The Flight of the Stealth Bomber

Last week I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a B-2 Stealth Bomber and take it for a spin. OK, so it wasn't a real B-2 Bomber, but it was a real life B-2 Stealth Bomber Simulator.

Only three B-2 Simulators exist in the world and they are located at Whiteman Air Force Base near Sedalia, MO. Whiteman AFB is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, which is the only B-2 Squadron in the world.

So, I probably owe you a little background on how I got this opportunity. I belong to the Whiteman AFB Base Community Council. This is a group of folks from different cities all over Missouri who come together each month and support the men and women who live and serve at Whiteman. It is an opportunity for us to come out and meet them and let them know how much we appreciate their service to the country, and we also offer support, especially to the young airmen, at Whiteman. For instance, free tickets to Cardinals games to the airmen each year. Free tickets to the MO State Fair. Free tickets to various concerts, etc. Each month a different community is featured at the luncheon and Council members from that city get a chance to go on the flight line and get an up close tour of a real life B-2. Also, four people from the featured community get to go fly in the B-2 simulator.

Now I've been a member of the BCC for about three years, and my first simulator ride was scheduled about 2 1/2 years ago. A few days before my scheduled flight the B-2 Bomber, The Spirit of Kansas, crashed during take-off from Guam as it was heading home from a training mission. When the crash occurred security was tightened for all aspects of the B-2 program and my simulator ride was cancelled.

At some point the tours and simulator rides were re-opened for BCC members, so all that was left was the waiting. Last month, Columbia was the featured community at the monthly luncheon meeting, but I was not one of the four chosen to go on the simulator ride. I did, however, go on the flight line tour and that was an amazing experience. Now if you've ever been to an air show, and you've seen a B-2 Bomber parked on the ramp, you have probably noticed that you can't get very close to it. And you can also only view it from the front. I found the reason for that is because the back of the plane is the most secret part. You may ask, "What is so secret about the back of the plane?" My answer is, I really don't know, but part of the tour I got was a complete walk around of the airplane, including the back. Now I was privileged to take this tour, as only a few civilians get this opportunity. I also got some time to talk to one of the B-2 pilots and he shared some perspectives on flying the B-2 that was very interesting to me, being the huge aviation geek that I am.

So, fast forward a couple of weeks. I sent an email to the Public Affairs office at Whiteman, which is the standard way to RSVP for the monthly meeting, and I asked if there was any way I could get on the simulator tour, even though my community was not being featured. The answer, of course, was no. I was told I could go on a waiting list, but there was little hope I would be able to go because each featured community never had a problem filling the four available spots.

A week before the April 1st meeting, I got a phone call from Public Affairs. They informed me that there was indeed an open spot for the simulator tour and they wanted to know if I was still interested. My response was, "Let me think about it for a day or two, and I'll get back to you." Now if you believe that's really what I said, then you don't know me at all. I really said, "You bet I'm still interested! Count me in!"

So after the luncheon, four of us were loaded into a van and driven to the 509th Bomb Wing Headquarters Building, which is where the simulators are located. Our phones and cameras were confiscated and we were taken through several layers of security to get to where the simulator was located. If you remember the opening from the old TV show Get Smart, that's what the security layers reminded me of. We were also introduced to Lt. Col. Dave "Super Dave" Anderson, our "Mission Commander" for our flights. Super Dave just happens to be the longest-term B-2 pilot who is flying today. He was actually part of the very first class of B-2 Bomber pilots and he was trained by the original B-2 test pilots. Super Dave was also the guy who dropped the very first "Bunker Buster" bomb in Baghdad during the Iraqi war. He also very much enjoys his job as a B-2 pilot and flying with him, I think, made the whole experience even better.

I was 2nd in line for the simulator ride, and the whole experience was really a "sensory overload." I walked down the stairs and across the catwalk to the simulator and once inside I crawled into the pilot's seat, which surprisingly enough was quite roomy. I was surrounded by all sorts of screens, gauges, switches and knobs, and Super Dave gave me a 2 minute tutorial of the ones I would need to fly this thing. I also had to adjust my seat so the rudder pedals (which really aren't rudder pedals) were at a comfortable place. The "rudder pedals" were actually one of my biggest surprises. The pedals are used for ground steering, but are not needed for flying. Look at the plane and you'll see it doesn't have a rudder, so I guess it makes a little sense. There is also no tiller for nose-wheel steering like a typical airliner. It is all done with pedals.

So Super Dave gave the simulator operator the command to unfreeze the simulation and I proceeded to taxi to the runway. I realized quickly that the pedals were very responsive and it seemed pretty easy to handle on the ground. As I pulled onto the runway I got the nose gear on the center line and I then applied full brakes. Super Dave had me hold the brakes tight and I pushed the throttles to full power. This was where I got the real sensation that the full motion simulator was just like the real thing. I could not only hear the four engines spooling up, but I could also feel the aircraft shaking as it was ready to get moving. At Dave's command I released the brakes and off we went down the runway. The realism in what we saw out the window was unbelievable. I could even feel the seams and bumps in the runway as we were performing our takeoff roll. Super Dave said not to worry about anything except to keep it straight on the runway and pull back on the stick when he gave the "rotate" command. Before long we were airborne and the landing gear was on its way up. I immediately was told to put the Bomber in a hard right turn as we climbed out. I turned about 270 degrees and we flew back over the runway we had just lifted off from. In this hard right turn I was again reminded that this was a full-motion simulator. I could even look out the window to the right and see what was behind me as we were making our turn.

The B-2 Bomber is equipped with a short stick that sits on a pedestal between your legs. The stick is easy to operate and it is all you need to steer the aircraft once you're airborne. Remember what I said about the "rudder pedals?" Each pilot also has their own throttle control on the left. Again, this differs from most airplanes with a shared throttle in the center of the two pilots.

I climbed to an altitude of about 1000 feet and kept the throttles at full power. We then proceeded to do a low high speed pass over the nearest city. That meant we went down to about 300 feet. At this point I have no idea how fast we were going. My job at this point was to avoid crashing into buildings.

After the low pass we climbed to 5000 feet and we then went looking for a KC-135 tanker so we could get some fuel. The process of getting attached to the tanker was not easy. A series of light commands on the KC-135 told us how close to get and how far forward we needed to be. Again, the realism was unbelievable. As we tucked ourselves under the tanker you could hear its engines. About the only thing visible through the windshield was the KC-135. With help from Super Dave I was able to get connected to the tanker. Once connected the task of keeping the B-2 in this small area was overwhelming. I quickly realized that I was over-correcting the airplane and tragedy would soon ensue. Super Dave grabbed the stick and got me back on track. With all his years of piloting the B-2 this was just another day at the office.

What remained of the flight was done at night as the simulator operator switched things up on us a little. It was a full moon and lots of stars present as Super Dave talked me through a touch and go back at home base. He allowed me to work the throttles and the stick and I lined it up for a final approach. He talked me through what to look for and whether to add more or less speed brake controls. It seems when landing there is not much if any throttle adjustment. You control your speed with the speed brakes. I was able to touch down on the 1000 foot mark on the runway and Super Dave said that I "greased it in."

Now that we were on the ground I had to retract the speed brakes and push the throttles back to full power, all while keeping the airplane on the center line with my feet. Super Dave called out my speed and when he gave the "rotate" command we were once again airborne. We circled back around the field and came back in for another landing. This time it was a full stop landing. My landing the second time was not quite as smooth, but it was still pretty good for a guy who had never flown a plane before.

As I was climbing out of the seat, Super Dave commented that I looked like a kid in a candy store. I told him he had no idea how great a privilege it was for me to fly the B-2 simulator. And it truly was a privilege. I'm sure there are many things I have left out of this experience, but it was such an overload of the senses that there is just no way I can do it justice here in just a few words. The one thing I do know for sure is that we have the greatest military in the world. It's good to know that guys like Super Dave are sitting in the cockpits of airplanes like the B-2. These are the guys who help keep us free and safe in the U.S. and I know I don't thank them enough.

787 Dreamliner Takes Flight

After many years of designing, planning and building, the Boeing 787 finally took flight yesterday in Everett, WA. Here is a video highlighting a few minutes of the flight that lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes. If you want to see the flight path click here.

Here is a great article about the flight.

Wings Over Whiteman Photos

As you saw from my last post, we attended Wings Over Whiteman last weekend and got to see some great airplanes. Here are some photos and videos that Janice took while we were there. We had a great time with Aaron and Maureen. We'll be going again in two years. Maybe you can join us.

Janice and I standing in front of the B-1 Lancer

The B-1 is the only supersonic bomber in the world. Another cool feature is the sweepable wing. The wing will move back and forth while in-flight as the pilot decides how fast he wants to travel. It works much like the now retired F-14 fighter that was featured in the movie Topgun. We were even able to climb the ladder and see inside a little. Because of the top secret stuff inside the bomber we were limited on what we could see.

At the top of the ladder to the right is the seat for the Navigation Officer. He is responsible for keeping the plane on course as well as monitoring all systems of the aircraft while in flight.

At the top of the ladder to the left is the seat for the Weapons Systems Officer. He is responsible for all weapons and defense systems on-board the aircraft. He is also responsible for dropping the bombs when the time comes.

At the top of the ladder and straight ahead is the flight deck of the B-1 Lancer. This was as close as they would let us get. Much of what is contained in the cockpit is classified so entry was prohibited.

B-2 Spirit Bomber Chopper built by Orange County Choppers

This bike was featured on a recent episode of American Chopper on TLC

T-38 Talons Open the show at Wings Over Whiteman

T-38 Talon Trainer

The T-38 Talon is the jet trainer for the US Air Force. Whiteman Air Force Base is home to a squadron of these aircraft and it is the place they use to train our pilots that move on to fly fighters and bombers. This is one of the planes we saw flying in formation in the photo above as it taxied by us after landing.

FM-2 Wildcat

This is the aircraft we saw fly that later had to make an emergency landing due to a broken landing gear strut. The pilot was OK, but the plane had to be removed from the runway as the right landing gear collapsed upon landing. The runway was located behind the hangers that you see here in the background, so we did not actually see the emergency landing.

MiG-17F

MiG-17F

This is the MiG-17F we saw fly during the air show. It was a very impressive display and it made me realize why our pilots in Vietnam were nervous when they took to the skies.

B-2 Spirit of Texas and F-22 Raptor

These 2 planes are so top secret this was as close as we could get. What you can't see in this photo are the armed Security Force Guards stationed around these airplanes. Nobody was going to get close with those guys around.

C-21

This is the flight deck of the C-21 which is the Air Force version of the Learjet 35. This airplane is used to haul Generals around. It can also be used for medical transport and light cargo duties.

B-52 Stratofortress

This is the bomber of all bombers. This airplane is known for its "carpet bombing" capabilities. There were stories that came out of Iraq after Gulf War I, that many Iraqi soldiers would crawl out of their foxholes with bleeding ears and noses and with raised hands of surrender they would be muttering, "Please, no more B-52's!"

B-25 Mitchell "Pacific Prowler"

Here is an original World War II classic bomber. What an honor to see it fly.

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the World War 2 Trainer, T-6 Texan

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

Watch the videos below to get an idea of what these guys did. I love the sound of these old radial engines.

World War 2 Fighter, P-51 Mustang

Another classic and so much fun to see fly.

P-51 Mustang

The F-15E Strike Eagle

This jet was hard to catch on video because of the speed. This shows the beginning of his final maneuver, which was a vertical climb. Janice did a great job capturing this video. He was probably flying at about 300 to 400 miles per hour in this clip.

Here the F-15E Strike Eagle does a 360 degree turn in front of the crowd. In this turn the pilot was experiencing 5 to 6 's.

F-15E Strike Eagle

F-15E Strike Eagle

Afterburners Engaged

F-15E Strike Eagle

A-10 Thunderbolt II

aka, "The Tank Killer"

It's ugly, but deadly. This plane is built around a 30mm Gatlin Gun.

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Here he passes overhead in slow-flight

Heritage Flight

This was one of the coolest things to see at the show. A Heritage Flight is when they match up a retired airplane with a plane that is currently in service. They usually only contain 2 aircraft, but we had the privilege of seeing a Heritage Flight with 3 airplanes. Here the P-51 Mustang flies with the F-15E Strike Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

This was the end of the flight. The A-10 peeled off up and left, the F-15E went up and right, and the P-51 went up straight. It was an amazing sight.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

aka, "The Stealth Bomber"

The B-2 Spirit Bomber closed out the show with a few fly-by's. This airplane is one of the most incredible sights ever. It is so hard to see. If you look away for a second it is hard to put your eyes back on it again. It seems like it just disappears into thin air.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

B-2 Spirit Bomber

Wings Over Whiteman Airshow Review

Yesterday Janice and I, along with Aaron and Maureen Harris, attended Wings Over Whiteman. Wings Over Whiteman is the airshow that is held every two years at Whiteman Air Force Base which is about 20 miles west of Sedalia, MO. We had a great time watching several aircraft fly, and we also had the chance to see several static displays. Here is a brief review of some of the highlights. These are stock photos I'm using below. Janice took lots of pictures and I will get them posted sometime soon:

Performing Aircraft:

MiG-17F

The Russian MiG-17F was the primary enemy aircraft in Vietnam. I was surprised at how small and quiet the plane was. It was also a lot more maneuverable than I expected. This particular aircraft is owned by a company out of Texas called Fighterjets, Inc. This jet was a lot of fun to watch fly. Check out this website to learn more about this plane.

FM-2 Wildcat

The FM-2 Wildcat was one of the premier fighters in the early part of World War 2. It played a big role in many battles including Midway. We saw a great performance from this airplane yesterday including a dogfight with a Japanese Zero. When the performance was over the pilot had a broken strut on his right landing gear. He ended up making an emergency "dead-stick" landing and his right landing gear collapsed. It took a few hours to get the plane off the runway. The pilot was not injured and the plane was not too badly damaged. We were not able to see this landing as the runway was behind the B-2 hangers so we had to go by what the announcer was telling us.

North American B-25, "Pacific Prowler"

The B-25 was one of the great bombers of World War 2. It was the airplane used on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo that took place a few months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. To learn more you should read the book, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. You can also visit this website to learn more about the Pacific Prowler.

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the AT-6 Texan

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team performed at the airshow. They fly the AT-6 Texan, also known as "The Pilot Maker." This was the trainer that was used in World War 2 to prepare pilots to fly fighters. If you saw the move, "The Tuskegee Airmen," you would have seen some of these in action. These guys did a great job of flying close formation aerobatic maneuvers, and those big radial engines made a lot of noise. Check out the Aeroshell Aerobatic Teams website here.

F-15E Strike Eagle

The best performance of the day was from the F-15E Strike Eagle. This dual-role jet has been around for several years and is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. For much of the performance the pilot had the afterburners engaged and this was one performance where ear plugs were required. The last maneuver for the F-15E was a high-speed fly-by and when he was right in front of the crowd he went vertical until he was just about out of sight.

Other planes we got to see perform were:

P-51 Mustang

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Yak 52TW Russian Trainer

Heritage Flight which included the P-51 Mustang, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the F-15E Strike Eagle. I will be posting some pictures of this flight later.

Static Displays

F-22 Raptor

The F-22 is the Air Force's newest fighter. It has stealth capabilities, unbelievable maneuverability as well as supercruise, which allows it to fly at well over the speed of sound without having to use afterburners. This plane is so new and so top secret we could see it but we couldn't get very close to it.

B-1 Lancer

The B-1 Lancer is the world's only supersonic bomber. It is a large airplane that can carry a huge bomb payload, but it handles much like a fighter jet. It is equipped with 4 engines and has a movable wing that sweeps back much like the now retired F-15 Tomcat, which was featured in the movie Topgun. We were able to get on this plane, which amounted to climbing the ladder and sticking our heads into the back crew compartment where the Weapons Officer and Navigator sit. The cockpit was off-limits. It was still very cool to be able to see as much as we did.

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

The RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft that delivers real-time on-scene intelligence collection. This aircraft is built on the Boeing 707 airframe and has been in service with the Air Force since the 1960's. It has undergone major renovations over the years including new engines and avionics systems.

B-2 Spirit

The B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is a multi-role bomber that can deliver either conventional or nuclear weapons. Whiteman Air Force Base is the only B-2 base in the world. All missions the B-2's are dispatched on are always flown from Whiteman. Many missions for the B-2 last for 40 to 50 hours, and that is 40 to 50 hours of continuous flying. With a 2-pilot cockpit and the capability of in-flight refueling, the plane can fly as long as there are no mechanical malfunctions. The hardest part of being a B-2 pilot is having the endurance to fly the long missions. Much like the F-22 Raptor, this plane is so top secret we could not get very close to it. There was a B-2 that did a series of 3 fly-bys to close the airshow. I will post some of those photos later.

Other Static Displays included:

F-15A

C-21 (Air Force version of a Learjet 35)

KC-135

B-52 Stratofortress

F-16 Fighting Falcon

L-39 (Russian Jet Trainer)

C-130

This is not a complete list of everything we got to see, but I have covered the highlights. It was a full day and it was a lot of fun to be able to see all the airplanes. Janice got some great photos and a little video also. I will pull all that together and post that later for you to see. Thanks to Whiteman for opening the base and letting an aviation fanatic come out and have a great time yesterday. Hopefully we will do it again in 2 years.

Flight of the Concorde

It's no secret that I'm an aviation enthusiast. So, when I came across this video I had to put it on my blog. Mainly so I would always have it to see whenever I desire. The Concorde was the only supersonic passenger aircraft that has ever been in service. It was flown only by British Airways and Air France. The few that were in service were grounded and retired a few years ago after one of the Air France Concorde's crashed during takeoff in Paris. 

This airplane was on the top of my list of airplane's I wanted to fly on, but now that will never happen. So, the next closest thing is watching some video from the flight deck. Even though this aircraft flew at supersonic speeds, the cockpit was anything but advanced. It was designed in the 60's and was never really updated over the years. It flew with a 3-man crew until it was retired.

This video starts at 57,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean with the Concorde flying supersonic. It shows the crew slowing the plane down and descending into New York City for a landing at JFK. It is very cool video and a great piece of aviation history. Enjoy!

Branson Airshow!

So there is some exciting news coming out of Branson.  They're having an airshow in May.  Click here to see the website that give all the details.  It will feature the USAF Thunderbirds, US Army Golden Knights, and stunt pilot Patty Wagstaff.  They are doing this to kick off the opening of the new Branson airport.  

Central MO Aviation

Today Jamel and I visited Central MO Aviation at Columbia Regional Airport. We were very fortunate to run into John, a flight instructor at the airport. He spent time with us explaining lift and drag, and all the stuff that makes airplanes fly. He even took us out to his Cessna 150 and gave Jamel an inside the cockpit tour. Jamel has never flown or been near any kind of airplane, so he was very excited about this opportunity. John explained to him how easy it is to fly and how anyone can do it. He even encouraged Jamel that in a few years he can start flying lessons if he wanted to. Jamel was an eager learner as he sat in the cockpit and asked John question after question. He walked away from the airplane saying that he was sure he could fly after all the information he had been given.

After our Cessna tour, the linemen at Central MO Aviation let us walk down the flight line and look at the airplanes that were parked. There were several airplanes there of all different varieties. We even got to see a couple of large business jets depart and a couple different small airplanes land.

On the way home Jamel commented to me that this was one of the most fun things he's ever done. He also asked me if I could come visit him at school sometime and eat lunch with him. So, this will be something we will try and coordinate soon. It also looks like we'll be going to another Mizzou basketball game this Saturday.

Airbus A320

Janice and I flew home from Florida this morning.  We had an early morning flight from Tampa to Memphis on an Airbus A320 with Northwest Airlines.  I've only flown on an Airbus a couple of times, and me being the aviation enthusiast that I am, I asked the captain for a cockpit tour once we arrived in Memphis.  He was very accommodating and even offered me a seat in the first officer's chair.  I was able to grill him pretty hard on Airbus A320 details.  He told me it has been his favorite airplane to fly by far.  He said he has flown just about every Boeing airliner there is, and he said nothing Boeing has can beat the fly-by-wire system that Airbus has.  He said he also never wants to go back to a yoke after using the side joystick that Airbus uses.

I was very impressed with the quietness and roominess of the Airbus. It seemed the aisle was wider than any other plane I've been on, and there was also a lot of overhead room, even under the overhead compartments.  We got lucky on this flight also by getting to sit in an exit row, so we had plenty of legroom.

We also flew in and out of Columbia for the first time.  Northwest recently started service from Columbia to Memphis with Saab 340 turboprop aircraft.  These are 34 passenger planes and they are also a pretty comfortable ride.  Our flights both coming and going were pretty full, and with Northwest offering competitive pricing, it sure beats driving 2 hours to St. Louis or Kansas City.