B-52's over Vietnam

[bf-fly]

For the next 5 days or so I'm flying with an ex B-52 pilot who flew 32 missions over Vietnam. If you want to ask any questions, I'll pass them along. He also flew a couple hundred missions in C-130's there as well.

[gabi765]

cool! Ask him if a SA-2 was ever shot at him, and what the b-52 pilots did to avoid them.

[bf-fly]

I already asked. He said no, most of his missions were in the South. He did say that the USAF planners were all WWII types who refused to change tactics. They used the same IP for all attack routes for a long period of time so the NVA would simply placed their missile under that point. There seemed to be a disconnect between the guys flying and the Generals. The generals still fought WWII, insisting on tight formations, plodding courses, as though ME-109 were still attacking, when what was needed was flexibility and room to maneuver to dodge the missiles.

Most of his B-52 missions were earlier in the war, often against the Ho Che Min trail. He had 1500 hours in the B-52 total, including SAC missions over the North pole for 20 hour on station nuc alerts. 4 times he crossed the North Pole.

In the C-130 he spent 2 weeks at a time doing incountry cargo and FAC work including flying a few Air America flights. Usually they would drop of a silver C-130 for a week or two then fly it home, occaisionally fly an actual AA mission. Once a solo night mission over Loas to drop flares for some local factions to fight it out on the ground.

He's a great story teller, I can only relate a portion here.

I do also on occaisionaly fly with a guy who flew over 100 missions in F-4's, mostly ground stuff. I'll let you know when I do.