Thank you, Gary!

Gary One of my tours was at the Rocket Lab on Edwards AFB.  The Rocket Lab is up on a "butte" with the rocket test stands hanging off the butte.  One day I was walking between buildings when I heard a very loud engine roar in the distance.  Naturally, I started scanning the sky to see what it was.  It came closer and got louder, but I couldn't see anything.  Then I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye.  It was a "BUFF" doing a low level run at an altitude below the top of the Butte.  Yes, below me!  It was the most amazing sight to see a B-52 from above while standing on the ground.  LOL!!!

Sam - after finishing tech school November 1969 for Aircraft Radio Maintenance, I was assigned to the 380th Bomb Wing at Plattsburgh AFB, NY.   This was a SAC base with B52’s and KC-135 tankers.   SAC was similar to the mafia, once in SAC, you never leave.  I worked on G & H model Buffs until I volunteered for duty in Vietnam and they transferred me to the 307th Strategic Wing at U-Tapao AFB, Thailand.   At U-Tapao I worked on the older D model buffs with the Big Belly mod to hold up to 108 conventional 500lb iron bombs.

At U-Tapao we flew two cells of 3 buffs every hour 24/7.   One of my duties was to ride in the launch Van with other guys in the Avionics shops along with spare equipment.  If one of the buffs developed an electronics failure before takeoff and the equipment was accessible in flight, we’d grab the trucks spare, board the bomber and fix the problem while flying the mission.    This meant we’d be riding inside a Step Van in the middle of six B-52’s until they all successfully took off.   I cant describe how loud the sound level was inside the van with earplugs and earmuffs and 48 jet engines running a short stones-throw away.  I found I could cut down some of the sound inside my head by pinching my nose.   On the takeoff roll, when they cut in the water injection, the engine sound appeared to double.   No wonder I now have tinnitus.