Flying at 500 Feet at Night

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Flying at 500 Feet at Night

Video description: Join Wings' Curator Stewart Bailey as we go Behind the Wings of a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber – The Rockwell B-1 Lancer. We'll also meet Pilot Garrett "Sack" Harencak and Weapons Systems Officer Tony "Voodoo" Eret who flew and operated the Lancer. This one is going to be cool!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vRUL_O1I-4[/ame]

 

[DWalt]

I actually got an interior tour of a B-1 at Dyess AFB in the early 1990s. But it never left the ground. At that time, most B-1s were stationed at Dyess. Interesting fact. There was a jet fuel refinery in Abilene TX (where Dyess AFB is) to service both Dyess and Carswell AFBs via pipeline. I do not know if the refinery is still there.

 

[lihpster]

From the days when stealth was low level speed. Never thought it was that good looking, but I'm sure the grunts on the ground thought she was a beautiful sight.

 

[Retired W4]

Back in the 90's there was a B-1 squadron at Robins AFB. I stopped in there a couple times to take B-1 crews to their sim training. Can't remember where their simulators were located but that was a long time ago.

NOE (Nap of the Earth) flying in a helicopter is wild enough. At B-1 speeds it must be a real thrill even with terrain following radar. Heads up.

 

[cololab]

Summer of '87 I was at Ellsworth AFB on official business and got an inside tour of one of the B1s stationed there. Definitely an impressive aircraft.

The pilot and copilot have hatches that jettison before the ejection seat launches them skyward. The two systems officers seated behind the pilots have no top hatches. I asked how they got out and the pilot told me there are explosive cutting charges that blow out a hole in the fuselage through which the systems officers eject; in theory that is.

 

[IAM Rand]

I am ashamed, I live about an hour away and still haven't been there. I still plan on getting to see it. Been to the WWII museum in NO and loved it. Got to get to this one for sure.

 

[TeamPB]

Great post! Very good video, saw it the other night and as a lifelong aviation enthusiast I loved the veterans insights. I also have never been to Wings Over the Rockies, my bad.

Last summer we went to McConnel AFB's Frontiers in Flight Airshow. My first time seeing the Blue Angels since they were in Sky Raiders. It was an amazing show. Every performer there was mind blowing and we will try to see at least one airshow per year going forward.

I saw a B1B at the Air Force Museum in Dayton four years ago. What a plane and what a great museum.

We will be going to Abilene Tx this Easter weekend for the Wings Over West Texas Airshow at Dyess AFB. In addition to The Thunderbirds, Doc flying (B29) and many other exhibitions there will be a B1B flying!

I am already excited!

 

[bullmack]

I worked at an aerospace company that had the fuel management contract for the B-1 (cancelled by Carter) followed by the B-1B when Reagan re-started the program. We supplied the in-tank fuel measurement devices, pumps for moving fuel around, and the cockpit gauges for fuel quantity, center of gravity, and a 3rd gage whose purpose I don't recall. To maintain CG for various flight situations the system would move fuel between wing and fuselage tanks. And it was a totally redundant system with two of everything. I left the company as we were transitioning from prototype to production (that was my role) but my buddy spent time at North American in the airplane.