No photo description available. Like the Arc Light strikes of Vietnam, Iraqi forces on the ground could not hear or see B-52s before they struck. After extensive renovations, the "BAFB Exhibition", at the former Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base, is open for business. Fifteen B-52s were lost during the 1972 Linebacker II Christmas bombings and three of those B-52s originated from the 97th Bombardment Wing assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base; B 52G 58-0201 "Charcoal 1" went down on the 18th, B 52G 58-0198 "Olive 1" and B 52G 58-0169 "Tan 3" were shot down on the 21st. The aircraft was set on course to Boeings headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. Today, "Valkyrie" still wears her 1991-era SIOP camouflage and a SAC badge on the nose; the nose art is on the port side. With the end of the war the base was closed, only to be reopened 15 July 1955 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base which was home to B-57 and B-52 . NUMBER BUILT: Douglas built a total of 10,047 C-47s and derivatives. 3 items. Located on the former Eaker Air Force Base (also known as Blytheville Air Force Base), a few blocks inside the west gate. Owners of said buildings had big ambitions to renovate and repurpose the old buildings, but either plans never took off or money was tight. This had the added benefit of giving the gunner an ejection seat, eliminating the need for a manual bailout system. 6 'Cat And Mouse' UFO Chase Over Cannon AFB January 1976. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. In 1988, the based was renamed to honor World War II General, Ira C. Eaker. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. Buy None was a no notice operational exercise conducted in 1989. The current BAFB Exhibit is housed in the former B52 crew briefing building, and will continue to be an exhibit. In 2020, both Arkansas senators proposed a bill to designate the museum in Blytheville. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. Unbeknownst to the crew, over seventy percent of the vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly had been sheared off. Finally, again to save weight, the tail gunner position was eliminated in favor of a remote-controlled barbette, with the gunner moved forward to the crew compartment. This increased the B-52Gs range over earlier B-52s, though it also added considerable weightone reason why the tail was shortened; to help the heavy bomber get off the ground, the water-injection system already present was increased. Explore. At Mildenhall. Tom Sylvester used to look up at the sky above Blytheville in the 1970s, watch the planes fly out of the nearby Air Force base and dream about being able to glide among the clouds. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. The population suffered as well. Suggest edits to improve what we show. Description based on: Vol. Building 1225, will be added to the collection of buildings as part of the future National Cold War Center. School trips were to other countries LOL. I was stationed at this base in 1972-1976 and worked in the 97th Supply Squadron which is one of the large buildings located near the center of the photo. As I recall, crew members were typically on alert for 10 days of every month. Arkansas had six Army airfields. 326th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 21 July 1942-30 April 1944 2111th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-16 June 1945 Became Blytheville Air Force Base / Eaker Air Force Base (1951-1992) Now: Arkansas International Airport (IATA: BYH, ICAO: KBYH, FAA LID: BYH) (1992-Present) Newport Army Air Field, 6 miles northeast of Newport It is a peculiarly shaped building, like the rest of the buildings on the base. It is planned to be its own exhibit within the system of buildings. 732 of the aircraft were specifically aerial tankers. Powerplant: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp, 14-cylinder radial air-cooled engines, 1,200 horsepower each. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "blythevilleairforcebase" Flickr tag. I never earned Air Force Wings, the wings that appear in the photo are those of the Commemorative Air Force of which I am a member. The first DC-3s were ordered by the USAAF in 1941 under the designation C-47, but there was no way to predict that simple designation would become a legend, that over 10,000 would be built and that the plane would be listed by General Dwight Eisenhower as one of the four pieces of equipment most vital to our success in Africa and Europe. There were countless modifications to the C-47 fleet, some taking place at the factory and some in the field. On January 11th, during Agile Combat Employment training exercises performed by the U.S. Air Force at Eaker Air Force Base, work had begun on the restoration process of Building 1225. VetFriends.com helps reunite veterans from the Air Force daily. 58-0183 joined the USAF and the 4135th Strategic Wing, based at Eglin AFB, Florida; the 4135th oversaw several B-52 squadrons dispersed over the American Southeast to lessen their chance of being caught on the ground by a Soviet nuclear strike. for another radio code that would tell him to turn around. Would love hear your stories or your thoughts. Thanks to Dave Howell for posting this photo of Miss Piggy and her crew. My Heritage. MEMORIES. [1], The base closure cost the community over 700 civilian jobs, but half of these were recovered through the adaptive reuse of the former base, such as United States Post Office's utilization of the base in the late 1990s as an airport hub during the holidays, some of the base housing being converted by Westminster Village of the Mid-South for a retirement community, the construction of a $2.5 million sports complex by the local community, and the private investment of some $3 million for the creation of the Thunder Bayou Golf Course. The 2nd Bombardment Wing (H) at Barksdale AFB acquired the plane a second time in February 1987. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. On January 23rd, 2022, it was announced that the former dorms would be demolished. "Valkyrie" shows one of Norse mythology's legendary "choosers of the slain" in full armor on horseback, with her shield a SAC emblem and carrying SAC's red lightning bolts in her other hand--which is pretty inventive. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. The communication building of the 97th Bombardment Wing is in terrible condition as well. Airport information, from map to hotels to aeronautical information. Businesses have come and go, but the wear and tear of Mother Nature and Father time have taken their toll on many buildings on base. Washington -- Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas, the "National Cold War Center." The Eaker base opened in 1942 as a World War II advanced pilot training school, and later became an alert center during the Cold War. Originally Blytheville Air Force Base, the base's official name was changed in 1988 to honor air pioneer and commander of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during World War II, Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker. Contributions to PAs Most Endangered List, National Register of Historic Places (Jan, 26th 2018). Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. The United States no longer needed bombers and fuel-tankers to be on 24/7 alert. Communism had shriveled in the world. A bomber crew from Blytheville were among the first shot down during Operation Linebacker II, a December 1972 mission targeting complexes in North Vietnam. Touch . No photo description available. The USAF Thunderbirds flew the F-4E Phantom II from 1969 until Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the October 1973 fuel crisis. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978. Usaf Academy, CO 80840-1307 Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3732 Warrensburg, MO 64093-9357 This is a photoshopped 1972 Suzuki Brochure that I have transposed my face over the riders face. The 17th Bombardment Wing (H) at Anderson AB was this aircraft's next duty station, arriving there in January 1973. My other picture of "Valkyrie" was taken from the right side, but the other day I realized I had never posted the picture of the aircraft's nose art. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. It launched rescue missions from the base to Grenada in 1983 and in August 1990, the pilots of the 97th Bomber Wing began practicing for missions in the Middle East and eventually supported Operation Desert Storm. During WWII, my Dad and his best friend, John Whittington, would go to the base (teenagers) and work. On a Bravo alert, while taxiing the aircraft, the pilot was waiting (and hoping!) May be an image of text that says 'David Pride 2000' No photo description available. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. The 1980s saw something of a resurgence--oddly enough, mostly among Strategic Air Command units. This VC-47D had been assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Blytheville air force base photos. The B-52 had 8 engines but the two AGM-28 engines could also be used for take off and getting up to altitude. Arkansas Razorbacks. [1], In 1988, the U.S. Air Force officially renamed Blytheville AFB to Eaker AFB in commemoration of World War II General Ira Eaker, the former commander of the 8th Air Force. 18 (Feb. 26, 1904). They also tended, in some cases, to be far more raunchy than even World War II or Korean nose art even dared--one popular one was to show a heavily pregnant Lucy Van Pelt from "Peanuts" screaming "Damn you, Charlie Brown!" My USAF service had no connection to the Thunderbirds other than Juliet and I saw this Thunderbird perform at Blytheville Air Force Base Oct 25 1972. In any case, out of a sense of history and because commanders were now favorable to the idea, nose art began to return, though the USAF was very careful to ensure any "painted ladies" to have nothing more risque than bikinis. B52 for his quick thinking, response to a crisis, and heroic duties. See original furniture from the famous alert compound, pictures, uniforms & other memorabilia including a . "A B52 with a full nuclear payload, is the seventh most powerful country in the world.". Blytheville AFB was created in 1942 as a location for pilot training, originally named Blytheville Army Airfield. Military. It seemed like every morning at 5:00 AM the flight line maintenance crews would fire up some of the airplanes engines. On the evening in question, Bruce was working for a local radio station, performing tests on their transmitters. The aircraft in question was tail number 61-0023. Yes we grew up overseas and only went to Department of Defense Schools but it was amazing. The nine surviving jets are scattered from coast to coast most of them restored and on display. In July 1991, she was retired, and as one of the Secret Squirrel aircraft, was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum immediately. Dental Clinic. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. Capt. At the former Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, now Arkansas International Airport, Delta Air Lines has stored many aircraft because of the downturn of passengers due to the 2020 Corona Virus. As a result, the B-52Gs took heavy casualties in the first days of Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, losing 15 aircraft; it was decided to pull the Gs out of operations after the first week. The first of 12 model aircrafts that were once housed at the Blytheville Air Force Base (later Eaker Air Force Base) was delivered on Wednesday to the exhibition building. Almost immediately, this was proven to be a vain hope: the only aircraft able to replace the B-52 was, it seemed, another B-52. The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. Link to the fact sheet on the museum's web page: www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5714, Link to the other B52s I remember: www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM&feature=related. Airman First Class Monex Thomas of the Blytheville Air Force Base died in an aircraft training incident on August 1 1982. 97th Bomb Wing has a long and honorable history. This B-52G-100-BW (S/N 58-0191), nicknamed "Bearin' Arms," was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, and delivered to the USAF on October 16, 1959. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. In selected cases, due to ground water table conditions, the moleholes were built fully aboveground, with the lower story earthen bermed for semi-hardening. Blytheville, established as lumber mill town in the 1880s, has also served as a center for the cotton-growing industry, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) airbase and a gateway city for the Natural State. Five feet of water was pumped out of the basement of the building. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. Memphis Discovery Tour . After World War II the C-47s were used in the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. I don't have a clue who captured or created this image but this is it is an excellent computer generated image of a Pre-Vietnam War SAC Paint Scheme with a North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile. Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . In the Monett City Park is displayed the USAF Thunderbird F4 Phantom #3 Jet. of conventional or nuclear bombs, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=294. As "Hoosier Hotshot," it flew first with the 97th BW at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, then finished its career with the 93rd BW at Castle AFB, California. Reactivated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB. Have history here? I was stationed at Blytheville AFB in the late 1950s when it was a new SAC base and the first B-52s arrived. Profile pictures. - A Blytheville museum shining a light on Cold War history received funding supporting a planned primary exhibit. Nowadays, the base goes by a few names. Hill Aerospace Museum officially received the aircraft for static display on July 11, 1991. Posted June 9th, 2014 by NFFF & filed under Uncategorized. Tin Roof. On the opening night of the war, a group of B-52s took off from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and struck targets in Iraq with ALCMs, in a 34-hour nonstop round trip mission, a record that stood until 1996. This does not include 149 civil aircraft impresses before delivery.
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