Any fliers?

(BUFDRVR) wrote:

Ron wrote:

I can just imagine what my grandfathers 40+ hour flights in the RB-36 must
have
been like..

Painful. They probably had a little more room, but I'm sure it was just as
noisy, which takes its toll after about a day.


BUFDRVR

Quite right, noise and vibration are very tiring. That's why the
concept of two complete crews didn't work on the Argus, while the
a/c is quite capable of 30 hour flights and there's lots of crew
rest positions, full sized bunks and lazyboy type easy-chairs,
good galley equipment and toilet facilities the crews get
exhausted after about 18 - 20 hours whether they're on duty or
not. The last few years that they were in use they had cut us
down to mostly 18 hour patrols. Deadly enough believe me.
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

(BUFDRVR) wrote:

Steve wrote:

Are you up for almost an entire day airborne?

I'd give it a go. Got to be more comfortable than a Cessna pukebox. :-)

I thought that too...until my first Global Power sortie. 28+ hours and when we
landed they poured me out of the jet and my head and back hurt for three days.
I'm here to tell you they're no fun.....novel, but not fun. My comfort limit is
24 hours. Anything longer and I'm in pain.

Not too many of us have had the unique pleasure of spending 28 -
30 hours airbourne at one fell swoop I'd say.

I can attest to the fact that it's quite a unique experience to
spend that (and many many slightly less lengthily sorties) over
the North Atlantic below 500 feet in the dead of winter where you
come home with the top fronts of your thighs sore from smashing
up against the lap belt and your 'leveling devices' so confused
that the tarmac seems to tip crazily under your feet as you
hobble painfully into the hangar after.

All I can say is that we well earned our pensions.
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Gord Beaman wrote:

I can attest to the fact that it's quite a unique experience to
spend that (and many many slightly less lengthily sorties) over
the North Atlantic below 500 feet in the dead of winter

Oh the hell with that! At least on cruise legs between refuelings at FL350,
both pilots can kind of "zone out". At or below 500' ASL would require
vigilence by both pilots and I have no idea how the hell you could do that for
anything longer than 5 or 6 hours.


BUFDRVR

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

Subject: Any fliers?
From: (BUFDRVR)
Date: 5/30/04 7:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

Gord Beaman wrote:

I can attest to the fact that it's quite a unique experience to
spend that (and many many slightly less lengthily sorties) over
the North Atlantic below 500 feet in the dead of winter

Oh the hell with that! At least on cruise legs between refuelings at FL350,
both pilots can kind of "zone out". At or below 500' ASL would require
vigilence by both pilots and I have no idea how the hell you could do that
for
anything longer than 5 or 6 hours.


BUFDRVR

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


It's not so much the time that makes the minutes seem like hours. It's the flak
that maked the seconds seem like hours. In clear skies, it's all a piece of
cake.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

(BUFDRVR) wrote:

Gord Beaman wrote:

I can attest to the fact that it's quite a unique experience to
spend that (and many many slightly less lengthily sorties) over
the North Atlantic below 500 feet in the dead of winter

Oh the hell with that! At least on cruise legs between refuelings at FL350,
both pilots can kind of "zone out". At or below 500' ASL would require
vigilence by both pilots and I have no idea how the hell you could do that for
anything longer than 5 or 6 hours.

BUFDRVR


Well a normal crew did have 3 pilots but that likely only helped
a little. The a/c did have a very good autopilot with an
'altitude hold' feature plus the engineer, usually a crotchety
old soul who wasn't above pushing the 'master fire warning bell
test switch' when he saw a pilot nodding off. It's one of the
most attention getting sounds in the world.
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

On 28 May 2004 22:58:29 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

I'd give it a go. Got to be more comfortable than a Cessna pukebox. :-)

I thought that too...until my first Global Power sortie. 28+ hours and when we
landed they poured me out of the jet and my head and back hurt for three days.
I'm here to tell you they're no fun.....novel, but not fun. My comfort limit is
24 hours. Anything longer and I'm in pain.

Ouch. Mind you don't get DVT! Cockpit must stink after each sortie. :-) So
thats like watching all three LOTR films back to back..three times over!!
Hell, don't think I could look at instumentation for that long.

Oh well, I'll settle for a VIP guided tour of your bird next time your at
Fairford. ;-)


--
Steve.

Steve wrote:

Ouch. Mind you don't get DVT!

Our seats aren't comfortable enough so the suggestion to move around in your
seat to avoid DVT is forced upon you in the BUFF.....although thanks to Mary
and the guys and gals at Drydan, we were able to get much more comfortable seat
cushions just in time for OEF, so maybe we'll need classes on DVT avoidance?

Hell, don't think I could look at instumentation for that long.

You don't. Set the altitude hold autopilot, adjust the throttles every now and
again and look out the windows. Not much to see up there, but a sunrise over
the middle of the Pacific seen from FL330 is very neat looking.


Oh well, I'll settle for a VIP guided tour of your bird next time your at
Fairford. ;-)

Deal...now all I have to do is get back to a flying unit!


BUFDRVR

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

..although thanks to Mary
and the guys and gals at Drydan, we were able to get much more comfortable
seat

I have trouble understanding what Dryden had to do with B-52 seats--care to
elaborate?

Jan Howell
Once an Edwards Human Factors Engineer

On 31 May 2004 02:06:19 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

Hell, don't think I could look at instumentation for that long.

You don't. Set the altitude hold autopilot, adjust the throttles every now and
again and look out the windows.

Yeah, suppose so. I'm not used to fancy things like autopilots. :-)

Not much to see up there,

Not bad though compared to the view from most office windows.

Oh well, I'll settle for a VIP guided tour of your bird next time your at
Fairford. ;-)

Deal...now all I have to do is get back to a flying unit!

Hope you get back up there soon. I haven't flown for a few years and really
miss it.


--
Steve.

On 31 May 2004 02:06:19 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:


Our seats aren't comfortable enough so the suggestion to move around in your
seat to avoid DVT is forced upon you in the BUFF.....although thanks to Mary
and the guys and gals at Drydan, we were able to get much more comfortable seat
cushions just in time for OEF, so maybe we'll need classes on DVT avoidance?

It was our pleasure, truly. We were pleased that you wanted our help
and proud that we could provide it. Our Life Support folks are really
great.

The fighter folks should get their g suits fixed up to do compression
waves during flight to help prevent DVT, That would be a friendly g
suit, you have to admit.

I guess you folks in the heavy metal will have to wear elastic
stockings to ward off DVT. I had to wear one after my knee surgery to
keep the swelling down and it wasn't too bad. Warm, though, which
might not be real great under nomex.

I assume the ECS in the BUFF is good enough that you're not going to
try out the ice-water vests that NASCAR drivers use. Those vests have
a connection with the BUFF; they were originally developed for the
X-15 program..

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer