[Milsurplus] OT: B-52 Video

[Richard Arland, W3OSS]

Hi Clete:

OK, this is going to be from memory and we all know how that works. The 
article I remember reading was from Air & Space Weekly (IIRC) and was about 
8-10 years ago. The pilot was one of those guys that every wing commander 
loves to have when the IG shows up 'cuz they will take anything off with 
wings on it!! Even the Hanger Queens. This guy was an O-4 (Lt Col) IIRC, and 
he was the "star" of a video shot out west when they wanted to have a BUFF 
come in low and slow toward a camera man on a ridge. This dude brought that 
BUFF in and, from what the article said, it blew the photographer and his 
camera over he was THAT low. He was one of those pilots that other pilots 
didn't like flying with apparently due to his disregard for safety issues. 
The Vice Wing Commander at Fairchild was up for his check ride with this guy 
when he tried rolling the BUFF. Also in the cockpit was the head of Stan 
Eval for the wing. If you ever saw the video he started his roll and the 
BUFF just fell out of the sky...apparently he didn't have enough airspeed to 
complete the maneuver. As I remember the article, the Stan Eval chief had 
restricted this guys piloting due to "problems". I also remember something 
about practicing for an air show at Fairchild, which was soon to be closed. 
Don't know if that was true or not. It would have made one heck of a 
show-stopper!

That is about all I recall from the article. I have it here somewhere in all 
my junk from my old job. If I find it in the near future I will photocopy it 
for anyone who wants to read it. Again, this is from memory, so there may be 
some glaring errors.

Hank, KN6DK/5, e-mailed me telling me that Tex Johnson was the Boeing chief 
test pilot that rolled that 707....not once but several times. And Hank, 
"No" Tex was definitely not "just a BUFF Driver". Thanks for the info, that 
is what I love about this group.

For Captain Mac: Sorry about that, chief...You had indicated several times 
that you were and EWO, so I don't know where the Bom/Nav idea came from. 
Sorry about that.

I go back under my rock now.....

73s Rich W3OSS


> de AFA1DJ
> Maybe Rich knows, but wasn't there something
> unusual about the pilot that rolled the B-52?  I seem
> to recall that he had a poor record, was passed over,
> and had some medical problems.  Someone said that
> the pilot shouldn't have been flying that airplane, but
> there was a scheduleing mixup or something.   Trivia:
> B-52's are different in that they don't rotate much on
> takeoff.       73   Clete