B-52 Pilots and their Fascination with Aircraft Carriers

Tailhook envy maybe?

Many folks have called my attention to the above photo today, as a representation of the US Navy flying an intercept on a B-52.  Personally I'm of the belief that said Pilot in Command of the BUFF really wanted to drive something big when he grew up and really wanted to see a carrier up close.

But seeing this photo reminded me of one that many in the Tailhook Community are quite familiar with where a couple of B-52's requested a Fly By of USS Ranger (CV-61)...

It happened in early 1990 in the Persian Gulf, while U.S. carriers and B-52s were holding joint exercises. Two B-52s called the carrier (USS Ranger) and asked if they could do a fly-by, and the carrier air controller said yes.

When the B-52s reported they were 9 kilometers out, the carrier controller said he didn't see them. The B-52s told the carrier folks to look down. The paint job on the B-52 made it hard to see from above, but as it got closer, the sailors could make it out, and the water the B-52 jets were causing to spray out. It's very, very rare for a USAF aircraft to do a fly-by below the flight deck of a carrier.

But B-52s had been practicing low level flights for years, to come in under Soviet radar. In this case, the B-52 pilots asked the carrier controller if they would like the bombers come around again. The carrier guys said yes, and a lot more sailors had their cameras out this time.

The resulting images are legendary:

Comments

[Jim C]

@Diana Solomon

http://www.air-and-space.com/NB-52%20Mission%20Marks.htm

[Dan Last]

I flew approaches to a carrier off the coast of California in a B-52G while killing time waiting for an exercise to kick off in the mid 80's. I had a navy pilot in the IP seat telling me how to speak squid to the controllers. We shot two approaches. I am sure pictures were taken during the second, and I would love to have a copy if anyone has the picture. We did not fly below the deck level, just an approach to minimums.

[Craig Reed]

I witnessed this fly by from the port bow and it was quite a spectacle. I served on the Ranger from 87 to 90 and also was involved with the military exercises with the B1B low flying with jets roaring near the Ranger.
The Ranger was quite a workhorse during my years aboard, many days at sea with Russian TU 16 aircraft flying over our steel beach picnic and the USS Missouri firing off her 16 inch guns nearby.
Of all I enjoyed the Missouri the most!

[Shawn D.]

Kalikiano, it's not the flight control surfaces that cause the nose-down attitude -- it's the fact that the wing is set at a high angle of incidence on the fuselage due to the tandem landing gear. With tandem gear, B-52s cannot "rotate" on takeoff as other aircraft with tricycle gear do, so the wing is set at an angle. Think of F-8s and how their wing could be set at a higher incidence for takeoff and landing.

My crew did a few low passes like that over the years during various exercises. :)

-Shawn (former B-52 Electronic Warfare Officer)

[Kalikiano Kalei]

Interesting pictures of the BUFF fly-past of the carrier. What many folks (especially the Airedales) don't seem to be aware of is that the BUFF has a rather unique set of flight control surface configurations that allow it to be flown nose-down in a positive altitude gaining mode. That is, the aircraft can actually take off or gain altitude in a slightly nose down config. This can be seen in the photos and in any other aircraft such a startling 'nose down' attitude that close to the deck (H20, in this instance) would spell certain disaster. For a BUFF crew, however, business as usual. Not bad for a half century old aircraft, I think, that still has a few tricks up its sleeve!

[Aircraft hangar doors]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading about Aircraft. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[Diana Solomon]

Can anyone tell me what the symbols on the B 52's that carried and dropped the X15 are. There is B52 sitting in Hickham AFB right now with 3 symbols of the x15 one nose down one nose up and one nose stright. We were wondering if this stands for the 3 flights and the condition at the end of the 3 flights. Maybe someone out there has a Father or a Grandfather who flew or was crew. Thanks

[Steeljaw Scribe]

A little more Buff Love: http://photos1.blogger.com/photoInclude/blogger/3091/1295/1600/F-14-B-52.jpg
Ditto: http://steeljawscribe.com/2006/11/16/flightdeck-friday-the-project-valour-it-challenge

- SJS

[SJBill]

I recall a Tu-16 with similar proclivities, but a different outcome, involving the USS Essex.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=l3bijF2--os

Sorry 'bout that, Ivan!