😄

It's all about one's point of view. The veteran aviators who flew the BUF back in the day reminisce about how the aircraft performed so well, and are still performing. The young Lt copilot today is thinking about all the fresh new parts and structure enabling him to be safe.

[skelsey 765]

2 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

My Grandfather's axe was the same, he told me he had it for over 60 years, every so often the handle gets worn down so he replaced that a number of times, and on 2 occasions he replaced the head on it, but he says it is the same axe he has owned for over 60 years  😄

😂 - UK members will be familiar with Trigger's Broom.