Time for some B-52 trivia!

Sentinel Chicken · 12-01-2001, 05:40 PM

All right, enough of the US Navy, let's talk Air Force. And let's talk about the grand lady of the USAF, the B-52 Stratofortress. When the B-2 Spirits are flown for the last time to Davis-Monthan AFB, their crews will be picked up by BUFFs. I remember when I was in college and SAC's 7th Bomb Wing was based at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth with late-model BUFFs. There are few things cooler in aviation than an alert drill at a B-52 base requiring minimum interval takeoffs by a sh*tload of BUFFs!

What two bases were used for B-52 operations in the Vietnam War? (There is a third base that will be accepted)

What was the name given to the B-52 missions tasked for tactical support outside of the Linebacker strikes up north later in the war?

What was the modification called that made the B-52 the ultimate bomb truck with 84 500-pounders internally and 24 more externally?

What was the codename of the deployment of BUFFs from the United States in preparation for the Linebacker strikes of 1972?

How many B-52s made up a "cell" (the modern day version of the WWII combat box)?

How many B-52 tail gunners had confirmed kills in Vietnam, making them the only enlisted men since WWII to score kills?

AlphaSigOU · 12-01-2001, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sentinel Chicken

What two bases were used for B-52 operations in the Vietnam War? (There is a third base that will be accepted)

U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand and Andersen AFB, Guam.

What was the name given to the B-52 missions tasked for tactical support outside of the Linebacker strikes up north later in the war?

'Arc Light'.

What was the modification called that made the B-52 the ultimate bomb truck with 84 500-pounders internally and 24 more externally?

'Big Belly'

What was the codename of the deployment of BUFFs from the United States in preparation for the Linebacker strikes of 1972?

Dunno.

How many B-52s made up a "cell" (the modern day version of the WWII combat box)?

Silly wild a** guess: 3

How many B-52 tail gunners had confirmed kills in Vietnam, making them the only enlisted men since WWII to score kills?

Another silly wild a** guess: 4

AlphaSigOU · 12-01-2001, 07:25 PM

From my 800+ item collection of famous SAC-isms, downloaded eons ago from CompuServe. Just like the ubiquitous 'Falcon codes' used by F-16 Viper drivers. You wanna copy of the whole thing, e-mail me privately. Here goes:

#40: Animals on a B-52:

a. Hydraulic SEALS
b. Crosswind CRABS
c. Bleed air DUCKS
d. TA PUPS
e. Heading BUGS
f. Crew DOGS
g. **** pit
h. Survival KIT
i. BIRD sh*t
j. bomb BAY
k. engine POD

#117: BUFFs PENETRATE DEEPER, STAY DOWN LONGER, AND DROP BIGGER LOADS

#157: You know, a BUFF has the power of twelve railroad locomotives, thirty miles of wiring, and enough sheet metal to make fifty thousand trash cans; and that's how it flies: like twelve locomotives dragging fifty thousand trash cans with thirty miles of wire -- B-52 IP Maj Tom (also below-on national TV!)

#195: The FB-111 is a fine airplane -- if we ever go to war with Canada!

#279: Q: Why can't all the B-1s get into the air at the same time?
A: There aren't enough jacks!

#371: ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection): A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN ORDER TO SIMULATE DOING WHAT YOU WERE DOING SO THAT YOU CAN SHOW SOMEONE ELSE THAT YOU CAN SIMULATE DOING WHAT YOUR WERE DOING AS WELL AS YOU WERE DOING IT BEFORE YOU WERE INTERRUPTED!

#378: Cry of the crew chief: It was OK on preflight! What do you mean its on the flying schedule? I'll sign it off if you want, but I won't fly it!

#379: Cry of the EWO: Is the chart done yet, Nav?

#380: Cry of the pilot: Sure, we'll sign it off and take the airplane!

#381: Cry of the co-pilot: Where's my lunch?

#382: Cry of the nav: Where's my chart?

#383: Cry of the radar: You touch my tracking handle, I stab your handwith the dividers.

#384: Cry of the gunner: Wake me when we land.

#514: Peace Through Strength -- Victory Through Devastation

#598: ALERT: WHERE MEN ARE MEN, WOMEN ARE SCARCE, AND SHEEP ARE NERVOUS!

#632: SAC's reason for being: Fast Response. So we have to meet the 1.5 mile run standard for combat: get out to the Alert plane fast and still be able to prep, start, and fly it on a nuclear bombing mission. But SAC is also very safety conscious; therefore Alert vehicles responding to a Klaxon for a nuclear Alert response are not allowed to exceed the 20 mph base speed limit or flightline speed limit. IN SAC YOU CAN'T SPEED ON YOUR WAY TO GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR.

#702: B-52 pilot rejoinders to taunts from F-4 drivers during Arc Light:
-I just shut down two engines
-I just went downstairs and took a leak
-I just lay down on the cot and took a nap
-I just took my dinner out of the oven

#703: If a B-52 isn't leaking, it needs to be refilled.

#731: Most dreaded word on a B-52 intercom: Sh*t!

#732: Second most dreaded word on a B-52 intercom: Oops!

#733: Last word heard on most CVR crash tapes: Sh*t!

Sentinel Chicken · 12-01-2001, 10:03 PM

What two bases were used for B-52 operations in the Vietnam War? (There is a third base that will be accepted)
U-Tapao RTAFB (Thailand), Andersen AFB (Guam) are correct!Would have accepted Kadena AB (Okinawa) as well, but not a primary base.

What was the name given to the B-52 missions tasked for tactical support outside of the Linebacker strikes up north later in the war?
Arc Light is correct!

What was the modification called that made the B-52 the ultimate bomb truck with 84 500-pounders internally and 24 more externally?
Big Belly is correct as well!

What was the codename of the deployment of BUFFs from the United States in preparation for the Linebacker strikes of 1972?
The answer is Bullet Shot. There were 5 waves of deployments, so they became Bullet Shot I to V.

How many B-52s made up a "cell" (the modern day version of the WWII combat box)?
The answer is three, good guess! It was for mutual ECM coverage against SAMs, much as the combat box was for mutual protection of B-17s and B-24s from fighters in WWII.

How many B-52 tail gunners had confirmed kills in Vietnam, making them the only enlisted men since WWII to score kills?
Two, one MiG each. Both were nailed during the Linebacker campaign in 1972.

Okay, here's the next set of BUFF questions:

What year was the first Arc Light mission flown in Vietnam?

What was the nickname given to Guam by Andersen AFB-based BUFF crews?

What was the nickname of the lower crew compartment on the BUFF?

What would a BUFF EWO call out when they were acquired by a SAM radar?

AlphaSigOU · 12-02-2001, 05:49 PM

Lemme give it a try...

What year was the first Arc Light mission flown in Vietnam?

1965

What was the nickname given to Guam by Andersen AFB-based BUFF crews?

(wild a** guess) The 'Guam Bomb'

What was the nickname of the lower crew compartment on the BUFF?

(wild a** guess) The Pit

What would a BUFF EWO call out when they were acquired by a SAM radar?

(wild a** guess) Spike

Sentinel Chicken · 12-03-2001, 10:11 AM

What year was the first Arc Light mission flown in Vietnam?
1965 is correct, Chuck!

What was the nickname given to Guam by Andersen AFB-based BUFF crews? "The Rock", but Guam Bomb was pretty funny!

What was the nickname of the lower crew compartment on the BUFF? The Black Hole.

What would a BUFF EWO call out when they were acquired by a SAM radar? The EWO would call "UPLINK" and that's when it hit the fan....

DavidMich · 12-03-2001, 09:07 PM

1) Anderson AFB, Guam, and U Tapao RTAB Thailand

2) Arc Light

3) Big Belly

4) Dunno

5) 3 per cell

6) Only 2, both were SSGs (i can't remember the names) They both had 2 kills each which were MiG-21s

Sentinel Chicken · 12-03-2001, 09:44 PM

Actually, David, the first B-52D tail gunner was a SSgt (staff seargant), Samuel Turner. He has one kill to his credit early in the Linebacker II operations. Later on in the campaign, A1C (airman first class) Albert Moore got the second tail gunner kill of the war. Each had a single kill and were the only verifiable B-52 tail gunner kills of the war.

DavidMich · 12-03-2001, 10:08 PM

yeah chicken you're right, i found my USAF vietnam book and i listed all the USAF/USN mig killers.

PS can we have a F-4 quiz???

Cadavre on a stick · 12-04-2001, 07:21 PM

Interesting history, fellas. Chuckles is quite good at his trivia!
Two questions: what year did the BUFF tail gunner get replaced and why was he replaced?

Sentinel Chicken · 12-04-2001, 08:55 PM

The original six crewman of the BUFF were as follows with their intercom callsigns:

Aircraft commander (PILOT)
Co-pilot (CO or CO-PILOT)

Upper deck, behind the pilots, knowns as the "defense station":
Electronic warfare officer (E-DUB)
Gunner (GUNS)- in the B-52D and earlier, he sat in the tail by himself.

In the Black Hole below, known as the "offense station":
Radar navigator ( really the bombardier) (RADAR)
Navigator (NAV)

In October 1991 the gunner was eliminated as an economy move and by 1994 the M61 Gatling tail gone was gone from all B-52Hs (the G models were already retired and they had four 50 caliber guns like the previous versions).

BUFF crews refer to the tail mods that removed the gun as being "Bobbited", but the wiring and instruments have been retained, so theoretically the guns could be reinstalled in short order, but there are no longer any USAF gunners on flying status.

12-03-2001, 09:44 PM	#8
Sentinel Chicken Go-Getters Go Ozark Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: DFW/THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS Posts: 4,167	Actually, David, the first B-52D tail gunner was a SSgt (staff seargant), Samuel Turner. He has one kill to his credit early in the Linebacker II operations. Later on in the campaign, A1C (airman first class) Albert Moore got the second tail gunner kill of the war. Each had a single kill and were the only verifiable B-52 tail gunner kills of the war. __________________ *Piss on noise abatement!*

12-03-2001, 10:08 PM	#9
DavidMich Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Back in MCO! Posts: 3,626	yeah chicken you're right, i found my USAF vietnam book and i listed all the USAF/USN mig killers. PS can we have a F-4 quiz??? __________________ "So if man is 5, and the devil is 6, then that must make me 7,,,this honky's gone to heaven!"

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12-01-2001, 05:40 PM	#1
Sentinel Chicken Go-Getters Go Ozark Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: DFW/THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS Posts: 4,167	Time for some B-52 trivia! All right, enough of the US Navy, let's talk Air Force. And let's talk about the grand lady of the USAF, the B-52 Stratofortress. When the B-2 Spirits are flown for the last time to Davis-Monthan AFB, their crews will be picked up by BUFFs. I remember when I was in college and SAC's 7th Bomb Wing was based at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth with late-model BUFFs. There are few things cooler in aviation than an alert drill at a B-52 base requiring minimum interval takeoffs by a shtload of BUFFs! What two bases were used for B-52 operations in the Vietnam War? (There is a third base that will be accepted) What was the name given to the B-52 missions tasked for tactical support outside of the Linebacker strikes up north later in the war? What was the modification called that made the B-52 the ultimate bomb truck with 84 500-pounders internally and 24 more externally? What was the codename of the deployment of BUFFs from the United States in preparation for the Linebacker strikes of 1972? How many B-52s made up a "cell" (the modern day version of the WWII combat box)? How many B-52 tail gunners had confirmed kills in Vietnam, making them the only enlisted men since WWII to score kills? __________________ Piss on noise abatement!*

12-01-2001, 07:25 PM	#3
AlphaSigOU Insane Collector Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Wylie, Texas Age: 43 Posts: 1,419	Assorted B-52 SAC-isms From my 800+ item collection of famous SAC-isms, downloaded eons ago from CompuServe. Just like the ubiquitous 'Falcon codes' used by F-16 Viper drivers. You wanna copy of the whole thing, e-mail me privately. Here goes: #40: Animals on a B-52: a. Hydraulic SEALS b. Crosswind CRABS c. Bleed air DUCKS d. TA PUPS e. Heading BUGS f. Crew DOGS g. **** pit h. Survival KIT i. BIRD sht j. bomb BAY k. engine POD #117: BUFFs PENETRATE DEEPER, STAY DOWN LONGER, AND DROP BIGGER LOADS #157: You know, a BUFF has the power of twelve railroad locomotives, thirty miles of wiring, and enough sheet metal to make fifty thousand trash cans; and that's how it flies: like twelve locomotives dragging fifty thousand trash cans with thirty miles of wire -- B-52 IP Maj Tom (also below-on national TV!) #195: The FB-111 is a fine airplane -- if we ever go to war with Canada! #279: Q: Why can't all the B-1s get into the air at the same time? A: There aren't enough jacks! #371: ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection): A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN ORDER TO SIMULATE DOING WHAT YOU WERE DOING SO THAT YOU CAN SHOW SOMEONE ELSE THAT YOU CAN SIMULATE DOING WHAT YOUR WERE DOING AS WELL AS YOU WERE DOING IT BEFORE YOU WERE INTERRUPTED! #378: Cry of the crew chief: It was OK on preflight! What do you mean its on the flying schedule? I'll sign it off if you want, but I won't fly it! #379: Cry of the EWO: Is the chart done yet, Nav? #380: Cry of the pilot: Sure, we'll sign it off and take the airplane! #381: Cry of the co-pilot: Where's my lunch? #382: Cry of the nav: Where's my chart? #383: Cry of the radar: You touch my tracking handle, I stab your handwith the dividers. #384: Cry of the gunner: Wake me when we land. #514: Peace Through Strength -- Victory Through Devastation #598: ALERT: WHERE MEN ARE MEN, WOMEN ARE SCARCE, AND SHEEP ARE NERVOUS! #632: SAC's reason for being: Fast Response. So we have to meet the 1.5 mile run standard for combat: get out to the Alert plane fast and still be able to prep, start, and fly it on a nuclear bombing mission. But SAC is also very safety conscious; therefore Alert vehicles responding to a Klaxon for a nuclear Alert response are not allowed to exceed the 20 mph base speed limit or flightline speed limit. IN SAC YOU CAN'T SPEED ON YOUR WAY TO GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR. #702: B-52 pilot rejoinders to taunts from F-4 drivers during Arc Light: -I just shut down two engines -I just went downstairs and took a leak -I just lay down on the cot and took a nap -I just took my dinner out of the oven #703: If a B-52 isn't leaking, it needs to be refilled. #731: Most dreaded word on a B-52 intercom: Sht! #732: Second most dreaded word on a B-52 intercom: Oops! #733: Last word heard on most CVR crash tapes: Sht! __________________ Chuck Corway (AlphaSigOU)* *Causa latet vis est notissima* -- the cause is hidden, the results are well known. James Bond: "I'll take the full odds on the ten, two hundred on the hard way, the limit on all the numbers, two hundred and fifty on the eleven, thank you very much." Plenty O'Toole: "Hey! You've played this game before!" James Bond: "Just once." *REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!! REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!!! REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11!!!!* Last edited by AlphaSigOU; 12-01-2001 at 07:33 PM.

12-01-2001, 10:03 PM	#4
Sentinel Chicken Go-Getters Go Ozark Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: DFW/THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS Posts: 4,167	Re: Time for some B-52 trivia! What two bases were used for B-52 operations in the Vietnam War? (There is a third base that will be accepted) U-Tapao RTAFB (Thailand), Andersen AFB (Guam) are correct!Would have accepted Kadena AB (Okinawa) as well, but not a primary base. What was the name given to the B-52 missions tasked for tactical support outside of the Linebacker strikes up north later in the war? Arc Light is correct! What was the modification called that made the B-52 the ultimate bomb truck with 84 500-pounders internally and 24 more externally? Big Belly is correct as well! What was the codename of the deployment of BUFFs from the United States in preparation for the Linebacker strikes of 1972? The answer is Bullet Shot. There were 5 waves of deployments, so they became Bullet Shot I to V. How many B-52s made up a "cell" (the modern day version of the WWII combat box)? The answer is three, good guess! It was for mutual ECM coverage against SAMs, much as the combat box was for mutual protection of B-17s and B-24s from fighters in WWII. How many B-52 tail gunners had confirmed kills in Vietnam, making them the only enlisted men since WWII to score kills? Two, one MiG each. Both were nailed during the Linebacker campaign in 1972. Okay, here's the next set of BUFF questions: What year was the first Arc Light mission flown in Vietnam? What was the nickname given to Guam by Andersen AFB-based BUFF crews? What was the nickname of the lower crew compartment on the BUFF? What would a BUFF EWO call out when they were acquired by a SAM radar? __________________ *Piss on noise abatement!*

12-02-2001, 05:49 PM	#5
AlphaSigOU Insane Collector Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Wylie, Texas Age: 43 Posts: 1,419	Lemme give it a try... What year was the first Arc Light mission flown in Vietnam? 1965 What was the nickname given to Guam by Andersen AFB-based BUFF crews? (wild a guess) The 'Guam Bomb' What was the nickname of the lower crew compartment on the BUFF? (wild a guess) The Pit What would a BUFF EWO call out when they were acquired by a SAM radar? (wild a guess) Spike __________________ Chuck Corway (AlphaSigOU) Causa latet vis est notissima -- the cause is hidden, the results are well known. James Bond: "I'll take the full odds on the ten, two hundred on the hard way, the limit on all the numbers, two hundred and fifty on the eleven, thank you very much." Plenty O'Toole: "Hey! You've played this game before!" James Bond: "Just once." REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!! REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!!! REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11!!!!**

12-03-2001, 10:11 AM	#6
Sentinel Chicken Go-Getters Go Ozark Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: DFW/THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS Posts: 4,167	What year was the first Arc Light mission flown in Vietnam? 1965 is correct, Chuck! What was the nickname given to Guam by Andersen AFB-based BUFF crews? "The Rock", but Guam Bomb was pretty funny! What was the nickname of the lower crew compartment on the BUFF? The Black Hole. What would a BUFF EWO call out when they were acquired by a SAM radar? The EWO would call "UPLINK" and that's when it hit the fan.... __________________ *Piss on noise abatement!*

12-03-2001, 09:07 PM	#7
DavidMich Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Back in MCO! Posts: 3,626	Answer for the quiz 1) Anderson AFB, Guam, and U Tapao RTAB Thailand 2) Arc Light 3) Big Belly 4) Dunno 5) 3 per cell 6) Only 2, both were SSGs (i can't remember the names) They both had 2 kills each which were MiG-21s __________________ "So if man is 5, and the devil is 6, then that must make me 7,,,this honky's gone to heaven!"

12-04-2001, 07:21 PM	#10
Cadavre on a stick Master Collector Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sin Jose, Ca. USA Posts: 632	Interesting history, fellas. Chuckles is quite good at his trivia! Two questions: what year did the BUFF tail gunner get replaced and why was he replaced?

12-04-2001, 08:55 PM	#11
Sentinel Chicken Go-Getters Go Ozark Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: DFW/THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS Posts: 4,167	The original six crewman of the BUFF were as follows with their intercom callsigns: Aircraft commander (PILOT) Co-pilot (CO or CO-PILOT) Upper deck, behind the pilots, knowns as the "defense station": Electronic warfare officer (E-DUB) Gunner (GUNS)- in the B-52D and earlier, he sat in the tail by himself. In the Black Hole below, known as the "offense station": Radar navigator ( really the bombardier) (RADAR) Navigator (NAV) In October 1991 the gunner was eliminated as an economy move and by 1994 the M61 Gatling tail gone was gone from all B-52Hs (the G models were already retired and they had four 50 caliber guns like the previous versions). BUFF crews refer to the tail mods that removed the gun as being "Bobbited", but the wiring and instruments have been retained, so theoretically the guns could be reinstalled in short order, but there are no longer any USAF gunners on flying status. __________________ *Piss on noise abatement!*