request for fighter pilot statistic

"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
--
Jim in NC

I would think that the buff has been well tested, by now!

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. There's plenty of
life left in that airframe - there's an avionics upgrade currently
underway that includes the INS and DTUC systems that's funded through
FY06. If they ever get around to reengining those planes they'd
probably fly another 50 years until they were 100.

Wooly

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

I forgot what year it was, but it was before '96, I was a tin roofer
installing lead-coated copper standing deam roof on a tower in Quantico
Marine base when one of the Ospreys took a nose dive into the Potomac
River. I had clear view of it because I was on the tower roof.

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