rainboe:
interesting indeed about the B52 scenario...but even us non 747 jet pilots know that you don't land at the NEAREST airfield, you land at the nearest suitable airfield.
to me losing an engine in a B52 is worth recovering to a fine friendly airfield that could provide security and mx for the specialized stuff the B52 carries (read a nuclear bomb, etc).
as in my previous post, air force flying might dictate a course of action commercial flying might not.