B52 x 6 at Fairford

[Lyneham Lad]

According to a local paper, six B52's landed at Fairford this morning. Something in the offing?

[ORAC]

23rd Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Wing from Minot Air Force Base (ND).

USAFE-AFAFRICA tweeted and posted the following on its Facebook page this morning:

“Six United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, arrived at RAF Fairford, England for a long planned training mission where the aircraft will conduct theater and flight training across Europe and Africa.”

[Green Flash]

23rd Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Wing from Minot Air Force Base (ND).

USAFE-AFAFRICA tweeted and posted the following on its Facebook page this morning:

“Six United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, arrived at RAF Fairford, England for a long planned training mission where the aircraft will conduct theater and flight training across Europe and Africa.”

B52 arrival (http://alert5.com/2020/08/23/watch-the-arrival-of-six-b-52s-at-raf-fairford/)

[Orange future]

Along with the B-2's arriving in DG.

Looks like someone is about to be bombed into freedom!!

[GeeRam]

According to a local paper, six B52's landed at Fairford this morning. Something in the offing?

Yesterday morning they arrived......landed just after 6am.

[DC10RealMan]

Imminent US election and behind in the polls.

[pr00ne]

DC10RealMan,

Training exercise deployment planned a long time ago.

[West Coast]

Along with the B-2's arriving in DG.

Looks like someone is about to be bombed into freedom!!

Is it a long haul from DG to Oz.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Imminent US election and behind in the polls.
Nonsense.

Routine Bomber Task Force Europe deployment.

https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Press-Releases/Article/2320505/us-air-force-b-52s-return-to-europe-for-ally-partner-training/

[RAFEngO74to09]

Excellent overhead photo here showing 6 of the 50+ bomber parking slots - which were part of many year 2000 onwards infrastructure improvements - being used for their intended purpose.

https://twitter.com/MilMonWorld/status/1297252805456080898/photo/1

[RAFEngO74to09]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EORCDVzVs1Q

[ShyTorque]

Maybe the crews think Trump might stay in office and are claiming political asylum....

[oldpax]

Maybe planning a back door to China?!!!!

[Rigga]

Some Border rattling on its way?

[POBJOY]

Amazing sight. and I do hope they get the even older Mustang to cover their daylight ops. Great photo shoot opportunity !!!!

[dead_pan]

The spotters were reportedly furious that USAF managed to sneak them in without them picking them up on the various ADSB tracking sites. They need to pull some more night shifts.

[OldLurker]

The spotters were reportedly furious that USAF managed to sneak them in without them picking them up on the various ADSB tracking sites. They need to pull some more night shifts.Do B52s (or USAF generally) broadcast ADSB?

[OldLurker]

Interesting, in the video, that the B52s approach in a distinctly nose-down attitude. Do military big jets make steeper approaches than civilians?
(In a B52 it probably doesn't matter which gear lands first.)

Only one pilot visibly pops the braking chute. Perhaps he was late touching down. I'd have thought Fairford would be long enough even for the most nervous B52 driver.

[GeeRam]

Do B52s (or USAF generally) broadcast ADSB?

Sometimes. I've certainly spotted them flying into out of Minot and Barksdale a few times while idly scanning ADSB in moments of boredom.

Wouldn't be surprised if that's why they deployed that way as they would have been leaving Minot around midnight or thereabouts our time, so missing most of the UK geeky anoraks wetting their pants and plastering it all over Twitter as they approached UK.

[nohold]

Everyone needs a hobby - you gotta be a geeky anorak to post regularly to this site, that's for sure.

[treadigraph]

Interesting, in the video, that the B52s approach in a distinctly nose-down attitude. Do military big jets make steeper approaches than civilians?
(In a B52 it probably doesn't matter which gear lands first.)

Only one pilot visibly pops the braking chute. Perhaps he was late touching down. I'd have thought Fairford would be long enough even for the most nervous B52 driver.

The B-52 can climb out slightly nose down. They are also sometimes visible on ADSB, I was watching one which did a bit of a tour of the UK before arriving at Fairford for the RIAT last year - it came over London and I was hoping to get a glimpse but sadly it turned north a bit too early.

[sandiego89]

B-52's have a very distinct nose down appearance on approach and even climb. Very characteristic of the type given it's massive flaps which have two setting: fully up or fully down, and a lengthy transition.

[dead_pan]

Actually USAF have form in Spiriting hardware into Fairford un-announced. Earlier this year they deployed a couple of B2s seemingly into Spain, but then quickly and unexpectedly moved them to Fairford. I had one of those "WTF!?" moments whilst pottering in the garden when one flew low over my house en route to the base.

Fun and games for all.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Article in The Drive: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/35962/six-b-52-strategic-bombers-fly-alongside-norwegian-fighters-in-clear-signal-to-russia

[RAFEngO74to09]

The spotters were reportedly furious that USAF managed to sneak them in without them picking them up on the various ADSB tracking sites. They need to pull some more night shifts.
Not true - they were all over it long before they arrived.

https://twitter.com/AircraftSpots/status/1297085877366136833

[RAFEngO74to09]

https://twitter.com/Luftforsvaret/status/1297919356446412804

[SLXOwft]

Although "long planned" is this is another example of the "Dynamic Force Employment Model"? I linked a couple of articles here https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/633289-baltic-buffs-minot-baltic-minot.html


"The transition to a “dynamic force employment” model allows the bombers to operate from a “broader array of overseas locations” with greater resilience, while keeping the aircraft permanently based in the U.S., AFGSC said."

Instead of long-term deployments, the service is currently focusing on sending small groups of bombers on short-notice flights across the globe to be more unpredictable.

So I assume deployments like this one will become more frequent.

[huge72]

Surely this is nothing new. I grew up near Newbury with the sound of B47's everyday over my Primary School as they got airborne from Greenham Common. Some must have been on go round as they had tail chutes billowing along behind. TDY rotations were the norm in the 60's

[Jhieminga]

B-52's have a very distinct nose down appearance on approach and even climb. Very characteristic of the type given it's massive flaps which have two setting: fully up or fully down, and a lengthy transition.
Not just because of the flaps. The wing on a B-52 is mounted at a significant positive incidence angle on the fuselage so that it will have enough AoA at a zero body angle to fly off the runway. Due to its distinctive gear arrangement, it cannot rotate during take off. The side effect is that it needs to decrease this AoA once airborne to get to the proper climb AoA, or to accellerate.

[kenparry]

huge72:

The B-47 trailing a drag chute did not necessarily indicate a go-around. The B-47 was very slick in terms of drag, and the single-spool J-47 very slow to wind up from low rpm.
The type carried 2 chutes; the smaller one would be deployed prior to final approach, to enable higher engine rpm (and thus faster engine response). This also reduced the minimum drag speed, and thus improved speed stability on the approach.
The larger, 32 ft diameter chute, would be deployed only after touchdown.

[ORAC]

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/08/28/six-us-air-force-b-52-bombers-make-symbolic-sweep-over-all-nato-members/

Six US Air Force B-52 bombers make symbolic sweep over all NATO members

COLOGNE, Germany — The U.S. Air Force is sending six B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers to fly over each of NATO’s 30 members on Friday, a gesture meant to signal the alliance’s unity.

Four bombers, taking off from Royal Air Force Fairford in the United Kingdom, will pass over NATO’s European members, according to a statement by U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Two B-52s departing from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, are scheduled to fly over the United States and Canada.

“This single-day mission, titled ’Allied Sky,’ is intended to demonstrate NATO solidarity, enhance readiness and provide training opportunities aimed at enhancing interoperability for all participating aircrews from the U.S. and NATO allies,” the European Command statement read. Aircraft from 20 alliance members are scheduled to provide aerial refueling and other support throughout the day, it added......

“U.S. security commitments to the NATO alliance remain ironclad,” Gen. Tod Wolters, the head of European Command, was quoted as saying in the statement. “Today’s bomber task force mission is another example of how the alliance sustains readiness, improves interoperability and demonstrates our ability to deliver on commitments from across the Atlantic.”.......

[Rigga]

A fleet of 22 aircraft - F16 (9x Aviano based) and F15 (13x LKH Based) - took off from LKH this morning...mostly with long range tanks.