Excellent video. I learned a lot. The airframes of these remaining 76 operational B-52H's are 60 years old. We designed the B-52G/H in 1956 for high-altitude bombing. But in 1961, in the middle of the Cold War, we redesigned the structure to meet SAC's new more severe usage and service life requirments. These notably included low level terrain avoidance training, often under extreme gust and maneuver conditions. The main reason for the continuing structural longevity is that the usage has not been as severe as was projected. As Chief of Structures Technology at Boeing-Wichita at the time of the redesign. I am honored to say I chose the materials, the analysis methods, and the limiting stress levels for the redesicn. I am now 95 and I am thrilled to see these planes still flying, and projected to do so for many more years.
@@ErikJohnston Love to. Erik, I am sick of reading artcles about the B-52 evolvement and structural longevity that are incorrect and writen by "experts" who don't know the facts.
@@ERICREDGE The Crew Chief is a "jack of all trades, but master of none". They perform alot of the frequent routine maintenance task (oil/hydraulic service, ground fueling, filling liquid oxygen tanks, recover/launch aircraft, maintain maintenance records, etc) but have the knowledge to call in a specialist for more specific tasks.
Father was one of the first Gunners on B52. In 63 trained at Castle AFB and directly shipped to Limestone AFB in 1964. Gave 28 years of service and was involved in many raids over N Vietnam in the late 60's. From Northern tier bases Limestone, Plattsburgh, Fairchild and back to Castle as an instructor. He never set foot in Vietnam. He flew out of Thailand and Guam. Eventually became a Gunner Instructor back at Castle and then Warner Robins AFB. This job was not talked about in our home as he did not bring his work home. But provided us with a proper upbringing and all that kids would ever need, an education and a safe place to grow up. Peace is our Profession. He was very proud of his profession.
Sir, thank you very much for this tour. I am a retired B-52H CC/ supervisor. I spent the my last 7 1/2 years of my 20 year career on the B-52H at Ellsworth in several supervisory positions to include NCIOC of the Alert Pads and Line Chief. I have not been on or near a B- 52H since late September of 1985 when I started out processing and terminal leave to retirement at midnight on Dec. 31, 1985. Keep up the good work Sir.
I didn't know this was going to happen, I would have loved to be present. I entered SAC in June 61. Initial training B47 Amarillo till Nov 61. Assigned to my home state at Wurtsmith AFB, Oscoda, Mich. When I arrived for duty the very first thing I touched when I got on the flight line was one brand spanking new B52H, tail number 60001. I was proud to be there for the first one when it still had the new car smell all over her. I was 18 then and am 78 now and can't believe that these fellows as you put it are going to outlive me by many a years. I am also happy with the engine change and can't wait to hear em run. I am very tired right now and have to go to bed but I will be back tomorrow to see what you have put together and I am excited to see what you have to say. Would you believe we washed and waxed those babies back then? lol. They glistened when came to us and not a scratch on them anywhere. I have a million stories about this plane and the relationships we had with the crews back then. I loved LeMay and the way he handled this extraordinary gift we gave to the USA. I have already met a pilot of one that was the son of our A/C on the original planes and I wouldn't be surprised if there won't be some great grand kids soon. To this very day I am so proud of seeing 001 shining on the line with "The State of Michigan" written on her side. I wish you could have seen her when she came to be as these first 15 we got don't look anything like they do today. And when my son who is a Hawg pilot first set in one that came to Tucson for storage called me and said "Dad, I sat in this thing and it really smelled." LOL And of course he commented on the glass cockpit, you know, the instruments all had the little glass plates on them. I see you have a nav member in this and in our days we had green screens not like the Garmin stuff. 😂 Anyway thanks for doing this and I can't wait for the update tomorrow when I see what you have put together. Oh by the way, the H my son sat in down in AMARG was 023 do you know if it was removed back to service. I was really upset they decided to move that bird into storage as it was a very famous made headlines when Walter Kronkite was following back and forth across the US trying to find a place to put it down. This was the one that Chuck Fisher took up trying to find heavy winds to see what the vertical stabilizer would take and he found it. Ripped that baby right off but eventually got her on the ground. That guy was hard on aircraft which he should be with his job. We sent one of the planes I worked on down to Boeing for a wing change and the Cuban crises hit then so Chuck brought it back to us right away. As I watched him touch down it was great to see her again but all of a sudden fire was coming out of the front gear and bottom line is the circuit breaker for the anti skid was off and you know the rest of that story. I miss him too. Good night
Amazing story, Sir! Hard to say thank you for your service amd not try to buy your dinner so o could hear some more stories…I’m 74 and Vietnam Vet from Battle Creek, MI
@@poolfool31021 thank you for your service sir. I am always taken aback by our service members but especially the war you were in. I was broken hearted about those people who served in those rice fields and villages which we had to bomb to save our soldiers. The Buffs were not understood when they came on the scene and most certainly SAC wasn't understood. I entered the USAF thinking that I was going in the air force as a mechanic on bomber aircraft and it was promised to me if I would sign up just before graduation of my senior year. And they kept their promise and gave me everything I asked for. Problem is I didn't know what to ask for. So for instance, I didn't think about things like you had to be ready to go anywhere in the world and so we had to get shots for the whole world and that was not fun.. Many stories about that. Also, they wanted to be sure your teeth were in the best of shape so they scheduled 2 appointments because they could only numb one side of the face at a time. Once they got you numbed up, they went to town and fixed all the current problems and drilled out what they thought wasn't up to standards. Funny part was when you left the first appointment you got to wondering what the other side was like. Three things you will never forget even when you're 78, is your recruiters name, the name of your first dentist in the air force and sleep deprived means.
The Buff was much more than people realized and was assigned to an organization that most people never understood. The Buff was never used for it's purpose and I lay that on Gen Lamay and his knowledge of his organization, Strategic Air Command, SAC. Thank God for him and his command that worked so well that eventually ended the need for it.
As I said above I watched the tailless B52 land from my back yard. I was an AF brat myself and our Capehart housing neighborhood backed right up to the flight line. Well actually a good 3/4 to 1 mile buffer of underbrush between our back yard and the north end of runway 18.
I was a child when father was in the air force and he often took me to the base. The C119 was the first aircraft I was introduced to. A vivid memory was him walking me under the fuselage and being terrified it was going to crush beneath its own weight with me under it. I got over that quickly and loved crawling around in any aircraft and dreaming of flying them. Often he'd bring home empty instrument panels from crashed ones and my pretending to fly them. You brought back a lot of memories, and I thank you for it. Great presentation.
The B-52 is one aircraft that caused many MIG-21/23 pilots and crews to sleep in place waiting for the "Yankees" to attack. Thank you so much Erick for this great video.
Hi Would you have, or have knowledgeable resource of the Cornelius high psi 3-Stage Compressors used on the 1960s bombers. I have a complete" 24v 3-ph. emergency compressor " in a 24"inch square yellow fiberglass box, max.2800psi, that was built by Stewart-Warner Co.for The Boeing Airplane Co. in 1962 and I believe is was used on the Stratofortress as an emergency blow down compressor to help override the landing gear hydraulics????? Any help in the "military service manual" direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I was a Crew Chief on B-52H 1017 at Ellsworth AFB 1981-1985. What an awesome experience, she is a beautiful weapons delivery system which is still an excellent platform.
The best B-52 walkaround I've seen! I was in BUFs in the 70s as nav, radar nav, copilot, and pilot. Many changes since then in the weapon systems but the plane remains essentially the same. We carried 500 and 750 pounders. The D model could carry up to 108 internally and externally although more common was 84. The G could only carry 27 internally. Nukes included internal gravity bombs then later internal and external SRAM missiles. Also the AGM-28 Hounddog, one under each wing. It was powered by a jet engine which made the B-52 a 10 engine airplane. We also had the Quail decoy missiles -- 4 internal. This is a great airplane and it never let me down in 5000 hours flying it.
My Dad was a crew chief on these for the 7th OMS at then called Carswell AFB in Fort Worth,Texas..before he retired in 82' with 25+ years..I know he made at least senior Master Sgt and maybe Chief Master Sgt..it was 7 0r 8 stripes..6 on bottom and 1 or 2 up top..I remember watching these fly in and out of Carswell all day everyday it seems back then along with F-4's and the new back then F-16's from General Dynamics..now its a Joint Reserve Base for I guess all military branches..it was strictly Air Force way back then..excellent video here..I have been this close to one back then when rules were a little looser ! haha ! This is really good stuff..Thank you for this !
The Civil War veteran the LtCol was talking about was Albert Woolson, who was born in 1850 and died in 1956, after the B-52 entered service. He lived to see the early days of the space age.
Hmmm .... Sputnik was 1957, so the best he might have from the "Space Age" was some 16mm film from a V2 or Redstone rocket or some flight film from the X15 if any were released that early. Being in the Army at 10 years old had to be tough.
@@machtschnell7452 Albert, born 1850, enlisted as a drummer boy in Company C, 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment on October 10, 1864, becoming the company's drummer.
I was assigned to the 28th FMS welding shop from August 1976 to December 1979. Would be great to hear from anyone there at the same time I was. My wife and I were out there last month. Went to the museum at EAFB, so many good memories. Proud to have been a part of SAC.
I flew as an Aircraft Commander on the Buff (after flying as a T-38 IP) from 1987-1991 and found this video to be outstanding and a highly informative walk down memory lane. Well done!!!
Thanks for the great video guys!! Excellent tour. Not much has changed on the old Buff in all these years! I was a B-52 G/H Crew Chief 1985 - 1995. Wurtsmith AFB, MI and Fairchild AFB, WA. Deployed to Saudi with the G models in 1991 for Desert Storm; 1708th Bomb Wing. We bombed non stop for many many days and nights and our mission capable rate of flyable aircraft was around 98-99%. Amazing aircraft, but you gotta keep it flying or it gets stubborn. When the last modern bomber the Air Force has goes to the bone yard for retirement, the B-52 will do the fly over! Proud to have served, and I'm very proud of todays B-52 aircrews and maintainers! Keep em flying boys and girls!!
Hi Would you have, or have knowledgeable resource of the Cornelius high psi 3-Stage Compressors used on the 1960s bombers. I have a complete" 24v 3-ph. emergency compressor " in a 24"inch square yellow fiberglass box, max.2800psi, that was built by Stewart-Warner Co.for The Boeing Airplane Co. in 1962 and I believe is was used on the Stratofortress as an emergency blow down compressor to help override the landing gear hydraulics????? Any help in the "military service manual" direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Strange that you should mention the fact about keeping the old "Buff" flying. We always said that we were better off if our plane flew at least every other day back in "60-"63. It seemed that if it sat on ground for anything more than that, the first flight after that would be plagued with all sorts of problems.
What an excellent review of the aircraft. I flew the H model from 1970 until 1975 and have about 2000 hours as copilot and aircraft commander in the F, H, D and G models. I especially appreciated the detailed cockpit review and was pleased to see the upgrades that had been installed since I flew the H model at GFAFB. Thanks again for your great photography and for including every member of the crew in this presentation.
This is the best Walkaround yet! I’ve read loads of books and watched RUclips videos about the ‘52 until the cows come home and it still doesn’t show those little unseen details shown here by those that drive it. Great work guys 👍
I was a crew cheif on a B-52g model at first then on the H model at Castle AFB in California. I think the base was closed in 96. I served between 1978-1983. This video brings back many memories of years past. I’m very proud of my service and of the Buff itself. It truly seems to be a durable platform protecting our country and our Allie’s. I’m amazed by your ability to video the aircraft, because I would have been in jail if we did it back then. Thank you guys for this great presentation and your service to this great country!
Hi Would you have, or have knowledgeable resource of the Cornelius high psi 3-Stage Compressors used on the 1960s bombers. I have a complete" 24v 3-ph. emergency compressor " in a 24"inch square yellow fiberglass box, max.2800psi, that was built by Stewart-Warner Co.for The Boeing Airplane Co. in 1962 and I believe is was used on the Stratofortress as an emergency blow down compressor to help override the landing gear hydraulics????? Any help in the "military service manual" direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Enjoyed this outstanding video! I was 6-years old, my family had just moved to NE Montana for my dad's job, and one day while in the family car, I saw this magnificent tall-tailed behemoth fly past us, parallel to the highway. It was love at first sight. I later learned that we lived just 60 miles from Glasgow AFB. Also learned that the areas around us were also used as training airspace. I saw many a B-52 over the next several years (almost every day). The D model was always my favorite...don't ask me why. It's been just over 20 years that I've seen a B-52 in flight. Sure do miss seeing them.
This video is amazing! I want to join the airforce so I can be near any of these babies. I just pray to God that my brains take me that far. Thank you all for your service!
I'm in absolute awe as to how big this sucker is, and all the guts, plumbing, wiring, and God knows what else is inside. It's overwhelming. And that's not to mention the payload. Thank you one and all for this. Fascinating!!!
Being from the UK 🇬🇧 and a Vet in the British Army. It's amazing to see this tour. I've seen them on runways but never got close to them. Amazing aircraft. Thankyou so much for the tour. I really enjoyed the video. Respect from the UK 🇬🇧
When the crab function of the main gear is used during landing, does it return itself to a centerline position automatically at touchdown or has it to be manually positioned ?
@@WychardNL most everything is manual on this bird. Even the emergency rope is manual. I don't think this is secret so here it goes. When you have to leave the pilots station on the ground and the passageway to the lower hatch is blocked, there is a rope for each pilot to use to get out. This is the secret part...when parked on the ground.the rope is longer than the distance from the window to the ground so, throw the rope out the window FIRST and then CLIMB down the rope to the ground. DO NOT jump out the window first and wait for the rope to stop your fall, especially if you are on concrete.
Thanks for all the work involved to put this together and post this! I’ve always loved the BUFFs (have B-52 pics up in my bedroom). My Dad (Charles Wennermark) was a B-52 Navigator/Bombardier (and instructor) from 1974-1989 at Barksdale AFB and the now closed Castle AFB. He absolutely loved watching it. I asked him how much is the same when he flew, and how much is different, and he replied, “Very little of the nav area is the same. It was interesting listening to the nav talk about what was still there but was rarely used.”
I remember doing my first "walk-thru" of a B-52 at Westover in 1958. MOST of the bomber was tarped off as being classified SECRET or TOP SECRET --- even the cockpit was covered. Loved this full walk-thru --- thanks
Outstanding video, highly informative. I was a Air Force brat, spent time on many Air Force bases. My favorite was March A.F.B. in Riverside CA. 1966 to 1969 when my father retired with 29 plus years. A SAC base with B-52's and KC-135's, lots of constant alerts with launches of B-52`s running full power with minimum distance between aircraft. It was during the cold war, loud, a sight to see. You could see them fighting the jet wash from the previous aircraft to get up into the air. It's now a Reserve Base, it looks creepy now, kind of chopped up the installation living areas and other buildings. They left the humongous tarmac alone for now, guess they knew China and Russia would misbehave in the future. It could be a Cold War redux in the making, pray for peace, the world is getting dark again.
The engineering and aerodynamics of the B-52 continued to impress the wold for over 70 years. How not to love this giant? Thanks to the patriots for the excellent video.😍🗽
Wow! One of the most EXTENSIVE walk throughs I've ever seen. I flew these monsters over 50 years ago and even I learned a lot. This should be made a training film! Many thanks.
First off let me say that I genuinely admire each and every one of these guys. Pilots, crew et al. Secondly, I had the great fun of being able to get my own personal walk around, in and even on top of a B-52 at what was then called "Boring" Loring Air Force base in Maine way back in 1980 when I was 16 years old. My uncle, who retired from the Air Force was at what I think was his last duty station before he retired and we drove up to see him from Ohio. He took me out around the base and then took me on a personal tour as I say around, in and even on top of one of the B-52s at the base. I literally walked around a little bit on top of it believe it or not(was that allowed? lol). My memory may fail on some of the details but I do remember imagining that the inside of these air craft must be huge and once I got on board was surprised at how cramped that particular one seemed to be(at least compared to what I initially thought) Lots of gear. My uncle was a mechanic on these in Vietnam and went on to be a chief(or whatever that position is actually called) over guys who worked on them at some point and then retired. He was very proud of his work. We then went to somewhere near the end of a base runway when he knew they would be taking off and watched them fly right over our heads. Needless to say it really left an impression on my 16 year old brain! There was a side story to this as well that was interesting. At some point he became so busy he wasn't at the base house where my aunt was at all and aircraft were taking off a lot. At some point my aunt who also worked on the base at a base store said that there was apparently a Soviet sub detected off Newfoundland and of course this base being where it was lit up and they went on some sort of alert. Sorry for the ramble, but I'll never forget my experience with the B-52!
Quite the trip down memory lane! Bomb-Nav Systems Mechanic. 82-86. Loring AFB Maine, 42 AMS. Long live SAC! When I was on we were switching over to the OAS system from the old vacuum tube tech.(84-85-ish). The bombing/targeting computer I first trained on had punch cards for the target data. Crazy stuff. For those who did not know the OAS was originally meant for the first iteration of the B1 program that the Carter Admin Canx. The Buff was the craziest hybrid mix of old and new. Some of those panels at the Nav And RN chairs I still remember. Thanks for putting this vid together. Brought back some great memories......except for having to swap out the FLIR or STV pods during a blizzard when it was 30 deg below zero....my joints ache just thinking about it.
@@rael5469 I only remember the entire system coming as a package deal. Though It seems very plausible that the gyro(they told us it was made of Beryllium) was pieced in separately. I do remember that for the Bombing competitions we would constantly get our butts handed to us by the FB-111’s out of Griffiss AFB. I do not recall how we faired after the OAS system went in. Not even sure if they run that competition anymore. Thanks for the info!
Windows '95 crashed in front of the audience the day it was presented; yet, it's able to support an electronic warfare software platform to govern nuclear ordinance 26 years later. Ok. AMAZING B-52 tour, it's not just the general things that are interesting about the platform, it's all the other stuff and personal comments that captures the real romanticism behind this iconic aerial war machine. People who fly and maintain these beasts certainly LOVE their job -despite all the downsides, which are many-; very proud people of their craft. Thank you!
Thanks for the preview!!! Watching it now! "Big Ugly Fat Fellow". Mhmmm..... LOL! I'm about 20 minutes in...it's top notch Erik, as all your stuff is!!! LOVE THIS ONE!!!
This is fantastic! thank you! I was surprised to hear about the 2 engine go-around!. Incredible to think that this airframe is already 61yrs old has maybe another 30-40yrs of service life left in it!
I am a Air Force veteran, I served with the 92d Security Police squadron and worked the alert area most of my career around B-52s and KC-135A's. I knew some about the B-52 but this video is outstanding, most everything is detailed with exception of classified materials as is appropriate. I am in awe with this wonderful old aircraft that just seems to keep ticking just like the Timex watches. Our's of course carried Nuclear Weapons, sitting in a restricted area we called the bomber area, ready to launch in 15 minutes. Another name we had was the Christmas Tree as the parking stubs were set 45 Degrees from the center taxiway which led directly to the active runway. We were up north at Fairchild AFB so snow was part of the job every winter. The crews housed in a half buried Alert Building 2080 a run from the aircraft. The B-52 has a 185 foot wing span, when the crew chief was on top you could see the size of wing. The last B-52 left the Wichita plant October 26 1962 59 years ago, that would be B-62 61-0040 the last made. These bombers are going to fly until about 2040 or beyond, making it the longest serving aircraft of any type anywhere around the world. Thank You for a very detailed video from Barksdale Air Force Base. I am saving this one!!!!
One hour and forty three minutes of awesome. That has to be the most detailed publicly available video ever made of the BUFF. Really great job with the filming and audio.
Outstanding walk-around video of one of my favorite heavy bombers in the USAF inventory. I'm very fond of the B-52... having been an airman stationed at Dyess AFB, TX, back in the late 1970s. My memory is a little hazy, but I seem to recall they were assigned to the 96th Bomb Wing, SAC, headquartered at Dyess AFB. The B-52s at Dyess flew sorties around the clock when I was there. The B-52s played an important strategic deterrence role during the Cold War.
My dad was a crew chief on the original B52. And he always told myself and my brother's these buffs would still be flying long after their life span was projected. And he was right, they are still flying and protecting the U.S.A. And I am 62 years old.
99.9% of the acronyms and vocab was way over my head but this was still a super cool video to watch! Can’t imagine how long it takes to learn to fly this thing. Great job to the pilot on explaining everything!
Wonderful! Not boring to an airhead like me. My dad was a munitions officer and we were stationed at Loring when we were transitioning from B-36s to B-52s. I spent some time in the reserves as an avionics tech on C-130s and F-4s at Bergstrom. I'm a private pilot and have my own subscription to Aviation Week. Great info.
That is nice to see as I worked on the B-52 and trained on the B model and was first sent to Minot AFB; then to U-tapao where I spent two years stationed at.
I would love to see these guys do a tour of a museum BUFF and give their familiarization of the many aspects of changes through the years especially the rear gunners station when it was manned. Thanks for the Vid.
The colonel was amazing in this one ! Really appreciate his detail . Feel like o have already had my check flight . Must be a absolute first rate instructor!
Nicholas the wings are mounted at the fuselage with a positive camber which was designed for high altitude flight. When we are low to the ground we dont need to pitch up too much because the wings are already at a positive AoA.
It's been just over 40 years ago that I arrived at Barksdale to maintain B-52 EWO and Gunnery trainers. Hard to believe the couple of BUFFs I crawled into could still be still flying. Thank you for this tour Erik!
LTC Bohl, it has been 31 years since I left B-52's. Not much has changed in the cockpit. New radios, moving map display, some parachute changes, and procedural changes. I was an IP at Castle; dual qualified in G & H, conventional & nuc. You sure when flaps are down you slow to 'best flare' speed? We used to slow to 'bf+30' (crosswind & downwind), +20 base, and +10 on final. I would bust a Stan Eval 60-4 if I went below these speeds. Best flare is only approx 15 knots from stall speed! Also you talked about turning on the starters with 4 & 5 at idle. In SAC, we used to run up 4 to 90 and 5 to 85 and the copilot would then flip 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, & 8 starter switches. 'They' Must have changed the start procedure. You talked about the seat arming levers causing the 'canopy' to blow. You obviously flew some other aircraft. :) I did get to lift the pilots hatch during egress training; it was almost too heavy to lift. I'm glad I never had to manually lift it and remove it. CFIC used to have a recording of me and my student crew almost hitting the TA calibration peak while flying Hawthorne low level on a dark night. It was the scariest thing I have ever lived through! I retired with 5,000 hours.
What a brilliant walkaround. Not only did you give us a access all areas tour of the Buff also the detailed information each crew member gave about the aircraft and their roles on it was outstanding especially considering some of it's classified. Considering the longevity of the B-52, it's got to be the best bit of defence spending ever.
Well I was M109 artillery tank commander in the IDF army. This thing is from the 60' days. The cockpit of the B52 bomber reminds me the driver cabine in the M109 tank. But the B52 can destroy a country. To be serious this is a fascinating movie, and its very impressing to see how professional the team is!
They are either reactive pacifist or woke/snowflakes. Either way you should treat them the way you treat the gassy residue of a bean burrito, just crack a window and it's gone.
Remarkable tour thank you. Years ago, most of the B-52s I saw sported thick structural patches bristling with fasteners on the wings and along the fuselage. There must have been a lot of R&R activity on these airplanes in the last 50 years.
Kent all the B52s have had structural improvements done to increase their service life. Its amazing how much work they do at depot maintenance in Tinker AFB.
I watched, paying attention to time stamps because I wanted to tell others when to pay special attention in the movie to what was my job on those bombers. At the start I wondered how they got permission to show the interior of the plane and the Electronic Warfare station since that part was highly classified when I was flying...well...I got my answer. They "didn't". I was an "EDub" (EWO) on the H model from 1976 to 1980 at (now closed) Grand Forks AFB. That was in the days of the ALQ-117 and ALR-20. Also that FLIR and STV they talked about? Well, those were fully operational and used during our low-level missions. I get the impression that low level is no longer the B-52's mission. I still remember those "bouncing" low-level training missions at LAM (Little America) when it was HOT and turbulent! Also remember those boring 2 hour touch and goes in the traffic pattern.
This goes without saying, but great video, extremely informative. I have no military experience nor am I a pilot, but the B-52 has always fascinated me. If only these planes could talk. I would love to visit with the Boeing engineers who designed this aircraft, that would be an amazing conversation. I appreciate the time you as well as the service men and women took to make this video👍.
👏🏻👏🏻Wow what a fantastic and detailed walk around of a classic bomber! I’ve seen a few B-52’s at air shows here in the UK including an incredible half wing over at Mildehall in the 90’s but have never seen one up close inside ! Thanks to the crew for their excellent description and time! 😁👍🏻
Basically two settings : "Frozen and Burnt"! LMAO!! The best video on the B52 I've ever seen. When I was in Basic Training at Lackland in 1980, we were marching to chow and the instructor said to the flight to look up! Flying above us was a B52. The instructor said that was the most beautiful sight in the AF . . . I've never forgotten that. Awesome!
Dickie Brewer Lackland March 1968. Weather Observer Course. Was the B-36 still there on dispaly? Was mess hall P38, I think it was, still in operation? The food was so bad, after being marched and released to go inside for chow, many would nearby to by their meal. What busted us was not signing in first. So the Drill sgts got wind of it and ordered us to sign in and eat at the mess hall. At an off base beer joint, someone wrote on one of the bathroom walls of the stalls, "Fluss three times. It's a long way to P38."
This was absolutely fascinating, as are all of EJ walk-around videos. This one especially was awesome - the amount of detailed tech info delivered was just perfect for an MilitaryAvGeek like myself. Well freaking done sir.
@@ErikJohnston Hey Erik, great work as always. How long does the editing take for a video like this? I couldn't even imagine the file size... Any hints on what's next? Haha, you know I had to ask. Thanks again for the great work!
You know what's crazy? The sons of men who flew this jet and dropped bombs on Vietnam are now flying the same jets their fathers flew into harms way. Unreal. Erik thank you for all that you do in documenting these great aircraft. Your videos are the best on RUclips for this kind of content.
I know an old boy who started flying the B-52D in 1958 and flew them until 1983(?). The Cold War (e.g., Chrome Dome) through Vietnam (e.g., Linebacker II) and beyond. Last time I talked to him, his short-term memory wasn't worth a damn, but his days of flying that plane are as clear as a bell. He loved that plane!
My dad was a tail gunner on B52s, I'm now 76, my son turns 50 this year and his daughter graduates from high school next year, so in theory my dad's great-granddaughter could be flying one of these in a few years. I'm sure dad has a smile on his face at that thought right now.
I did not plan to watch the entire video but I was fascinated by the complexities of that impressive machine. Back in 1976 I was a flight simulator tech for the KC-135 and I was stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine. We had nine B-52's fully loaded with nukes on 24 hour alert. To confuse the Soviet satellites, we parked half a dozen unarmed BUFF's on the flight line next to the armed B-52's. We would shuffle the decoys around as if they were also on alert. We lived in base housing, so whenever a B-52 would take off on a training mission we could hear it loud and clear. To me, it was the sound of freedom.
I lived in base housing, Capehart, at a SAC base in the 60s. There was an engine test facility not to far from our flight line facing back yard. I became so accustomed to hearing the noise from the facility that on the nights it was quiet, I had a hard time falling asleep.
Unreal, the bomb bay area looks no different than a B-29 or B-17.... cables and pulleys and grease, looks like a well flown airplane, good stuff, thank u for this
Your walk arounds are fantastic. I’m a 27-year US Naval aviation vet (still going) and am in my 15th platform and your stuff is spot on. Your filming and editing are second to none. You’ve got a sub for life. Great job to you and your crew. 🫡
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Excellent video. I learned a lot. The airframes of these remaining 76 operational B-52H's are 60 years old. We designed the B-52G/H in 1956 for high-altitude bombing. But in 1961, in the middle of the Cold War, we redesigned the structure to meet SAC's new more severe usage and service life requirments. These notably included low level terrain avoidance training, often under extreme gust and maneuver conditions. The main reason for the continuing structural longevity is that the usage has not been as severe as was projected. As Chief of Structures Technology at Boeing-Wichita at the time of the redesign. I am honored to say I chose the materials, the analysis methods, and the limiting stress levels for the redesicn. I am now 95 and I am thrilled to see these planes still flying, and projected to do so for many more years.
That is so amazing! Thank you so much for your contribution to the B-52 project! I would love to sit down with you sometime and hear many stories!
@@ErikJohnston Love to. Erik, I am sick of reading artcles about the B-52 evolvement and structural longevity that are incorrect and writen by "experts" who don't know the facts.
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@@hanhvtran5330 What does that mean?
@@ErikJohnston you should definitely make a interview video with Mr. Gore. Am sure it will be a treasure trove.
I was a B-52 Crew Chief from 96 to 00. Watching this made me realize how many little things I forgot about. Thank you for posting this!
Thank you for your service!!
Good Man.
My apology for the ignorance...is the function of a Crew Chief for the maintenance of an aircraft only or do they have other inflight functions also?
Maybe the government gave u a forgetfullness drug on purpose >>?
@@ERICREDGE The Crew Chief is a "jack of all trades, but master of none". They perform alot of the frequent routine maintenance task (oil/hydraulic service, ground fueling, filling liquid oxygen tanks, recover/launch aircraft, maintain maintenance records, etc) but have the knowledge to call in a specialist for more specific tasks.
"If you've ever flown a B-52" Not ever have i heard something so casual yet so abseloutely mad
This man is a real stick and rudder pilot. I loved it when he said that the last B-52 pilot hasn't been born yet.
Yes, indeed, that was thought-provoking!
I can't say for sure, but I may be retired from the B -52H flightline maintenance longer than The aircraft commander is old.
Father was one of the first Gunners on B52. In 63 trained at Castle AFB and directly shipped to Limestone AFB in 1964. Gave 28 years of service and was involved in many raids over N Vietnam in the late 60's. From Northern tier bases Limestone, Plattsburgh, Fairchild and back to Castle as an instructor. He never set foot in Vietnam. He flew out of Thailand and Guam. Eventually became a Gunner Instructor back at Castle and then Warner Robins AFB. This job was not talked about in our home as he did not bring his work home. But provided us with a proper upbringing and all that kids would ever need, an education and a safe place to grow up. Peace is our Profession. He was very proud of his profession.
Sir, thank you very much for this tour. I am a retired B-52H CC/ supervisor. I spent the my last 7 1/2 years of my 20 year career on the B-52H at Ellsworth in several supervisory positions to include NCIOC of the Alert Pads and Line Chief. I have not been on or near a B- 52H since late September of 1985 when I started out processing and terminal leave to retirement at midnight on Dec. 31, 1985. Keep up the good work Sir.
Thank you for your service!
We
I didn't know this was going to happen, I would have loved to be present. I entered SAC in June 61. Initial training B47 Amarillo till Nov 61. Assigned to my home state at Wurtsmith AFB, Oscoda, Mich. When I arrived for duty the very first thing I touched when I got on the flight line was one brand spanking new B52H, tail number 60001. I was proud to be there for the first one when it still had the new car smell all over her. I was 18 then and am 78 now and can't believe that these fellows as you put it are going to outlive me by many a years. I am also happy with the engine change and can't wait to hear em run. I am very tired right now and have to go to bed but I will be back tomorrow to see what you have put together and I am excited to see what you have to say. Would you believe we washed and waxed those babies back then? lol. They glistened when came to us and not a scratch on them anywhere. I have a million stories about this plane and the relationships we had with the crews back then. I loved LeMay and the way he handled this extraordinary gift we gave to the USA. I have already met a pilot of one that was the son of our A/C on the original planes and I wouldn't be surprised if there won't be some great grand kids soon. To this very day I am so proud of seeing 001 shining on the line with "The State of Michigan" written on her side. I wish you could have seen her when she came to be as these first 15 we got don't look anything like they do today. And when my son who is a Hawg pilot first set in one that came to Tucson for storage called me and said "Dad, I sat in this thing and it really smelled." LOL And of course he commented on the glass cockpit, you know, the instruments all had the little glass plates on them. I see you have a nav member in this and in our days we had green screens not like the Garmin stuff. 😂 Anyway thanks for doing this and I can't wait for the update tomorrow when I see what you have put together. Oh by the way, the H my son sat in down in AMARG was 023 do you know if it was removed back to service. I was really upset they decided to move that bird into storage as it was a very famous made headlines when Walter Kronkite was following back and forth across the US trying to find a place to put it down. This was the one that Chuck Fisher took up trying to find heavy winds to see what the vertical stabilizer would take and he found it. Ripped that baby right off but eventually got her on the ground. That guy was hard on aircraft which he should be with his job. We sent one of the planes I worked on down to Boeing for a wing change and the Cuban crises hit then so Chuck brought it back to us right away. As I watched him touch down it was great to see her again but all of a sudden fire was coming out of the front gear and bottom line is the circuit breaker for the anti skid was off and you know the rest of that story. I miss him too. Good night
Amazing story, Sir! Hard to say thank you for your service amd not try to buy your dinner so o could hear some more stories…I’m 74 and Vietnam Vet from Battle Creek, MI
@@poolfool31021 thank you for your service sir. I am always taken aback by our service members but especially the war you were in. I was broken hearted about those people who served in those rice fields and villages which we had to bomb to save our soldiers. The Buffs were not understood when they came on the scene and most certainly SAC wasn't understood. I entered the USAF thinking that I was going in the air force as a mechanic on bomber aircraft and it was promised to me if I would sign up just before graduation of my senior year. And they kept their promise and gave me everything I asked for. Problem is I didn't know what to ask for. So for instance, I didn't think about things like you had to be ready to go anywhere in the world and so we had to get shots for the whole world and that was not fun.. Many stories about that. Also, they wanted to be sure your teeth were in the best of shape so they scheduled 2 appointments because they could only numb one side of the face at a time. Once they got you numbed up, they went to town and fixed all the current problems and drilled out what they thought wasn't up to standards. Funny part was when you left the first appointment you got to wondering what the other side was like. Three things you will never forget even when you're 78, is your recruiters name, the name of your first dentist in the air force and sleep deprived means.
The Buff was much more than people realized and was assigned to an organization that most people never understood. The Buff was never used for it's purpose and I lay that on Gen Lamay and his knowledge of his organization, Strategic Air Command, SAC. Thank God for him and his command that worked so well that eventually ended the need for it.
I’m sure you have some great stories. Thank you for your service.
As I said above I watched the tailless B52 land from my back yard. I was an AF brat myself and our Capehart housing neighborhood backed right up to the flight line. Well actually a good 3/4 to 1 mile buffer of underbrush between our back yard and the north end of runway 18.
I was a child when father was in the air force and he often took me to the base. The C119 was the first aircraft I was introduced to. A vivid memory was him walking me under the fuselage and being terrified it was going to crush beneath its own weight with me under it. I got over that quickly and loved crawling around in any aircraft and dreaming of flying them. Often he'd bring home empty instrument panels from crashed ones and my pretending to fly them. You brought back a lot of memories, and I thank you for it. Great presentation.
These are some of the most in-depth videos on aircraft I have ever seen, thanks for uploading Erik!
Your very welcome! I sure do love making them
The B-52 is one aircraft that caused many MIG-21/23 pilots and crews to sleep in
place waiting for the "Yankees" to attack.
Thank you so much Erick for this great video.
The videos get better and better. At this rate we'll have to fundraise so that Erik can go to space and film "International Space Station Walkaround".
Hahaha. Man that’s the best comment I’ve heard yet!! How cool would that be
Float around?!!
There‘s a pretty nice video about the ISS somewhere by or with Chris Hadfield :)
@@ErikJohnston . A
@@robbyowen9107 h9lhitui7
Former B-52G & H Crew Chief.. Brought back lots of memories of my days in the U.S.A.F.. Keep up the great work!
Hi Would you have, or have knowledgeable resource of the Cornelius high psi 3-Stage Compressors used on the 1960s bombers. I have a complete" 24v 3-ph. emergency compressor " in a 24"inch square yellow fiberglass box, max.2800psi, that was built by Stewart-Warner Co.for The Boeing Airplane Co. in 1962 and I believe is was used on the Stratofortress as an emergency blow down compressor to help override the landing gear hydraulics?????
Any help in the "military service manual" direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I was a Crew Chief on B-52H 1017 at Ellsworth AFB 1981-1985. What an awesome experience, she is a beautiful weapons delivery system which is still an excellent platform.
The academic value of this video is priceless. You should do this for every type of aircraft that has ever served the United States military.
The best B-52 walkaround I've seen! I was in BUFs in the 70s as nav, radar nav, copilot, and pilot. Many changes since then in the weapon systems but the plane remains essentially the same. We carried 500 and 750 pounders. The D model could carry up to 108 internally and externally although more common was 84. The G could only carry 27 internally. Nukes included internal gravity bombs then later internal and external SRAM missiles. Also the AGM-28 Hounddog, one under each wing. It was powered by a jet engine which made the B-52 a 10 engine airplane. We also had the Quail decoy missiles -- 4 internal.
This is a great airplane and it never let me down in 5000 hours flying it.
Thank you for your service!!
🇺🇲❤️🇺🇲
Thank You for protecting us.
My Dad was a crew chief on these for the 7th OMS at then called Carswell AFB in Fort Worth,Texas..before he retired in 82' with 25+ years..I know he made at least senior Master Sgt and maybe Chief Master Sgt..it was 7 0r 8 stripes..6 on bottom and 1 or 2 up top..I remember watching these fly in and out of Carswell all day everyday it seems back then along with F-4's and the new back then F-16's from General Dynamics..now its a Joint Reserve Base for I guess all military branches..it was strictly Air Force way back then..excellent video here..I have been this close to one back then when rules were a little looser ! haha ! This is really good stuff..Thank you for this !
The.mordern.commucateing.system.how.u.guys.do.it.switch.to.new.raidos.please.answer.that.for.me.please??????
I currently work on the b-52 in the Air Force in Louisiana as E/E and the video doesn’t do this aircraft justice, its absolutely an amazing aircraft.
The Civil War veteran the LtCol was talking about was Albert Woolson, who was born in 1850 and died in 1956, after the B-52 entered service. He lived to see the early days of the space age.
WOW!!
Hmmm .... Sputnik was 1957, so the best he might have from the "Space Age" was some 16mm film from a V2 or Redstone rocket or some flight film from the X15 if any were released that early. Being in the Army at 10 years old had to be tough.
@@machtschnell7452 If I remember correctly, Woolson was a drummer, which were commonly younger boys.
@@ErikJohnston Thanks to you, and your team, for this awesome introduction to the BUFF! Excellent in every way. ☆☆☆☆☆
@@machtschnell7452 Albert, born 1850, enlisted as a drummer boy in Company C, 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment on October 10, 1864, becoming the company's drummer.
I was assigned to the 28th FMS welding shop from August 1976 to December 1979. Would be great to hear from anyone there at the same time I was. My wife and I were out there last month. Went to the museum at EAFB, so many good memories. Proud to have been a part of SAC.
Great to see such competent, knowledgeable, and dedicated people in service of our country!
Couldn’t agree more! These men are too notch
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I flew as an Aircraft Commander on the Buff (after flying as a T-38 IP) from 1987-1991 and found this video to be outstanding and a highly informative walk down memory lane. Well done!!!
Thanks for the great video guys!! Excellent tour. Not much has changed on the old Buff in all these years!
I was a B-52 G/H Crew Chief 1985 - 1995. Wurtsmith AFB, MI and Fairchild AFB, WA. Deployed to Saudi with the G models in 1991 for Desert Storm; 1708th Bomb Wing. We bombed
non stop for many many days and nights and our mission capable rate of flyable aircraft was around 98-99%. Amazing aircraft, but you gotta keep it flying or it gets stubborn.
When the last modern bomber the Air Force has goes to the bone yard for retirement, the B-52 will do the fly over!
Proud to have served, and I'm very proud of todays B-52 aircrews and maintainers! Keep em flying boys and girls!!
Hi Would you have, or have knowledgeable resource of the Cornelius high psi 3-Stage Compressors used on the 1960s bombers. I have a complete" 24v 3-ph. emergency compressor " in a 24"inch square yellow fiberglass box, max.2800psi, that was built by Stewart-Warner Co.for The Boeing Airplane Co. in 1962 and I believe is was used on the Stratofortress as an emergency blow down compressor to help override the landing gear hydraulics?????
Any help in the "military service manual" direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Strange that you should mention the fact about keeping the old "Buff" flying. We always said that we were better off if our plane flew at least every other day back in "60-"63. It seemed that if it sat on ground for anything more than that, the first flight after that would be plagued with all sorts of problems.
Hey Erik. I've already left a message but wanted to add that this piece of work has really set the standard for 'walk around' videos. Cheers 👍.
What an excellent review of the aircraft. I flew the H model from 1970 until 1975 and have about 2000 hours as copilot and aircraft commander in the F, H, D and G models. I especially appreciated the detailed cockpit review and was pleased to see the upgrades that had been installed since I flew the H model at GFAFB. Thanks again for your great photography and for including every member of the crew in this presentation.
This is the best Walkaround yet! I’ve read loads of books and watched RUclips videos about the ‘52 until the cows come home and it still doesn’t show those little unseen details shown here by those that drive it. Great work guys 👍
I read a lot about B52 but nothing is more impressive than a live video of this scale. Thanks and keep up the excellent work.
This is more information about operating the B-52 than I ever thought I would see. Wow!!!! I'm glad these guys are on our side!!!
I was a crew cheif on a B-52g model at first then on the H model at Castle AFB in California. I think the base was closed in 96. I served between 1978-1983. This video brings back many memories of years past. I’m very proud of my service and of the Buff itself. It truly seems to be a durable platform protecting our country and our Allie’s. I’m amazed by your ability to video the aircraft, because I would have been in jail if we did it back then. Thank you guys for this great presentation and your service to this great country!
Hi Would you have, or have knowledgeable resource of the Cornelius high psi 3-Stage Compressors used on the 1960s bombers. I have a complete" 24v 3-ph. emergency compressor " in a 24"inch square yellow fiberglass box, max.2800psi, that was built by Stewart-Warner Co.for The Boeing Airplane Co. in 1962 and I believe is was used on the Stratofortress as an emergency blow down compressor to help override the landing gear hydraulics?????
Any help in the "military service manual" direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I'm 62 and that's the best b52 vid ever. Thank you!
Enjoyed this outstanding video! I was 6-years old, my family had just moved to NE Montana for my dad's job, and one day while in the family car, I saw this magnificent tall-tailed behemoth fly past us, parallel to the highway. It was love at first sight. I later learned that we lived just 60 miles from Glasgow AFB. Also learned that the areas around us were also used as training airspace. I saw many a B-52 over the next several years (almost every day). The D model was always my favorite...don't ask me why. It's been just over 20 years that I've seen a B-52 in flight. Sure do miss seeing them.
This video is amazing! I want to join the airforce so I can be near any of these babies. I just pray to God that my brains take me that far. Thank you all for your service!
I'm in absolute awe as to how big this sucker is, and all the guts, plumbing, wiring, and God knows what else is inside. It's overwhelming. And that's not to mention the payload. Thank you one and all for this. Fascinating!!!
Being from the UK 🇬🇧 and a Vet in the British Army. It's amazing to see this tour. I've seen them on runways but never got close to them. Amazing aircraft. Thankyou so much for the tour. I really enjoyed the video. Respect from the UK 🇬🇧
Lt Col Aaron Bohl will be in the live chat with us if you have any questions!!
This used to be secret, now it's a RUclips video.
When the crab function of the main gear is used during landing, does it return itself to a centerline position automatically at touchdown or has it to be manually positioned ?
Just learned he's a former Marine Cobra dude. What an awesome career of kinetic weapons delivery. 👏
@@WychardNL most everything is manual on this bird. Even the emergency rope is manual. I don't think this is secret so here it goes. When you have to leave the pilots station on the ground and the passageway to the lower hatch is blocked, there is a rope for each pilot to use to get out. This is the secret part...when parked on the ground.the rope is longer than the distance from the window to the ground so, throw the rope out the window FIRST and then CLIMB down the rope to the ground. DO NOT jump out the window first and wait for the rope to stop your fall, especially if you are on concrete.
@@WychardNL yes it does we wait until we finish rolling out until the end of the runway to center it
Thanks for all the work involved to put this together and post this! I’ve always loved the BUFFs (have B-52 pics up in my bedroom). My Dad (Charles Wennermark) was a B-52 Navigator/Bombardier (and instructor) from 1974-1989 at Barksdale AFB and the now closed Castle AFB. He absolutely loved watching it. I asked him how much is the same when he flew, and how much is different, and he replied, “Very little of the nav area is the same. It was interesting listening to the nav talk about what was still there but was rarely used.”
My dad was a crew chief on the b 52 at barksdale during his time there from 1972-1985 when he retired
I remember doing my first "walk-thru" of a B-52 at Westover in 1958. MOST of the bomber was tarped off as being classified SECRET or TOP SECRET --- even the cockpit was covered.
Loved this full walk-thru --- thanks
I liked how he said “ it’s their jet we just take it out”
oh my lord! the experience of this team is craaaazy. Dude god bless you all. you are very very very smart. it take me a 100 yrs to learn this.
Outstanding video, highly informative. I was a Air Force brat, spent time on many Air Force bases. My favorite was March A.F.B. in Riverside CA. 1966 to 1969 when my father retired with 29 plus years. A SAC base with B-52's and KC-135's, lots of constant alerts with launches of B-52`s running full power with minimum distance between aircraft. It was during the cold war, loud, a sight to see. You could see them fighting the jet wash from the previous aircraft to get up into the air. It's now a Reserve Base, it looks creepy now, kind of chopped up the installation living areas and other buildings. They left the humongous tarmac alone for now, guess they knew China and Russia would misbehave in the future. It could be a Cold War redux in the making, pray for peace, the world is getting dark again.
The engineering and aerodynamics of the B-52 continued to impress the wold for over 70 years. How not to love this giant? Thanks to the patriots for the excellent video.😍🗽
Wow! One of the most EXTENSIVE walk throughs I've ever seen. I flew these monsters over 50 years ago and even I learned a lot. This should be made a training film! Many thanks.
First off let me say that I genuinely admire each and every one of these guys. Pilots, crew et al. Secondly, I had the great fun of being able to get my own personal walk around, in and even on top of a B-52 at what was then called "Boring" Loring Air Force base in Maine way back in 1980 when I was 16 years old. My uncle, who retired from the Air Force was at what I think was his last duty station before he retired and we drove up to see him from Ohio. He took me out around the base and then took me on a personal tour as I say around, in and even on top of one of the B-52s at the base. I literally walked around a little bit on top of it believe it or not(was that allowed? lol). My memory may fail on some of the details but I do remember imagining that the inside of these air craft must be huge and once I got on board was surprised at how cramped that particular one seemed to be(at least compared to what I initially thought) Lots of gear. My uncle was a mechanic on these in Vietnam and went on to be a chief(or whatever that position is actually called) over guys who worked on them at some point and then retired. He was very proud of his work. We then went to somewhere near the end of a base runway when he knew they would be taking off and watched them fly right over our heads. Needless to say it really left an impression on my 16 year old brain! There was a side story to this as well that was interesting. At some point he became so busy he wasn't at the base house where my aunt was at all and aircraft were taking off a lot. At some point my aunt who also worked on the base at a base store said that there was apparently a Soviet sub detected off Newfoundland and of course this base being where it was lit up and they went on some sort of alert. Sorry for the ramble, but I'll never forget my experience with the B-52!
Quite the trip down memory lane! Bomb-Nav Systems Mechanic. 82-86. Loring AFB Maine, 42 AMS. Long live SAC! When I was on we were switching over to the OAS system from the old vacuum tube tech.(84-85-ish). The bombing/targeting computer I first trained on had punch cards for the target data. Crazy stuff. For those who did not know the OAS was originally meant for the first iteration of the B1 program that the Carter Admin Canx. The Buff was the craziest hybrid mix of old and new. Some of those panels at the Nav And RN chairs I still remember. Thanks for putting this vid together. Brought back some great memories......except for having to swap out the FLIR or STV pods during a blizzard when it was 30 deg below zero....my joints ache just thinking about it.
@@rael5469 I only remember the entire system coming as a package deal. Though It seems very plausible that the gyro(they told us it was made of Beryllium) was pieced in separately. I do remember that for the Bombing competitions we would constantly get our butts handed to us by the FB-111’s out of Griffiss AFB. I do not recall how we faired after the OAS system went in. Not even sure if they run that competition anymore. Thanks for the info!
This is one of the coolest videos that I've ever seen in my life.
Great video. Last time I was in one was about 1993 at Loring. Spent many hours training on the B52’s 17 years worth
Guys really interesting.
Wow... this thing is a labor of love I think.
Glad you guys are looking after us all so thanks....
Best two hours I've spent all week
Windows '95 crashed in front of the audience the day it was presented; yet, it's able to support an electronic warfare software platform to govern nuclear ordinance 26 years later. Ok.
AMAZING B-52 tour, it's not just the general things that are interesting about the platform, it's all the other stuff and personal comments that captures the real romanticism behind this iconic aerial war machine. People who fly and maintain these beasts certainly LOVE their job -despite all the downsides, which are many-; very proud people of their craft. Thank you!
This is the best and the most comprehensive video on the venerable B-52 ever. Excellent work... Thank you very much!!
Thanks for the preview!!! Watching it now! "Big Ugly Fat Fellow". Mhmmm..... LOL! I'm about 20 minutes in...it's top notch Erik, as all your stuff is!!! LOVE THIS ONE!!!
Glad you like it Sherman! So happy to see you and your team doing so well and excelling in this aviation passion we share
This is fantastic! thank you! I was surprised to hear about the 2 engine go-around!. Incredible to think that this airframe is already 61yrs old has maybe another 30-40yrs of service life left in it!
System is correct
System is correct
I am a Air Force veteran, I served with the 92d Security Police squadron and worked the alert area most of my career around B-52s and KC-135A's. I knew some about the B-52 but this video is outstanding, most everything is detailed with exception of classified materials as is appropriate. I am in awe with this wonderful old aircraft that just seems to keep ticking just like the Timex watches. Our's of course carried Nuclear Weapons, sitting in a restricted area we called the bomber area, ready to launch in 15 minutes. Another name we had was the Christmas Tree as the parking stubs were set 45 Degrees from the center taxiway which led directly to the active runway. We were up north at Fairchild AFB so snow was part of the job every winter. The crews housed in a half buried Alert Building 2080 a run from the aircraft. The B-52 has a 185 foot wing span, when the crew chief was on top you could see the size of wing. The last B-52 left the Wichita plant October 26 1962 59 years ago, that would be B-62 61-0040 the last made. These bombers are going to fly until about 2040 or beyond, making it the longest serving aircraft of any type anywhere around the world. Thank You for a very detailed video from Barksdale Air Force Base. I am saving this one!!!!
Prior to that it was called the 92nd Combat Defense Squadron aka Air Police. Served at FAFB from 63-67 mainly K-9.
Excellent video, brings back memories of working around these beautiful aircraft at Carswell AFB in the late 80's
One hour and forty three minutes of awesome. That has to be the most detailed publicly available video ever made of the BUFF. Really great job with the filming and audio.
Outstanding walk-around video of one of my favorite heavy bombers in the USAF inventory. I'm very fond of the B-52... having been an airman stationed at Dyess AFB, TX, back in the late 1970s. My memory is a little hazy, but I seem to recall they were assigned to the 96th Bomb Wing, SAC, headquartered at Dyess AFB. The B-52s at Dyess flew sorties around the clock when I was there. The B-52s played an important strategic deterrence role during the Cold War.
My dad was a crew chief on the original B52. And he always told myself and my brother's these buffs would still be flying long after their life span was projected. And he was right, they are still flying and protecting the U.S.A. And I am 62 years old.
Absolutely SUPERB!! One of the most enthralling videos on the mighty BUFF. Can't thank you all enough, God bless the USAF
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Thanks for this! My dad was a BUFF pilot and I spent my early childhood around them. I later enlisted and spent many a night guarding them.
99.9% of the acronyms and vocab was way over my head but this was still a super cool video to watch! Can’t imagine how long it takes to learn to fly this thing. Great job to the pilot on explaining everything!
It used to be six months--maybe shorter now that they don't fly low level.
Two extremely awesome pieces of work, first the B52 itself and second Erik’s superb video. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! 💯👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸
I work Minot approach and we always talk about the "dreaded 7 engine approach" emergency so this is very informative...thanks for this video!
Awesome, thank you for your service to country! ❤🇺🇸❤
Wonderful! Not boring to an airhead like me. My dad was a munitions officer and we were stationed at Loring when we were transitioning from B-36s to B-52s. I spent some time in the reserves as an avionics tech on C-130s and F-4s at Bergstrom. I'm a private pilot and have my own subscription to Aviation Week. Great info.
Another fantastic video, thank you Erik! Finally got a good look inside a BUFF. And thank you to all the crew for your service to our country!
Thanks for watching it my friend! Glad you liked it
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That is nice to see as I worked on the B-52 and trained on the B model and was first sent to Minot AFB; then to U-tapao where I spent two years stationed at.
I would love to see these guys do a tour of a museum BUFF and give their familiarization of the many aspects of changes through the years especially the rear gunners station when it was manned. Thanks for the Vid.
Thanks for this. We owe the developers and crews who flew and support these planes so much 🇺🇸
I am amazed at the high level of knowledge required to operate this Bomber that each crew member has.
The colonel was amazing in this one ! Really appreciate his detail . Feel like o have already had my check flight . Must be a absolute first rate instructor!
I went TDY to Barksdale in ‘91. I was amazed at the way these seem to float rather than climb at take off.
Nicholas the wings are mounted at the fuselage with a positive camber which was designed for high altitude flight. When we are low to the ground we dont need to pitch up too much because the wings are already at a positive AoA.
Men, thanks mammothly much for this fascinating tour of this magisterial aircraft. Still a masterpiece! 💛🙏🏼
What a series! Loving all these in depth walk-arounds!
It's been just over 40 years ago that I arrived at Barksdale to maintain B-52 EWO and Gunnery trainers. Hard to believe the couple of BUFFs I crawled into could still be still flying. Thank you for this tour Erik!
I flew the H Model in the early 70's The current version is nothing like the one I flew. Very informative video. Thank you.
You’re very welcome! Thank you so much for your service!
LTC Bohl, it has been 31 years since I left B-52's. Not much has changed in the cockpit. New radios, moving map display, some parachute changes, and procedural changes. I was an IP at Castle; dual qualified in G & H, conventional & nuc. You sure when flaps are down you slow to 'best flare' speed? We used to slow to 'bf+30' (crosswind & downwind), +20 base, and +10 on final. I would bust a Stan Eval 60-4 if I went below these speeds. Best flare is only approx 15 knots from stall speed! Also you talked about turning on the starters with 4 & 5 at idle. In SAC, we used to run up 4 to 90 and 5 to 85 and the copilot would then flip 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, & 8 starter switches. 'They' Must have changed the start procedure. You talked about the seat arming levers causing the 'canopy' to blow. You obviously flew some other aircraft. :) I did get to lift the pilots hatch during egress training; it was almost too heavy to lift. I'm glad I never had to manually lift it and remove it. CFIC used to have a recording of me and my student crew almost hitting the TA calibration peak while flying Hawthorne low level on a dark night. It was the scariest thing I have ever lived through! I retired with 5,000 hours.
What a brilliant walkaround. Not only did you give us a access all areas tour of the Buff also the detailed information each crew member gave about the aircraft and their roles on it was outstanding especially considering some of it's classified. Considering the longevity of the B-52, it's got to be the best bit of defence spending ever.
Erik, the content you post is amazing and unmatched across the internet. Thank you for all you do.
Glad you like them! I sure have fun making them
Well
I was M109 artillery tank commander in the IDF army.
This thing is from the 60' days.
The cockpit of the B52 bomber reminds me the driver cabine in the M109 tank.
But the B52 can destroy a country.
To be serious this is a fascinating movie, and its very impressing to see how professional the team is!
I laugh when I see a thumbs down when we’re days away from the video even going live. Which means they haven’t even had a chance to watch it yet!! 😆😆
They are either reactive pacifist or woke/snowflakes.
Either way you should treat them the way you treat the gassy residue of a bean burrito, just crack a window and it's gone.
@@aaronlopez3585
Hahaha!
A certain Mr. Kim didn't like it.
@@ktwei Or Yuri Andrejev
Or just not liking the dacht that they couldn't see it.
Man, this brought back some memories. Great video. A/R BAFB 98-08, I remember working on this aircraft.
Remarkable tour thank you. Years ago, most of the B-52s I saw sported thick structural patches bristling with fasteners on the wings and along the fuselage. There must have been a lot of R&R activity on these airplanes in the last 50 years.
Kent all the B52s have had structural improvements done to increase their service life. Its amazing how much work they do at depot maintenance in Tinker AFB.
Fantastic walkaround! The crew's knowledge of the aircraft was impressive. Thanks for a great video!
I watched, paying attention to time stamps because I wanted to tell others when to pay special attention in the movie to what was my job on those bombers. At the start I wondered how they got permission to show the interior of the plane and the Electronic Warfare station since that part was highly classified when I was flying...well...I got my answer. They "didn't". I was an "EDub" (EWO) on the H model from 1976 to 1980 at (now closed) Grand Forks AFB. That was in the days of the ALQ-117 and ALR-20. Also that FLIR and STV they talked about? Well, those were fully operational and used during our low-level missions. I get the impression that low level is no longer the B-52's mission. I still remember those "bouncing" low-level training missions at LAM (Little America) when it was HOT and turbulent! Also remember those boring 2 hour touch and goes in the traffic pattern.
Thank you guys for your service,and God keep you safe!
Very proud of all of you!!!
You were in my recommendation list and the title and thumbnail intrigued me; I watched the entire video. 👍
Very cool and welcome!! Sure hope you liked it
This goes without saying, but great video, extremely informative. I have no military experience nor am I a pilot, but the B-52 has always fascinated me. If only these planes could talk. I would love to visit with the Boeing engineers who designed this aircraft, that would be an amazing conversation. I appreciate the time you as well as the service men and women took to make this video👍.
👏🏻👏🏻Wow what a fantastic and detailed walk around of a classic bomber! I’ve seen a few B-52’s at air shows here in the UK including an incredible half wing over at Mildehall in the 90’s but have never seen one up close inside ! Thanks to the crew for their excellent description and time! 😁👍🏻
Basically two settings : "Frozen and Burnt"! LMAO!! The best video on the B52 I've ever seen. When I was in Basic Training at Lackland in 1980, we were marching to chow and the instructor said to the flight to look up! Flying above us was a B52. The instructor said that was the most beautiful sight in the AF . . . I've never forgotten that. Awesome!
Dickie Brewer Lackland March 1968. Weather Observer Course. Was the B-36 still there on dispaly? Was mess hall P38, I think it was, still in operation? The food was so bad, after being marched and released to go inside for chow, many would nearby to by their meal. What busted us was not signing in first. So the Drill sgts got wind of it and ordered us to sign in and eat at the mess hall. At an off base beer joint, someone wrote on one of the bathroom walls of the stalls, "Fluss three times. It's a long way to P38."
This was great! Thank you to the crew for this wildly interesting and concise tour! Wish it was in VR tho
This was absolutely fascinating, as are all of EJ walk-around videos. This one especially was awesome - the amount of detailed tech info delivered was just perfect for an MilitaryAvGeek like myself.
Well freaking done sir.
Man I sure am happy that you liked it!! We really did have a good time making it!!
@@ErikJohnston Hey Erik, great work as always. How long does the editing take for a video like this? I couldn't even imagine the file size...
Any hints on what's next? Haha, you know I had to ask.
Thanks again for the great work!
@@chris-C8
This one took a little over a month to edify. But that was taking breaks to edit others for clients.
These videos are simply outstanding. Thank you!
You know what's crazy? The sons of men who flew this jet and dropped bombs on Vietnam are now flying the same jets their fathers flew into harms way. Unreal. Erik thank you for all that you do in documenting these great aircraft. Your videos are the best on RUclips for this kind of content.
I know an old boy who started flying the B-52D in 1958 and flew them until 1983(?). The Cold War (e.g., Chrome Dome) through Vietnam (e.g., Linebacker II) and beyond. Last time I talked to him, his short-term memory wasn't worth a damn, but his days of flying that plane are as clear as a bell. He loved that plane!
Pretty sure the grandson of a B-52 pilot is now flying one--I heard that's true but I don't know their names.
My dad was a tail gunner on B52s, I'm now 76, my son turns 50 this year and his daughter graduates from high school next year, so in theory my dad's great-granddaughter could be flying one of these in a few years. I'm sure dad has a smile on his face at that thought right now.
Amaxing how the BUFF name has changed since I was in USAF. Muct have been a special SAC description>
Haha! I know the other name your referring to!😁
I did not plan to watch the entire video but I was fascinated by the complexities of that impressive machine. Back in 1976 I was a flight simulator tech for the KC-135 and I was stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine. We had nine B-52's fully loaded with nukes on 24 hour alert. To confuse the Soviet satellites, we parked half a dozen unarmed BUFF's on the flight line next to the armed B-52's. We would shuffle the decoys around as if they were also on alert. We lived in base housing, so whenever a B-52 would take off on a training mission we could hear it loud and clear. To me, it was the sound of freedom.
I lived in base housing, Capehart, at a SAC base in the 60s. There was an engine test facility not to far from our flight line facing back yard. I became so accustomed to hearing the noise from the facility that on the nights it was quiet, I had a hard time falling asleep.
Unreal, the bomb bay area looks no different than a B-29 or B-17.... cables and pulleys and grease, looks like a well flown airplane, good stuff, thank u for this
Absolutely brilliant! Thanks to you and the B-52 Crew for sharing. Look forward to seeing the BUFFs operating out of Fairford during February.
Grateful for all our armed forces! Thank you for your service! 🙏
Barksdale ❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for this. Learned so much!
Great video as always! Did anyone else think the Staff Sergeant looked just like Lewis Skolnick ????
such a well thought platform, incredible that it was built and conceived in the 50's
Your walk arounds are fantastic. I’m a 27-year US Naval aviation vet (still going) and am in my 15th platform and your stuff is spot on. Your filming and editing are second to none. You’ve got a sub for life. Great job to you and your crew.
🫡
Man that means so much to me!! So happy that you like it!
@@ErikJohnston thank you for your kind words. If you’re ever in the Virginia Beach area I’d be happy to give you a tour on the Super Hornet.
I lauged when the aircraft commander said (at 45:00) "And I'll fly on JUST four engines" LOL
Great video and great walkaround!
It was an honor to watch that. what an amazing video.