B-52 Stratofortress pilots control six-decade-old hardware with a 185-foot wingspan — and the lives of the four or five airmen onboard. But the moment the Vietnam War-era bomber’s wheels leave the ground, anything can happen — and some of the most important lessons cover more than routine flight procedures.
Defense News visited Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to check out the aging B-52 bomber fleet and talk to pilots about what it will take for the aircraft to fly for several more decades. Here’s what we saw:
Lt. Col. Michael
The radar screen at a B-52 weapon systems officer's station. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Student pilot 1st Lt. Clayton Hultgren of the 11th Bomb Squadron, right, guides a B-52H Stratofortress in for aerial refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker above Arkansas on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A panel in the B-52H weapon systems officer station contains numerous instruments that control where a bomb will drop. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
On this Jan. 4, 2024, training flight on a B-52H Stratofortress, the bomber's new digital display wasn't working. The pilots had to rely on an older navigation system, seen here. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber flies alongside another during a training flight out of Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The weapon systems officer station on a B-52 Stratofortress contains an array of instruments that control where it will drop its bombs. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Capt. Jonathan
First Lt. Clay Hultgren of the 11th Bomb Squadron makes preflight adjustments to a B-52H bomber before a training flight on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Lt. Col. Michael
A B-52H bomber, dubbed the Red Gremlin II, sits on the flight line before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber, dubbed the Red Gremlin II, sits on the flight line before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber, dubbed the Red Gremlin II, sits on the flight line before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Lt. Col. Michael
The throttle of a B-52 Stratofortress allows its pilots to individually adjust power to specific engines in case of trouble. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The co-pilot's yoke on a B-52 Stratofortress. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The bomb bay of a B-52 Stratofortress prior to a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The Red Gremlin II, a B-52H Stratofortress, was built in 1960 and is still in service today. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
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