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The B-52 Stratofortress, nicknamed the “BUFF,” is the world’s most feared nuclear bomber. Built during the Cold War, the B-52 has remained in active service for over 70 years and is still a vital part of the US Air Force’s strategic bomber fleet.
With its long-range, nuclear strike capability, and massive payload, the B-52 is a true legend of military aviation. Even in 2025, this nuclear-capable giant continues to dominate the skies and symbolize US air power.
Watch this video to discover why the B-52 remains the world’s most feared nuclear bomber and how it has adapted to modern warfare.
The B-52 is one of the most iconic and intimidating aircraft ever built. It’s been flying for over 70 years, has the capability to deliver nuclear weapons anywhere in the world, and it’s still a critical part of the U.S. Air Force’s mission today.
In this documentary, I traveled to Barksdale Air Force Base to get an exclusive look inside the world of the B-52 Stratofortress. From walking through the cockpit and weapons bay to flying on a simulated bomb run, I got as close as you can get to understanding what this jet is truly capable of.
#B52 #Stratofortress #USAirForce #NuclearBomber #MilitaryAviation #BomberAircraft #USMilitaryPower #AirForce2025 #ColdWarBomber #WarMachines
With its long-range, nuclear strike capability, and massive payload, the B-52 is a true legend of military aviation. Even in 2025, this nuclear-capable giant continues to dominate the skies and symbolize US air power.
Watch this video to discover why the B-52 remains the world’s most feared nuclear bomber and how it has adapted to modern warfare.
The B-52 is one of the most iconic and intimidating aircraft ever built. It’s been flying for over 70 years, has the capability to deliver nuclear weapons anywhere in the world, and it’s still a critical part of the U.S. Air Force’s mission today.
In this documentary, I traveled to Barksdale Air Force Base to get an exclusive look inside the world of the B-52 Stratofortress. From walking through the cockpit and weapons bay to flying on a simulated bomb run, I got as close as you can get to understanding what this jet is truly capable of.
#B52 #Stratofortress #USAirForce #NuclearBomber #MilitaryAviation #BomberAircraft #USMilitaryPower #AirForce2025 #ColdWarBomber #WarMachines
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TechTranscript
00:00I'm sitting inside the cockpit of a B-52 Stratofortress, a nuclear-capable bomber flown by the United States Air Force.
00:17Right now we're getting set up for a bomb run, and any second we'll be dropping four BDU-50s directly over our target.
00:23This is as close as it gets to witnessing the sheer strength and precision of one of the most powerful bombers in history.
00:40In the world of military aviation, many aircraft come and go, designed for a specific era only to be replaced with something newer, faster, or more advanced.
00:49Very few last for generations, but the B-52 is almost immortal.
00:56The B-52 is a long-range, high-altitude strategic bomber.
01:00It's capable of flying up to 50,000 feet at subsonic speeds carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads in order to support U.S. national directives.
01:12It was built for a nuclear war that never happened. It's outlasted the very aircraft designed to replace it.
01:17Before men walked on the moon, before color television was mainstream, this bomber has been flying missions all across the globe.
01:25And today, the B-52 remains one of the most lethal and feared aircraft in the world.
01:30So that brings me here to Barksdale Air Force Base, home of the B-52 Stratofortress, where we've been given special permission to go behind the scenes of this legendary aircraft.
01:44We'll be meeting the pilots, the crew, and the unsung heroes who allow this aircraft to fly, capping off with a final mission.
01:51A flight inside the B-52 to experience what makes this bomber so unstoppable.
01:56Do you feel a blowin' air anywhere on your face?
01:5921 to 22, expected performance.
02:013-0-2-1, and stand-by and check-up.
02:064-0-2-1, and stand-by and check-up!
02:11That checklist for brakes!
02:12Check!
02:13Flat lever.
02:14Down.
02:151,300 feet on this 1519 DC.
02:19Come at about 16.8.
02:22Down.
02:24How do you balance?
02:25That's wrong?
02:27Brand stick.
02:28Airborne.
02:29Brakes!
02:30Now, to really understand the B-52 and its significance, you have to go back, way back
02:37to the late 1940s when after World War II, the Air Force denounced the need for a new
02:42long-range bomber capable of carrying out its missions without relying on foreign bases
02:47and airfields to land and resupply.
02:49You have to remember, at the time, the United States was entering into the Cold War, we
02:53needed a bomber capable of flying long-durations carrying nuclear weapons to counter the Soviet
02:59threat.
03:00Boeing, who at the time had dominated the production of heavy bombers with aircraft
03:03like the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Super Fortress, unveiled their prototype for their
03:08new long-range bomber in 1952, coincidentally nicknaming it the YB-52.
03:14On the YB-52, only the front landing gear is steerable.
03:18Its maximum takeoff weight is in the neighborhood.
03:20This prototype featured a tandem cockpit.
03:22A tandem seating arrangement for the pilot.
03:24Pilots sitting front to back instead of side by side, was also missing a few vital capabilities
03:29such as aerial refueling that would later be added.
03:31After three years of additional testing and modifications, the first B-52 was delivered
03:35to the Air Force in 1955.
03:37And in 1962, in a span of just seven years, 744 B-52s were built and delivered.
03:44And we worked every day as though we were at war.
03:47Today, there are roughly 75 B-52s still in active service, with the youngest being around
03:5263 years old.
03:54Now, there's a lot of modernization that's going into keeping these aircraft still actively
03:58flying.
03:59They're getting new engines, new navigational capabilities, new communication capabilities,
04:04new weapon capabilities.
04:05All of these will come together to extend the lifespan of the B-52 well into the 2050s, giving
04:11the aircraft a service life over 100 years.
04:14So, my first reaction when seeing the B-52 up close is that this thing is massive, like
04:23truly massive.
04:25What's it like for you to just walk up to this thing every day?
04:27Yeah, it really is rewarding to walk up to this.
04:30It's a piece of history.
04:31I mean, you have this massive, nuclear-capable bomber.
04:34You're looking at it 180 feet from wingtip to wingtip as I approach this thing, 140 feet
04:38in length.
04:39I mean, it's a three-story tall aircraft.
04:41It is truly humbling.
04:43Now, the B-52's official name is the Stratofortress, right?
04:47But I heard you guys refer to it by its nickname, the Buff.
04:50Do you want to break down what that stands for?
04:52That's right.
04:53The B-52 affectionately referred to as those who fly it as the Buff, the big, ugly, fat
04:58fellow.
04:59When you hear the B-52 described as one of the most powerful bombers in the world,
05:05because of how it integrates into the nuclear triad, it truly is.
05:08The triad is designed to ensure nuclear deterrence by providing three different ways to launch
05:13a nuclear strike—by air, by land, or by sea—making it virtually impossible for an enemy to eliminate
05:19all of them in a single strike.
05:20There are land-based, intercontinental ballistic missiles, there are submarine-launched ballistic
05:26missiles, and then there are nuclear-capable bombers.
05:29The B-52 is a very flexible, invisible representation of the U.S. nuclear deterrent so that we can
05:35reassure both our allies and deter our adversaries from ever taking an act of aggression against
05:41weapons.
05:42So as you'll see here, this is the bomb bay of the B-52, or the business end of the bomber
05:46as we like to call it.
05:47In total, the bomber can carry up to 70,000 pounds of weapon.
05:51That's not just here in the bomb bay.
05:54One of the greatest features of it is that we can expand, and on our left and our right
05:58wings, there are pylons where we can mount a considerable number of weapons as well.
06:03So unlike modern stealth bombers like the B-2 and soon-to-be B-21, the B-52 isn't sneaking
06:09into enemy territory to drop its ordnance, but it's still used.
06:13So what are the main advantages this platform has over modern bombers?
06:16That's right.
06:17Yeah, the B-52, it has that vast array of weapons that it can carry, and any number of configurations
06:23we can carry, up to 70,000 pounds of weapons.
06:26So you have not only the capacity, but the quantity of the weapons that you can carry as well.
06:33The B-52 has been around for 60-plus years, and when you think about that, we don't have
06:38to maintain the same level of stealth capability that more modern bomber aircraft are, making
06:44it much more affordable to fly.
06:47Because the Stratofortress was designed as a nuclear deterrent during the Cold War, it
06:50wasn't originally intended for conventional warfare.
06:55From 1961 to 1968, in what was known as Operation Chrome Dome, nuclear-armed B-52s were flying
07:02for 24 hours a day, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
07:05Roger Crow, this is it.
07:07We're going in.
07:09But by the mid-1960s, with the introduction of one of the most controversial wars in American
07:13history, the B-52's mission evolved, and its impact became undeniable.
07:17In 1965, during the height of the Vietnam War, the B-52 became central to air operations, and
07:27by the end of the war, had dropped more ordnance over Southeast Asia than the total amount dropped
07:32by all countries in World War II combined.
07:36In 1972, Operation Linebacker became one of the final bombing campaigns of the war.
07:41Over 200 B-52 bombers flew 730 missions over an 11-day period, aiming to push for negotiations
07:49that would lead to the United States withdrawal from the Vietnam War.
07:52When a lot of people think World War II and bombers, they think about the ball turrets that
07:57existed at the time.
07:58Being a gunner is an exciting and rewarding duty.
08:01If you want to fly…
08:02What a lot of people don't realize is that the B-52, from its inception, it also operated
08:07a tail machine gun.
08:08We had a tail gunner who was physically…
08:11It was a quad-50 caliber machine gun that required a gunner to crawl from the crew compartment
08:17all the way through the aircraft in flight to the tail section for their combat operations.
08:22In 1991, the Air Force decided to do away with the tail gun, and they modified all existing
08:27B-52s at that time so that it represents the modern bomber that we have today.
08:37The B-52 isn't just an iconic military aircraft, it's also deeply embedded within pop culture
08:43as well.
08:44I took myself to the sea of dreams, stayed up late to walk the streets…
08:50From classic films like Dr. Strangelove, where a B-52 crew embarks on a rogue nuclear mission,
08:55to the band the B-52s, known for songs like Love Shack and Rock Lobster.
08:59Even the popular 1960s beehive hairstyle was nicknamed the B-52, because it resembled the iconic
09:05nose cone on the B-52 bomber.
09:08The wings themselves, they actually sit about six degrees angled above the fuselage of the
09:13aircraft.
09:14So what that transitions to in flight is as the aircraft flying around, the wing is parallel
09:20to the ground, which puts the fuselage actually angled slightly downwards, looking like the
09:25aircraft's almost flying at you.
09:27Now right underneath the wings, the iconic B-52 engines, the twin pods, forever linked
09:33to this aircraft, I mean, talk to us about the performance of these things.
09:37That's right.
09:38Each of these engines, a single TF-33 is producing 17,000 pounds of thrust.
09:43The B-52, to my knowledge, is the only aircraft in the entire world operating with eight engines
09:48currently.
09:49So from a pilot perspective, is that pretty comforting when you're up there knowing you've
09:53got eight engines?
09:54It's a fantastic feeling, yeah.
09:55If you start having trouble with one of your engines, I'm a lot less concerned if I do
09:59have to shut it down.
10:00It's definitely rare to see an aircraft flying with basically the same engines for
10:05the last 60 years, but as we've learned, the B-52 is rather unique.
10:10While you might think you could just swap out the four twin pods with newer engines like
10:14we see on today's commercial airliners, because of the aircraft's overall design, they just
10:18wouldn't fit and would cause issues with ground clearance.
10:20However, with the Air Force's plan to continue flying this jet well into the 2050s, there is
10:25a massive engine upgrade plan in the works, and what will ultimately be designated as
10:29the B-52J.
10:32So the standard crew on the B-52 is five individuals.
10:39Your two pilots, two weapons systems officers, and your electronic warfare officer.
10:43A position the Air Force is planning on consolidating in the near future, which will bring the crew
10:47from five down to four.
10:49Now, I'm currently on the upper level of the B-52's double-deck crew compartment, and the
10:54design was made to allow the bomb bay to have as much space as possible, while also allowing
10:59the ejection seats to operate effectively.
11:02Now, here in the B-52, the pilots actually eject upwards, and the weapons systems officers
11:07down below eject downwards.
11:08And other than that, really just room for the necessities.
11:12There's a single bunk here, where you can lie down on long flights, an easy-bake oven
11:16to heat up food as well.
11:17If you're wondering if there is a toilet, there is, or rather more of a funnel, but come
11:23on, she's a 60-year-old airplane, we can cut her a little slack.
11:26All right, welcome to the B-52 cockpit.
11:32This is my office in the sky right here.
11:34As you'll notice immediately, everything's kind of analog.
11:38It's done intentionally, right?
11:39You have to think about why the B-52 was designed.
11:41It was designed for nuclear war.
11:42It has to withstand an EMP.
11:44So a lot of these instruments haven't been modernized in the history of the aircraft,
11:50because one, we know it works, and two, we know it'll work with a nuclear detonation
11:54in the background.
11:55You also notice our famous eight fans of freedom right here.
11:58We have eight engines right here.
12:00Every single one, we can control them individually right there.
12:03In order to monitor those, we have this stack of instruments going across the center of the
12:09instrument gauge right here so that both pilots are able to monitor their engine status throughout
12:15the flight.
12:16Another popular item a lot of people ask about in the B-52 is the crosswind crab.
12:21Well that is right here.
12:23Pilots will take that.
12:24If we need to land with a heavy crosswind, we can physically swivel our landing gear off
12:30of the nose of the aircraft so that with my low-hanging wings, I don't strike a wing
12:36or an engine pod as I try to land the aircraft.
12:38So I can take that and physically twist in a different landing gear heading.
12:44And I know to drop the ordnance, that's done from down below.
12:48But do you guys have a consent switch up here to make sure it's all approved before something
12:52drops?
12:53Yeah, that's right.
12:54The pilots have the ability, we do call it a munition consent switch.
12:58I can unlock that given the radar navigator, the authority to release the weapons.
13:02And if need be, I can also pre-arm a nuclear strike from up here.
13:06All right, heading down now to the lower deck of the B-52.
13:10And one thing I was wondering is whether or not there was a way to actually access the
13:14bomb bay during flight.
13:16And it turns out there is.
13:17It involves opening this hatch right here, crawling through this tiny opening onto the
13:23catwalk, through the wheel well, and then into the bomb bay.
13:26And if you're doing that during flight, you better be wearing a parachute.
13:30Inbound course is a 1, 2, 5, plus or minus 10 degrees.
13:34So the role of a weapon systems officer or a WIZO is to control all of the navigation weapons
13:39and communication equipment on the jet.
13:41It's everything other than fly the jet.
13:43Crew, 30 seconds to release, we are auto-unlocked.
13:48The WIZO will handle all of the weapon-earing, all of the management of the weapons themselves,
13:54and actually actuating the buttons, or the pickle switch, right, to release those weapons.
13:59Standing by release authority, crew, cleared hot.
14:02Downstairs, you have the two WIZOs.
14:04On the right side is the navigator, who's typically the more junior of the offense compartment.
14:09And on the left seat is the radar navigator, who's going to be the more senior.
14:13The reason they're the more senior is because they control the radar and all of the weapons,
14:17as well as the targeting pod.
14:18So the first thing I noticed when I sat down here is there's no windows.
14:26What's that like for you on 30-hour-plus sorties, not knowing whether it's light or dark?
14:32It is exhausting.
14:33Yeah, it's exhausting.
14:34A lot of WIZOs, particularly new to the aircraft, have a difficult time with sort of feeling spatially
14:40disoriented or with air sickness in particular.
14:44That's something that through exposure can sort of get trained out of you.
14:48And most of our students or most B-52 crew members end up overcoming that hurdle relatively
14:54quickly.
14:55There's a bunk upstairs.
14:56Some people find places to hang hammocks.
14:58Some people spread out all the bags and cushions and lay down on the floor.
15:04Staying hydrated is a very important part as well to keep the air sickness at bay.
15:09Yeah.
15:10Now, when I said the crew of the B-52 includes the pilot, co-pilot, and WIZOs, that wasn't
15:16entirely true.
15:17When you have a 60-year-old aircraft weighing 185,000 pounds, it takes a lot more than just
15:23brakes to stop it upon landing.
15:25Because the B-52 does not have thrust reversers, it deploys a drag chute out the back to help
15:30slow it down, while also minimizing wear and tear on the brake system.
15:34Part of that work starts right here at the parachute shop.
15:38So, the B-52 will land.
15:41They will pop their drag chute.
15:43Maintainers will literally drag it across the flight line, getting in all disgusting.
15:47They'll roll it up in a ball of mess, and then they'll literally drop it off right at
15:51our doorstep.
15:52We drag it in, we start untangling it.
15:54It is 90 feet long, 185 pounds, it has 48 suspension lines and 48 goers.
16:00So I've seen riggers pack normal parachutes, right, like the pilots wear when they eject,
16:04but nothing like this.
16:05I mean, this is what, like 10 times the size?
16:06Yeah.
16:07Oh, yeah.
16:08Is it a pretty tedious process, making sure this is packed away?
16:10It's pretty easy.
16:11It's just a workout.
16:13It's very labor-intensive.
16:15We literally just stuff, and jump on it, and do everything we can to fit it into the bag.
16:25So from start to finish, how long does it take to pack this?
16:27Depending on the repairs, it can take up to 30 to 45 minutes.
16:30That's pretty fast.
16:31Oh, yeah.
16:42Not very graceful.
16:45You might have to grab a little bit more, because it's all coming out.
16:48I feel like I made that worse.
16:51So this is it, the completed 185-pound drag chute for the B-52, and after this, it goes
16:57to what?
16:58Get installed in the back of the aircraft?
16:59Yes, it does.
17:00The little things you don't think about.
17:01All the work that goes behind the scenes to get one of these aircraft safely landing.
17:05Welcome to the 307 Munitions Assembly Operations Bay.
17:12Here, this is where we would build all the ordnance you may find loaded onto a B-52.
17:16So walk me through all the different ordnance and bombs that actually can be dropped from
17:21the B-52, because I know there's a lot, right?
17:22We have plenty.
17:23Today, we're going to be building the GB-31 version 1, but we also have the version 3,
17:26the 56, the 54, the 38, 12.
17:30We also have cluster bomb units.
17:32We have missiles and a plethora of others.
17:34Ready?
17:35Yeah.
17:36So being a crew chief on a B-52, people compare it a lot to being a Jiffy Lube mechanic, right?
17:51So we do tires, brakes, oil, but we also do the inspections on aircraft.
17:55All right.
17:56Ready?
17:57Slide it in.
17:58First, we're going to have to tie these down.
18:01We're going to get our line delivery section to come down here, hook up with the bobtail.
18:05They're going to take it wherever it needs to go, whether it be storage or directly to
18:08the aircraft.
18:09I would do it like that.
18:14Okay.
18:15People have worked on this plane for years and years, and being able to work on something
18:20with this much heritage means a lot to me.
18:29Now one of the most interesting aspects of the mission we're flying today is that the
18:32crew is comprised of both active duty and Air Force reservists.
18:36If you haven't heard of the reserve, it's a unique opportunity that allows you to serve
18:39your country part-time, where you can also maintain a career in the civilian world as
18:43well.
18:50I thoroughly enjoyed my time on active duty, but the reserves is like a choose-your-own adventure.
18:56What that allowed for me and my family is more predictable time at home, and also, I love
19:01to fly, and I love to teach.
19:03So I get to do as much of that as I want to do.
19:05Students would practice too, here's what the B-50 students are capable of.
19:08The 307th Bomb Wing here at Barksdale Air Force Base is pretty unique in that it allows
19:12airmen to work or fly on aircraft like the B-52, while also maintaining status as a reservist,
19:17giving them flexibility to stay in a location they call home, as well as tons of other benefits,
19:22such as healthcare and tuition assistance.
19:28The biggest advantages would be I was able to go back to school.
19:32I was starting a family at that time, so it allowed me the opportunity to stay where I
19:36was at and bed down and create a lot for myself.
19:41If you're interested in applying for the reserve or learning more about the career fields that
19:44are offered, you can visit airforce.com slash reserve or visit the link down in the description
19:49below.
19:52All right, so we've covered the history, learned from the pilots and crew, and got an up-close
19:55look at maintenance, munitions, and some of the support team, meaning at this point, I
19:59think we're just about ready to get geared up for a flight in the mighty buff.
20:03Now this isn't going to be your ordinary training flight, because as you can see behind me, maintenance
20:08is currently loading four BDU-50s so that we can go out to the range and conduct an actual
20:13bomb run.
20:14We're talking about one of the most powerful bombers in American history, loaded up to give us a taste
20:19of why it's been the backbone of American air power for the last six decades.
20:23I hope you're ready for this one, because it should be pretty fun.
20:2621 to 22, expected to be flying speed down.
20:31Our normal B-52 ground operations, because of the complexity of all of our systems, we plan
20:36for about an hour and 40 minutes of checking systems before we actually exit the runway.
20:41But when we really need to get off the runway quickly, then they also developed the B-52
20:50to have the capability to do cartridge starts.
20:53So that's where we would introduce an eight-inch cartridge, it's like a shotgun shell, into
20:57the back of each of the engines.
20:59And with a simple flip of a switch, and we're starting all engines immediately, and we're
21:04ready to taxi in a very low single-digit number of minutes.
21:08You guys can tie up any loose ends until then or drop the kids off the floor.
21:12Great.
21:13It truly is an honor being able to take this aircraft up, fly it around, knowing what it
21:16is capable of, knowing that you are trained and equipped to execute that mission if you
21:21truly have to, but also very thankful that nobody has been asked to ever do such a thing
21:27in this aircraft before.
21:30The lap check is to brakes.
21:32Check.
21:33Flap lever.
21:34Down.
21:35We train often for the nuclear mission so that we're proficient, but we hope that we
21:39never have to use it.
21:40Clear left to the left.
21:42Clear right to the left.
21:43Deep to the right.
21:44Offense, let's go.
21:45Boom.
21:46That way, I don't know.
21:47You don't know.
21:48We don't know that you can't wait for it.
21:49Oh no.
21:50A little bit.
21:51You can't see it.
21:52Let's go.
21:53That way, you can't see it.
21:54There we go.
21:55You can't see it.
21:56Yeah.
21:57exploring.
21:58Cool, go ahead.
21:59That way.
22:00Oh no.
22:01Yeah.
22:02I can't see it.
22:03I'm so sorry.
22:04I can't see it.
22:05I can't see it.
22:06I can't see it.
22:07But.
22:08The time is going.
22:09You can see it.
22:10Oh no.
22:11You can see it.
22:12You can see it.
22:13I can see it.
22:14i guess all this gear is just second nature to you guys at this point like it's so overwhelming
22:25for the first time flyer yeah and fortunately or unfortunately we're very used to checking each
22:31other over because when we're flying with the brand new guys that's that's like step one on
22:35the dollar ride they're like we got one goal have fun goal two strap in correctly unstrap correctly
22:41every time now one thing you might have already noticed is that even though the b-52 is a bomber
22:46and not a fighter jet the crew is still required to wear helmets and oxygen masks during what they
22:51call critical phases of flight as a combat coded aircraft we're equipped with ejection seats much
22:56like the b-1 is also a large aircraft that's combat coded they would have an increased need for the
23:01ability to egress the aircraft if they were to receive any type of damage depending on what phase
23:06of flight we were in that meant taking off my parachute removing my helmet oxygen mask visor
23:11in flight gloves and then putting everything right back on i probably did this over a dozen times
23:16and because of how cramped the crew compartment is with really no room to stand up straight
23:20definitely makes things even more challenging you're doing so much up here while having to think
23:24about this it's just it's a lot it's impressive not a lot of automation on this
23:30and i've heard the b-52 is one of the hardest aircraft aerial refueling is that is that true
23:40yeah i haven't tried refueling anything else but from what i hear it is definitely one of the most
23:47difficult and then one other challenge for us is that it's not something that you can easily practice
23:53in our simulator so all of our practice generally comes from hands-on in the aircraft the b-52
24:00typically burns about 20 000 pounds of fuel per hour and each one of those hours is going to get us
24:05somewhere between 400 and 500 miles adding aerial refueling virtually makes this limitless the only
24:11thing that's going to prevent the b-52 from continuously flying is the endurance of the crew itself
24:24one of the awesome recent benefits is we started doing virtual reality simulators with the b-52
24:31air fueling and that's really helped the students out a lot
24:33so right here you can actually start to break out towards the forward toward part of the tanker's
24:44underside right there there's a white line there's a little antenna that bisects it
24:48and that's a visual representation representation for the receivers that you're on about a 30 degree
24:53azimuth on the rear of the tanker i just slowly move forward almost like a walking pace it's only a
25:00couple feet in reality as we move into that envelope we should be able to park it right here he can
25:07reach overhead and he can plug our aircraft now ideally i just hold the center of this envelope for
25:15whatever period of time it takes to air refuel depending on what you're tasked to do you could
25:21be taken on anywhere from just a couple thousand pounds to i've seen as much as 120 000 pounds in a
25:27single air refueling at about six thousand pounds of fuel per minute it can take about
25:35they could take about 20 minutes or so in contact just to get the fuel right there wow
25:39for you do you have a sam echo on board sure do very cool got a couple fans on board
25:54uh hey sam say hi hey guys this is sam don't tell the b-52 crew but the 135 uh is my favorite
26:03airplane that's what we like to hear girl thanks for helping us out anytime glad to help
26:16once aerial refueling was complete and the tanker crew cleared off we began to plot a course for the
26:21bomb range where we would soon be conducting our training run but as i sat there in the instructor
26:25pilot seat of one of the most powerful bombers in history there was one thought i just couldn't
26:30shake from my mind a thought that kept creeping back in what would things feel like in a real mission
26:35with actual nuclear weapons loaded up on the b-52 and for the crew what must feel like the weight of
26:41the world on their shoulders in high stakes moments like these you'd expect every measure to be in
26:45place ensuring the crew's safety down to the smallest detail and as it turns out there is one
26:51incredibly unique piece of equipment one that most people don't even know exists
27:01if we're a nuclear mission one of our threats is a nuclear detonation
27:04and flash blindness so one of the things that b-52 crew dog uses plisits stands for polarized lead
27:11lanthanum zirconium titanate these goggles that we'd wear to protect ourselves from flash blindness
27:16so even if you had a nuclear detonation 150 miles away that could cause flash blindness up to 30
27:22seconds and the closer you get the more it's going to damage the eyes to the point where you might not
27:27even be able to see because of the material these goggles are made from the lenses can darken within
27:32milliseconds of detecting a nuclear flash providing instantaneous protection and because they're fully
27:37integrated into the pilot's helmet system it ensures that the crew can focus on the mission instead
27:42of worrying about their vision in a worst case scenario the first time i saw those pleasant goggles it
27:46looks so dystopian what's it like for you the first time you put them on yeah it's surreal putting those
27:53things on uh the the visibility is relatively poor out of them but at the end of the day i certainly trust
28:04that they're going to be able to block out the light faster than i can so that i'm able to continue
28:08flying this aircraft with a nuclear detonation in the background and the goal is to hopefully never
28:13have to wear them right that's right b-52 has four different types of descent profiles that we can do
28:19the speed down is something that we use when we need to get to a low altitude environment as quickly as
28:24possible whenever it's called for on the crew or the pilot decides to do a speed down they'll pull the
28:30throttles to idle and pull our air brakes up to maximum immediately push the nose over in our
28:36case 20 degrees nose low to get into the low altitude environment strapped in strapped in and ready
28:43here we go send it
28:49three six breaks two
28:52our speed down maneuver definitely caught me a little off guard the last time i did something
29:01similar to this was in our c17 video when we did a tactical descent and i think i got a little too
29:06comfortable assuming this was a bomber that didn't have that much maneuverability all right
29:11altimeter's set now three zero one seven cutting the speed back through energy roger punch through the
29:18clouds well boy was i wrong because as soon as the pilots initiated the speed down going to around
29:24a thousand feet agl i was practically floating out of my seat a very similar feeling to the c17
29:31offense you're ready for a right hand turn for the dry pass excuse me offense affirmative
29:47for our bomb run today we're employing bdu 50s which is an inert version of a 500 pound mark 82
29:54there's no explosion for these which allows us to train in a number of different air spaces
29:59that don't restrict us from high explosive weapons one of the most challenging things to drop
30:04is an unguided bdu 50 or mark 82. requires a lot of precision both in altitude airspeed and especially
30:12heading to the order of tenths of a degree of precision all right so i'm now down here in the
30:18wizzo compartment this is where the show pretty much happens during any sort of live drop now i'll show you
30:24this cool screen they have that actually lets you sort of see the actual impact uh of the ordinance so
30:32that's a pretty cool station you got yeah thanks yeah we're we've got uh good fusion going on here
30:38between the radar screen our moving map and then the uh targeting pod mfcd as well
30:44you're roger for line six i got whiskey quebec three three eight four seven four nine six zero seven
30:55no mark east one two two four meters you respect overhead very many march restrictions
31:00go off the black hat zero clear hot stop back please all right cleared half two one release
31:11weapon away switch is safe
31:15splash oh close 15 foot i remember the first time hearing that the miss was i think 15 feet or so to
31:25the left which is kind of funny because in a real world environment firing like a mark 82
31:29missing by 15 feet would definitely still accomplish the objective but for our crew flying they're
31:35chasing at perfection so they want nothing other than a direct hit all right crew rinse and repeat of
31:40the last one uh any questions negative nope sweet that's tv go this next one is right too did you pass that
31:51hey affirmative sweet thanks
31:56and crew that was a 15 foot miss by the way 15 whole feet we can do better yeah
32:04is every single weapon that you feel pushing off of the aircraft it's going to cause just a tiny
32:09little bit of bank as you start to feel those things plink off stem and release thanks level
32:15smoky one roger squad zero three three zero
32:20two one release off hot eight seconds switch is safe clear maneuver
32:29roger
32:30it's a team effort and hearing everything go down on comms and then seeing it in person
32:54it's pretty neat
33:15drop the gear roger flaps hundred percent lever down pilot hundred percent lever down co
33:20so 165 165 165 165 thank you support the bombers the bombers would have to be refueled at least once
33:30usually twice while they're up on the north field on the north front
33:34installation and everything in here was as it was when they first started flying 56
33:41well that's definitely one for the books the mighty b-52 stratofortress this thing first flew over 70
34:06years ago and all these years later it's still doing its job
34:12but it's not just about the airplane it's about the people the mission the crew and everyone who
34:17comes together to work on a platform like this to barksell air force base thank you so much for
34:22having me i hope you guys enjoyed coming along for this ride and that's it from here with the mighty b-52
34:27buff i'll catch you next time
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