The boom operators on KC-135s got a laugh over it, the pilots loved it, commanding officers were horrified and eventually ordered it removed. The Blytheville Courier (Blytheville, Mississippi County, Ark.) 1902 10 UFO Incidents Over Air Force Bases In The United States This is the alert facility, or "mole hole," where bomber and tanker aircraft crew in the Strategic Air Command (SAC; USAF) lived while they were pulling alert duty during the Cold War. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. It is a peculiarly shaped building, like the rest of the buildings on the base. The heavier steel fuel tanks of the tall-tail series were replaced by integral fuel tanks, in which the entire wing served as a tank. The B52 Stratofortress was the answer to all the problems found in the Convair B36 Peacemaker and the B24. Serial Number 61-0023 landed safely in Blytheville. Gym - Center of Wing's Athletic Activities. In the late 1980s, the government, under congress had begun inspections on Air Force Bases. Blytheville Air Force Base - Air Force Unit Directory - togetherweserved Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988. The 62nd Bombardment Wing (H) at Fairchild AFB, Washington, took possession of this B-52G in September 1983 but the aircraft was transferred to the 93rd Bombardment Wing (H) at Castle AFB, California, the following February. Watch. The alert force aircraft remained parked just outside this facility (on a ramp, over to the left); there were armed airmen patrolling the ramp at all times. Thule is the only air force base with no aircraft and a tugboat. Timeline photos. Mr. Gorbachev tore down that wall. Photo Credit: The National Cold War Center. Two B-52G bombers were readied to strike the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons if necessaryfor which the wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its performance during the crisis. 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. Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: majesticholidays.com, +12423231410, +13088411818, +14132671187, +13856680111, +12815278722 Bahamas hotels, vacation tour packages by majestic holidays When 58-0183 got its nose art, it was assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, but it would carry its nose art into combat during the First Gulf War as part of the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. At one point, sharkmouths were banned by 7th Air Force in Saigon as being "too warlike"--despite, of course, the "non-warlike" aircraft carrying tons of bombs and missiles. Ritz. 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. Here's a little blurb about the alert facilities themselves (aka "mole holes"): "The SAC alert crew quarters, like the SAC command post, were partially below ground structures. A great surprise - Reviews, Photos - Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. As the Cold War ended, "Valkyrie" was assigned to her last duty station with the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, but she would have one last mission. Find the perfect adversary concept stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. It has the exact same problems as the hospital, though both buildings trade off on extremities. Today, "Valkyrie" still wears her 1991-era SIOP camouflage and a SAC badge on the nose; the nose art is on the port side. 1950's. Janet Austin - Duplessis. 1942-1946, 1953-1992. 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. Blytheville Air Force Base - Wikipedia A B52 with a full nuclear payload, is the seventh most powerful country in the world.. The Hound Dog was withdrawn in the 1970s and replaced with the AGM-69 SRAM, which could be carried in groups of 20 rather than just two of the huge Hound Dogs. In the politically correct 2000s, nose art has been hidden in wheel-well doors or, in the case of the A-10, behind the integral ladder door, and often as not, simply does not exist. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air The top attractions to visit in Blytheville are: Historic Greyhound Bus Depot Visitor Center; The Ritz Theatre; Delta Gateway Museum; Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition; That Bookstore in Blytheville; See all attractions in Blytheville on Tripadvisor This one is at the old (now closed) SAC base near Blytheville, Arkansas. Since its organization on 21 March 1946, SAC had continuously used C-47s or Gooney Birds as they were usually called, for support and administrative purposes. Granted today, the area has stayed well populated due to industrial jobs, but Blythevilles unemployment rate is four percent higher than the national average (pre-covid). Scanned from 35mm Negative. Learn how your comment data is processed. It was always fascinating to hear stories about how papers were left on desks and furniture left abandoned. Of the 3,778 acres the base is comprised of, two thirds of the land is abandoned. Blytheville AFB: See Eaker AFB: Bolling AFB ACTIVE: Location: Washington, DC . The airport was developed from the closed Eaker Air Force Base (formerly Blytheville Air Force Base), after its closure by the U.S. Air Force in 1992. . It seemed like every morning at 5:00 AM the flight line maintenance crews would fire up some of the airplanes engines. Thank you! Description based on: Vol. It was rolled out of Boeings Wichita plant. Home of 96th Bombardment Wing: 1953-1957; 11th . Several C-47s were fitted with pontoons and redesignated C-47C. Usaf Academy, CO 80840-1307 Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3732 Warrensburg, MO 64093-9357 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. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Eaker_Air_Force_Base, https://www.boeing.com/history/products/b-52-stratofortress.page, https://www.boeing.com/history/products/kc-135-stratotanker.page, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1771/text?r=1&s=1, https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/bill-designating-national-cold-war-center-in-blytheville-introduced-in-senate, https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107172/general-ira-c-eaker/, https://www.afcec.af.mil/Home/BRAC/Eaker.aspx, https://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/123773525/female-wwii-pilots-the-original-fly-girls. Tin Roof. Eaker Abandoned Air Force Base | Over 800+ Photos | Arkansas Was the first KC-135E conversion in 1982. Remembering the War that Saved the World | The National Cold War Center Armament: Four .50-cal. majesticholidays.com Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa They could go out of the facility to visit family, go to a movie or the BX, but the whole crew had to go everywhere together. Veteran C. Young. What aRead more , Stationed there 1989-1992, loved the place and love the life long friends from there. . Some commanders, such as General Charles Donnelly in USAFE (no relation to the author) reportedly considered making names and/or nose art on USAFE aircraft a requirement. 1942-1946, 1953-1992. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. 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. Photos from Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH on JetPhotos The exhibit is on the old air base, which is now an FBO for the new steel and other corporations that fly in there, along with other airplane related functions. I'm fairly certain I saw this aircraft at an airshow at Malmstrom AFB in the 1980s, as the nose art is familiar, but it may be wishful thinking on my part. Eleven of these jets were flown from 1969 to Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the oil crisis. The Iron Curtain was torn down. Nowadays, the base goes by a few names. Eaker Air Force Base - Encyclopedia of Arkansas The last duty station for this aircraft was with a previous owner, the 93rd Bombardment Wing (H) at Castle AFB, where it arrived in December 1988. Blytheville AFB experienced a great deal of activity throughout the Cold War era, when for instance, the 97th Bombardment Wing went on airborne alert on 22 October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. PIGGOTT, Ark., July 30 (UPI) An Air Force C130 transport plane crashed, and burned at dusk today in a pasture in this town in northeastern Arkansas, killing all six persons aboard. CENTCOM commander H. Norman Schwartzkopf demanded continual B-52 strikes-- eventually forty percent of all ordnance expended--and the results were devastating. Most of the Gs ended their days sliced into pieces in the Arizona desert. It was around 1960 and I still recall vividly sitting in the cockpit of a B-52. Copyright 2009-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) - Abandoned Atlas Foundation - board@AbandonedAtlas.com | Designed By Prairie Nation Creative, LLC - Disclaimer, Eaker Air Force Base (Click the Thumbnails to See Full Album), Extras (sirens, wildlife, monument, signs). Weekly Began in 1902; ceased in 1923. The commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces, Henry Arnold, went as far as saying that he doubted a woman could control a B17. Brave Men from the 97th Bombardment Wing Historical Marker [1] It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. Blytheville Air Force Base Tokens | Coin Talk By October of the same year the aircraft was moved to Robins AFB, Georgia. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. 1-2 hours. During Eaker's height, Blytheville was roughly the same size as Jonesboro, Smith said. ADM-20 Quail Decoy used to produce a fake B-52 signature on radar making a single B-52 appear to be as many as eight B-52s causing the Soviets to waste their SAMs chasing the Quails. The last model 61-0040, was produced in 1962. The Future of Eaker Air Force Base and the National Cold War Center/BAFB Exhibition, https://abandonedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/YouCut_20220127_115729032.mp4. [1] It was located 3 miles (4.8km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas.