Low or what???
 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...B-52Fly-By.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../B-52flyby.jpg

A bit unfair on the crew in the lower compartment with their downward firing ejection seats.:uhoh:

Surely it is a bit hard to release your bombs from that height. I think the carrier is safe.

Is that a shadow under the B-52, or is it a Buccaneer?

Absolutely,

IMHO, it's nothing more than a foolish display putting some of the crew in a very dodgy position! :ugh:

Standard pilot activity:ugh:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

Low level in a Jag over the desert is impressive eh? Low level in a B-52 below flight deck level is impressive!:D :D

wonder if that was the same bloke that killed himself and crew at Fairchild.WA:sad:

cc
VTSP

Below the flight deck level of one of those floating leviathans of the US Navy is hardly a challenge; below the deck level of one the the RN's little armoured rowing boats certainly would be though!

But this flypast was too risky to the guys in the downward firing seats, in my view. Although we did similarly stupid things many years ago with guys downstairs who didn't even have bang seats. 350 KIAS at 50ft across a certain East Anglian aerodrome's ASP springs to mind......in a Vulcan.

The Fairchild accident was the sad culmination of a pilot's career of known rule-breaking:

http://www.simradar.com/Feature/2317...child_AFB.html

I'm not really sure about the points made about bang seats. Any aircraft, with or without, would only be a "twitch" away from disaster. I've seen B52s at very low level on Red Flag (although this one is the winner). If you absolutely have to penetrate a WEZ with little or no support, then this is the way to go. I must confess to being bemused that pictures of Jags and Buccs doing something similar inspire awe, but this does not. Well, I'm impressed

"Slightly left of centreline- confirm visual with the buccaneer ahead and below"

The difference is that the Jag mate has a chance to jump out (albeit not much of one) however, the rear crew of the B52 are at the whim of the cowboy flying it. Not clever but hey, very American...

MechGov

The difference is it's American.

Bronx,
I'm embarrassed by the fact that I think that you are right. Sorry.

With all the concern about the rear crew and downward firing bang seats at ultra low level I'd be curious to know what the drills were for a critical failure (if you can have such a thing with 8 engines) during the take off or final approach. Was it just a case of "5hit happens, it was an emergency"? Any Buff drivers out there who can comment?

Yeah, it's all very well flying a BUFF below the flight deck of an AMERICAN Nimitz-class supercarrier, but let's see them try getting under the flight deck of a BRITISH carrier.

http://www.westernroo.com/buccaneers..._thats_low.jpg

Bronx,

Bomber, Carrier, and American...reckon the Green Eyed Monster is scurrying around a bit here?

Seems to me it's not a question of 'how low can you go?' - any idiot can do that until contact is eventually made. It's more a question of 'how low can you operate?'. We all know that Buccaneers operated very effectively at ultra low level. On the other hand, I well remember competing against SAC B52s with Vulcans. The Buffs were not allowed to fly below 1000ft agl as their 'normal' low level operating height and this, surprise surprise, gave them a considerable edge with radar bombing. At least they didn't bomb blue forces that way.

No jealously here Sasless, just a little concern! There is no denying that it's a fine display of flying however, it was stupid.:=

Balls of steel though...

Not the first or last time either, same Sqn from Minot on another trip....Riding the Boeing B-52

........"When we got back to Hickam, Pete and I exchanged notes. At the time, I had thought that OUR low-level fly bys were exciting; Pete's crew apparently had no problem "getting down in the weeds" and had flown their "BUF" past the carrier at or below FLIGHT DECK LEVEL. Pete told me that when he looked out the window, he had to look UP in order to see the island and the masts! P-3 operating procedures only allowed us to fly at a minimum of 200-300 feet, but apparently the Air Force guys had no such minimum altitude limitations.........