Heads Up - "Strategic Air Command" on TV

[Arclite01]

I am told that people used to look at Jimmy Stewart strangely when he turned up with his real wife at social events - people were so used to seeing him and June Allyson together as man and wife (in several films) that they sort of assumed that they were in real life !! (a bit like Terry Scott and June Whitfield in the UK!)

Agree that Strategic Air Command has some of the best air to air sequences of any film. I particularly like the high altitude shots as they transit out to Alaska in the B36 - pretty amazing..............


Arc

[Krakatoa]

Strategic Air Command was Jimmy Stewarts eighth film directed by Anthony Mann

[Airbubba]

From the USAF Twitter feed:

Twitter

[sandiego89]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator

More likely they could not fly slowly enough to intercept the B36.

Yes, I have read several accounts of jet interceptors that would fall off trying to get into a shooting position, or just get high enough for a B-36 intercept, but they could not maneuver at all. The B-36 could do a gentle turn and the fighter would fall out of the sky trying to match the turn. Intercepts had to be timed perfectly and early 36 crews felt rather safe.

[George Richardson]

In the early 1950`s contrailing B36s & B47s were a regular sight over N Yorks. B36s used to make mantelpiece ornaments vibrate! I believe that the local Sabres from Linton on Ouse, 66 &92 Sqns did have difficulty carrying out practice interceptions on the B36 at high altitude. The SAC film was so evocative,especially the sound as a B36 flew over the baseball game!!

[Crromwellman]

There is a story that when RAF fighters intercepted a flight of B-36s over UK, the Section Leader gave the order: "Blue One, Land on and start the invasion."

[Pontius Navigator]

I just recall our nav instructor was a Javelin nav. One night he did a radar to VID. At min range he told the pilot to look out. The response was look at 2 o'clock. There, way out, was a flashing light. He didn't know why his radar talk was so far out. Then he was told to look to 10 o'clock, and finally look right up!