My USAF service took up a very short period of my life. I earned a B.S. and Masters degrees, married and had a son, lost that son to cancer at age 15, held a career as a Juvenile Probation Officer, worked in retail logistics, acted in two independent films, sang baritone in choirs and performed many solo pieces as well, fished a lot, hunted some, and traveled some. Even those events are just highlights of my 60+ years of life. Retired early when physical limitations made it a necessity, and have built a small house in our piece of the northern Minnesota forest.
1972-1973, B-52 Stratofortress (Buff)
From Year 1972
To Year 1973
Personal Memories
From my radar scope at Invert I flight-followed the BUFF flights passing through our area heading "North". Only once did we lose one relatively nearby, and I recall the dismal radio traffic as the Pedro crew searched, in vain, for survivors.
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B-52 Stratofortress (Buff) Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Boeing B-52H Stratofortress Length 160.89 ft | 49.04 m Width 185.10 ft | 56.42 m Height 40.68 ft | 12.40 m Engine(s) 8 x Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofan engines generating 17,000lbs of standard thrust each. Empty Weight 172,743 lbs | 78,355 kg MTOW 487,993 lbs | 221,350 kg Max Speed 595 mph | 958 km/h | 517 kts Max Range 10,000 miles | 16,093 km Ceiling 54,954 ft | 16,750 m | 10.4 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 2 Armament Mission-specific armament can include any of the following:
20 x AGM-86B ALCM cruise missiles (internal) 20 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (internal) 2 x AGM-86B ALCMs cruise missile (external) 2 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (external) Free Fall Nuclear Bombs 12 x AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles 12 x AGM-142A air-to-surface missiles AGM-86C CALCM cruise missiles JDAMs
Up to 51,570lbs (340kg) class bombs or mines Accommodations 6 Operators United States of America