This is the Electronic Warfare Officer's cockpit. Thankfully this picture is an unclassified T-4 simulator at the March AFB Museum in Riverside California. After many years in the Air Force I was only able to show outline drawings of the cockpit to my family, seeing the T-4 in its full colors was quite a joy. In the aircraft, this cockpit is located about 12 feet aft of the co-pilot's seat, facing towards the tail. To this day I never feel right when I fly, I should be sitting backwards! I accumulated over 1000 flight hours in B-52G and H as a Electronic Warfare Officer, Electronic Warfare Instructor and Staff Officer. The Electronic Warfare Officer's job is to keep the bad guys from shooting at you through the proper application radar jammers, chaff, flares, and defensive maneuvers. The B-52 is not a stealthy aircraft and for what it lacks in stealth it makes up for in raw power and capability.
One very badd 2nd Lt. Tom Keely (circa 1982) in front of the finest bombing machine in the USAF. This B-52H aircraft, nicknamed Eight Ball for its serial number (60-0008) is on the flight line of Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. This must have a been pretty nice day at Minot, no blowing snow, and summer jackets could be worn. Visible in this shot are the ASQ-151 Low Light TV and Forward Looking Infrared chin turrets, the Angle of Attack and Pitot sensors and the ALQ-117 left forward antenna shield. The crew entry hatch is behind my left hand. In the background is another B-52 with its bomb bay doors open. Today about 90 B-52H aircraft are in the Air Force inventory operating from Minot AFB, ND and Barksdale AFB, LA
B-52G on left and B-52H on right with the nose up. This was taken at Mather AFB, California in 1981. The high res version of this picture shows a G model on the runway with the chute out
B-52H on take off roll at Minot AFB, North Dakota. Get that BUFF in the air!
B-52H 1026 gets preped for a day mission to the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR).
The crew chief says 1026 is ready to go. 200,000 pounds of fuel and one bomb.
Aircraft 61-1026 postscript: 1026 was the last B-52H to crash. The crash occured at Fairchild AFB during an airshow as the aircraft made 90 degree bank at low altitude. The resulting loss of lift caused the senseless loss of this fine machine.
5th Bomb Wing gunners give the 750lb bomb a hug for good luck.
Down and dirty low level at the UTTR. The radar altimeter reads less than 50 feet. That is sage brush out the window. Looks like you could reach out touch the ground.
During Global Shield in 1983 we're somewhere north of Alaska. I think we were up around 42,000 feet. As I moved from the EW's seat to the IP's seat for this photo the pilot complained I changed the trim of the aircraft by moving forward
SAC always seamed to pick the worst time for an ORI. Notice the dark green nose and white under wing colors.
This Picture is from 1972 when I was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. We're on a visit to Wurtsmith AFB in Michigan. That is B-52H 610019 in the background. To this day, I remember siting in the EW's seat and seeing lotsa knobs and buttons. I even remember the ALT-6Bs...It was my destiny. Eleven years later 1019 is "my bird" for Bomb Comp 83. This is an unbelievable coincidence
Comin' home to momma. That is runway 29 ahead. I didn't get to see this sight very often since the EW's seat has no windows.
