BUFDRVR wrote:

Anyway
do you have any doubts about the question asked
"Could Blackjack bombers reach USA?"

Perhaps, but only a very few. Their mission capable rates were as low as 25%,
and that was in 1995.

I've told this story before, but its a good one and still makes me chuckle. In
1995 Barksdale AFB was host to two Russian Bear Bombers (Tu-95), their crews
and leadership. On the second day of their visit, several BUFF and Bear crews
were out on the flightline exchanging tours of their respective aircraft. A
B-1B from Dyess had weather diverted into Barksdale the previous night and as
the BUFF and Bear crews were doing their exterior tour of the Bear, the B-1B
attempted to leave and head back to Dyess. Due to the tremendous noise the B-1
created as it took off, all conversation, both Russian and translated English
stopped and everyone diverted their attention to the B-1 taking off. As the
B-1 got halfway down the runway, and almost directly in front of the Bears, a
puff of white smoke appeared and the throttles were brought back to idle.
Everyone continued to watch as the B-1 taxied to the end of the runway where it
was joined by emergency response vehicles. As the B-1 made the turn off the
runway, hydraulic fluid could be seen, literally, pouring out from underneath
the aircraft. The B-1 stopped, the entry hatch opened and the crew performed an
emergency egress. With the noise now gone, both BUFF and Bear crews returned
their attention to the exterior of the Bear. Before the tour could resume, one
of the Bear crewmembers looked at the others and uttered something in Russian
which made the rest of the Bear crewmembers burst out in laughter. When a BUFF
squadron commander asked what the joke was, the translator looked afraid to
answer. Just then in pretty good English, one of the Bear crewmembers pointed
to the B-1B, now in the hammerhead and surrounded by emergency vehicles and
said; "Just like Tu-160....piece of ****". At that, all the BUFF crews began to
roar with laughter, which made the Bear crews, and their concerned translator,
more relaxed and they began to laugh out loud again. It was truely a moment of
international bonding, crews of bombers built in the 1960s having a laugh at
the expense of their newer "replacement aircraft". Any way, when asked about
the Tu-160's mission capable rate, a rather gruff Russian Colonel said less
than 1 in 4 is flyable at any given time.

BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

Bufdrvr,

I have been meaning to ask you this since last August..........

I visited the MAKS airshow at Zhukovsky, Moscow and amongst the aircraft on display
was an operational example of both the Tu-95MS and Tu-160 from Engels.

Also on display - for the first time - were some visiting USAF a/c - KC-135, C-130,
F-15, F-16 plus a Buff from Minot - I just checked my photo of it - and I can't
make out the full serial - but it was AF xx 027 on the fin and 1027 on the forward
fuselage. It also had a red fin flash with yellow lettering that looks something
like 'Badoms' ??

I took the photo from a tethered balloon at the limit of my lens!

We couldn't get near the crews for the Russian crowd (not that I wanted too - I was
there to see Russian a/c, I can see Buffs at RAF Fairford anytime). The crews of
all the visiting a/c must have been overwhelmed by the Russian public who were
asking for autographs, getting their photos taken with the American running dog
agressors etc

What I wondered was whether you had heard any feedback from these visiting crews??

How was the evil empire ?

How did they enjoy the visit, what was the Russian hospitality like, how were they
treated, what was their impressions of the RusAF etc etc.

How did they route to Moscow - did they mingle with the crews of the Tu-95/Tu-160
etc

Anything ?

Cheers

Ken

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Ken Duffey - Flanker Freak & Russian Aviation Enthusiast
Flankers Website - http://www.flankers.co.uk/
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