Ghostrider returns to flight

For the first time in 12 years, B-52 61-007, known as Ghostrider, has completed a PDM cycle at Tinker AFB. The aircraft made its first flight after the PDM, and the second since coming out of the Boneyard (the first was to get to Tinker), and restored the aircraft to a mission capable condition.

Ghostrider was returned to service to replace another aircraft that suffered a cockpit fire while parked on the ramp. The damage was so severe that returning Ghostrider to service was the better option rather than repairing the damage. They will make several more flights from Tinker before sending her to Minot to join a Squadron there.

www.flightglobal.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Wonder if they did a tower flyby recently.... I bet tower guys are chomping at the bit to be able to say... You all already know!

Negative Ghostrider the pattern is full!... That one is still in TopGun right? I'm totally confused all the time lately... Seems my memory might be triggering fault lights,but my forgetter is functioning perfectly!.

Back to zaphs thread... Later guys!

a reply to: Zaphod58

So, no gratuitous Nicolas Cage refrence, then?

Hardly meme worthy.

Actually, I was unaware that B52's were still in service. I thought they'd have been superceded by the B1.

So your post did educate me.

Cheerz

a reply to: Zaphod58

How many aircraft can become combat capable in a national emergency there?

a reply to: chr0naut

The B-52 is the backbone of our bomber fleet. There are 72 aircraft required to be in service at any given time, by treaty. They built 100 B-1s, but they've already sent 28 to the Boneyard. Ten were lost in crashes, leaving 62 in service.

a reply to: cavtrooper7

With enough time, several hundred at least, if not more.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I love these aircraft.

There was one of these at Duxford. My favourite bomber of all time is the Lancaster, because she's a classy looking lady. But there is not much clearance underneath her, so getting under the bomb bay requires a crouch.

But the B52...Jesus...you simply cannot appreciate the sheer size of one of these things, until you look up at the bomb bay doors, and realise that you would need a big...BIG ladder to scrape your head on them. One engine block alone is a massive chunk of metal. But the whole thing? Boggles the mind with its size. The fact that it lofts at all, despite all the very sensible physics that allows for it, makes ones head spin, when one sees the thing just sitting there.

Absolutely fantastic to hear that this old thing is in the air again!

wonderful aircraft in fact one is currently stationed at RAF Fairford for a while to take part in an exercise.
having one pass over you head at about 75 feet as it comes in to land is an unforgettable experience!

also it is being joined by 2 B1's early tomorrow morning for a week or so a rare sight in the uk these days.

a reply to: wastedown

I've seen the B-1 buzz Opa Locka tower.

Talk about loud.

a reply to: TrueBrit

We had 15 drop in on us with about four hours notice during a typhoon evacuation from Guam. My father parked them, my brother safed the landing gear, and I safed by bay doors, then it was haul ass to the next aircraft. They were bringing them across the runway two at a time, and we stuffed them into every parking spot that had enough room to put them. Then about four days later it was time to launch them all again to go back.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I bet that was an intense period of activity!

Did you have time, while doing that work, at that speed, to appreciate the staggering immensity of the things all in a row? I do not think many aircraft can inspire such a sense of insignificance in a human being as those things do.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Oh god yes. I love the BUFF. I can count on one hand, with most of those fingers left, the number of times one came in and was even delayed a couple hours because of a problem with the aircraft. If there was a delay it was usually the tanker they were meeting.

We were usually either out on the runway to get the fm drag chute, or with Base Ops to call the taxi for them. They had to have an escort ride behind them to offset them on the taxi, and turns. They'd have to be five to eight feet to one side of the centerline, if they went down the taxiway on the line, the pogos on each wingtip would take out the taxi lights on both sides of the taxiway.