Memories of SAC Crewdog 1974-1980

CREWDOG (kroo-dawg) noun The people who fly or operate an aircraft and are known to lead a dogs life, i.e. to have an unhappy or harassed existence.

B-52D ‘Tall Tail’ Nickname ‘BUF/BUFF’ Length 156 feet Wing Span 185 feet Height (vert stab) 48 feet Max Gross WT 450,000 lbs Max Fuel load 270,000 lbs Drop Tanks 2ea @ 20,000 lbs 8 Pratt and Whitney J-57 engines each generating 10,500 lbs trust on takeoff

Armament Can carry a wide array of weapons to include; Smart Bombs Cruise Missiles Sea Mines Gravity (dumb) bombs The D model with big belly conversion was capable of carrying 108 500lbs Mark 82 bombs internally and on external racks. The largest capacity of any B-52

The Crew All models have a crew of 6 Pilot (A/C), Copilot (CP) Bomb Navigator (B/N), Navigator (Nav), Electronic Warfare Officer(EW) and Gunner The BUF is a crew coordination dependent aircraft. The Crew operates as a team and coordination is critical to the mission

The Pilots Occupy the upper deck forward in the Nose section 0/120KTS ejection seats go up Manage and operate the primary systems Flight Controls Engines Fuel Hydraulics Electrical Radios

The Nav Team The Offensive Unit resides on the lower deck forward of the Bomb bay 450’/160KTS ejection seats go down Responsible for all aspects of navigation and majority of bomb delivery R/N coordinates A/R rendezvous and majority of bomb run entry and egress and target delivery Nav handles much of mission navigation and primary on Celestial Nav

EW office On the upper deck well back of the pilots Ejection seat same as Pilots Leads the defensive team (EW and Gunner) Responsible for Threat Protection to include: Detection & Identification Jamming Flares and Chaff EW monitors and manages HF radios for the crew

Tail Gunner’s Office Rides in the tail in the D, next to the EW in G &H No ejections seat, manual bail out Operates Fire Control radar which acquires and tracks threats Operates the Guns (4 - 50 Cal Hvy Guns) working closely with EW on all threats

D model Stinger

The Mission ‘Peace is our profession’ (war is just a hobby)

The Nuclear Triad Land Based Missiles SLBMs Manned Bombers SAC began Nuclear Ground Alert in 1954 (crews restricted to base and 15 min launch) Began Airborne alert missions in 1960 with 5-10 bombers airborne at all times Chrome Dome missions ended in 1968 SAC disestablished in 1992 and after 38 yrs no more bomber crews on alert

Operational Profile (train like you fight) Typical Mission Included; Hard scheduled launch time Air Refueling segment Low Level bombing segment Transition (approach and landings) Occasional Gunnery and Fighter Defense segments Each Flight a 3 day iteration

Preflight Process 3 hr. prior to launch showtime Base ops for WX and file To the AC and meet the Crew Chief Walk around and preflight the AC Work any maintance issues Engine Start 30 min prior to T/O Final check by the SOF

Mission Launch

Air Refueling RN coordinates the rendezvous Pilots coordinate with Tanker on radios Set up position 30’ below and 50’ behind Once stabilized cleared to contact by Boomer

CONTACT Pass Gas Practice Break away Cleared to next event

Low Level Bomb Run OB Routes Desend on tract from 30M to 500’ Practice Terrain Avoidance and visual EW threat practice RN/Nav radar offset bombing Dropping ‘tone’ Climb out and ‘recovery’

TRANSITION Pilots get to practice Crew gets to sleep Post flight and crew debrief

NUCLEAR ALERT Began 1954-55 ground 1960 airborne Peaked around 1968 Alert=Loaded EWO AC ready to go AC capable of T/O within 15 min of horn When ‘cocked’ AC are in status for 60 da

NUCLEAR ALERT Alert tour begins on Thurs for 7 days Crew change process 2 hrs C2R2 begins EWO review and 2 Man policy A day in the life CV Facility

For Alert Force Klaxon, Klaxon, Klaxon The horn and then chaos At the plane Elephant Walk The rest of the story

QUESTIONS

SUGGESTED MOVIES STRATEGIC AIR COMMEND BOMBERS B-52 DR STRANGELOVE (OR HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BOMB0