request for fighter pilot statistic

wrote

The B-52 will be part of the AF's arsenal for another 30 years if the
budget docs I read every day at work are correct.

If they ever get around to reengining those planes they'd
probably fly another 50 years until they were 100.

I've often wondered why they don't bite the bullet and do that. Cut back to
4 engines, increase range and increase payload, probably.

I was joking about the flight testing crap, of course. I'll bet they have
more flight test hours than any plane ever built!

From what I have read, it sounds like they would do well to put in some more
comfortable crew seats, too! g
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:
"Michael Kelly" wrote


Michael Kelly
BUFF Flight Tester


Man, I would think you would be out of a job. I would think that the buff
has been well tested, by now! g

Well tested the mighty BUFF is Morgans! To keep the old lady flying for
another 40 years we've put new computers and weapons on to bird, and
lucky young Lt's like me are able to fly on a jet my grandfather could
have flown on. We're ugly, slow and smoky but a hell of a lot of fun to
fly on. Its a privilege to be part of the BUFF community and I wouldn't
trade it for anything.

Michael Kelly
BUFF Flight Tester

"Michael Kelly" wrote

Well tested the mighty BUFF is Morgans! To keep the old lady flying for
another 40 years we've put new computers and weapons on to bird, and
lucky young Lt's like me are able to fly on a jet my grandfather could
have flown on. We're ugly, slow and smoky but a hell of a lot of fun to
fly on. Its a privilege to be part of the BUFF community and I wouldn't
trade it for anything.

******************************************

You know, for all of the airshows and open houses at airbases I have been
to, (quite a few; certainly over what I can count on both hands) I still
have yet to see a buff in the air. Why is that?

You need to lobby your higher-ups, to let you (or someone) do some more
fly-bys at air shows.

One of these days, I hope I'll see one!
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Michael Kelly" wrote

Well tested the mighty BUFF is Morgans! To keep the old lady flying for
another 40 years we've put new computers and weapons on to bird, and
lucky young Lt's like me are able to fly on a jet my grandfather could
have flown on. We're ugly, slow and smoky but a hell of a lot of fun to
fly on. Its a privilege to be part of the BUFF community and I wouldn't
trade it for anything.

******************************************

You know, for all of the airshows and open houses at airbases I have been
to, (quite a few; certainly over what I can count on both hands) I still
have yet to see a buff in the air. Why is that?

You need to lobby your higher-ups, to let you (or someone) do some more
fly-bys at air shows.

One of these days, I hope I'll see one!
--
Jim in NC

We had a BUFF fly by at the fall Atlanta race.

I swear the thing was below the level of the suites and had to cob the
throttles and make a last minute altitude adjustment to insure he cleared
the light towers.

I saved all the angles of all the fly bys from the second half of the NASCAR
season and burned them to DVD.

The unofficial NASCAR 2nd Half Fly By Roll Call:

- 2 B2s (Two Races)
- 1 B52
- 1 B1
- 2 B17s*
- 1 B24*
- 4 T38s
- 2 OV22 Osprey (Night Race at Richmond...their rotor/prop tips glow!!)
- 12 F/A 18s (Three Diff Races)
- 8 F15s (Two Races)
- 8 F16s (Two Races)
- 1 C5 (Dover...Go Figure...)
- 8 A/H64s (Two Races)
- 4 USCG Helos (The ones with the shrouded tail rotors...Dolphins?)

(*B17 "Yankee Lady" at Michigan and at Watkinds Glen, the Collings
Foundation birds flew over one day...not technically a Fly By, but they did
fly by if you know what I mean.)

Jay B

("Jay Beckman" wrote)
- 2 OV22 Osprey (Night Race at Richmond...their rotor/prop tips glow!!)


As a long suffering Osprey taxpayer my question is, are they suppose to
glow? :-)


Montblack

Morgans wrote:
"Michael Kelly" wrote


Well tested the mighty BUFF is Morgans! To keep the old lady flying for
another 40 years we've put new computers and weapons on to bird, and
lucky young Lt's like me are able to fly on a jet my grandfather could
have flown on. We're ugly, slow and smoky but a hell of a lot of fun to
fly on. Its a privilege to be part of the BUFF community and I wouldn't
trade it for anything.


******************************************

You know, for all of the airshows and open houses at airbases I have been
to, (quite a few; certainly over what I can count on both hands) I still
have yet to see a buff in the air. Why is that?

You need to lobby your higher-ups, to let you (or someone) do some more
fly-bys at air shows.

One of these days, I hope I'll see one!

About 20 (maybe 25?)years ago I was out cultivating corn just northwest
of Waterloo, IA and I swear a B52 rumbled right over my head.
Incredibly low and slow. Looked dangerous.

==bob

"Bob Matthews" wrote

About 20 (maybe 25?)years ago I was out cultivating corn just northwest
of Waterloo, IA and I swear a B52 rumbled right over my head.
Incredibly low and slow. Looked dangerous.

A couple of years ago, I heard a low rumble that I could not identify. It
kept getting louder, and I finally "had" to go outside and try to identify
what it was, or at least from what direction the sound was coming.

It lasted several minutes, and I made up my mind that it *must* be the sound
of big afterburners, and from how loud it was, more than two. I guessed it
must be a B-1 running the nearby gorge on a low level training run.

The next couple days, I asked around, and many had heard it. Finally, I
came across someone who lived out in the direction of the Lindville Gorge
that saw it come directly over his house.

That was 15 or more miles away, and it was unmistakable and different, and
had a deep rumble unlike anything I had ever heard. The next year I saw a
B-1 doing afterburner runs up close at an air show, and heard how loud they
were. Yep, that was it!

Still not a buff, though. :-)
--
Jim in NC

Didn't a BUFF go down at at airshow? Thought I saw the video.

Flyingmonk wrote:
Didn't a BUFF go down at at airshow? Thought I saw the video.

Fairchild AFB, early nineties in an air show practice. Basically, the
pilot involved didn't think the rules applied to him and was well know
for his unsafe flying. A number of aircrew flat out refused to fly with
him and finally a significant number of the wing staff thought there
could be a problem and decided to fly with him. Unfortunately for them
the flight they were on was the one that crashed in front of the
cameras. A book was written about the complete lack of leadership that
led up to this accident.

In at least one, if not more, preflight briefings I've been in various
aspects of this crash were discussed under the safety and EP portions of
the brief.

Michael Kelly
BUFF Flight Tester

Morgans wrote:

You know, for all of the airshows and open houses at airbases I have been
to, (quite a few; certainly over what I can count on both hands) I still
have yet to see a buff in the air. Why is that?

You need to lobby your higher-ups, to let you (or someone) do some more
fly-bys at air shows.

One of these days, I hope I'll see one!

I don't know what to tell you bro. I've seen the BUFF in a couple of
air shows and even flown in one. I unfortunately can't lobby my higher
ups for air show performances as a.) we only own two aircraft b.) we are
AFMC and ACC owns the vast majority of BUFFs c.) I'm a Lt, who listens
to Lt's? Especially ones who are engineers?

Best I can offer you is to go to Andrews AFB air show, or Langley AFB
air show both will have a high probability of having BUFFs fly on the
East coast. Barksdale AFB or Minot AFB would be good bets for seeing a
BUFF in the middle of the country. Edwards AFB is your best bet on the
West coast. Don't know where you are, but chances are you'll need to
travel to see the might BUFF airborne.

Michael Kelly
BUFF Flight Tester