Castle Air Force Base was the first B-52 base, in 1955 B-52 52-8711 piloted by Brig. Gen William Eubanks touched down at Castle Air Base and started the long standing career of the 93rd Bomb Wing. They trained all other B-52 units in cluding the 92nd Bomb Wing as the B-52 was entering service. Thanks Castle, Job Well Done!!

One of the really beautiful sights I liked watching was in the evening when they had 11-12 Buffs & KC135's flying touch & go at Castle AFB. They'd fly south down the line of the Sierras, make a long right 180 degree turn and then return in a straight line down hwy 99 from the Madera area picking up the approach to Castle over Merced. It looked like a parade in the sky. You could park out on Fox Road and watch them for hours.

@terrygamble8108

2 жыл бұрын

I spent and evening or two on fox road watching bombers come in :) - I was usually a midshifter so I could catch the "show" on a Fri night.

Proud to say I was born at CAFB and probably watched thousands fly the skies over Merced, my Father was stationed there.

We use to ride our motorcycles into Balico and pick up a tasty one before parking at the end of the runway watching these planes come in doing touch and goes. We were so close to the action I'd hold up my brew and the pilot would give me a thumbs up as he was taking off. Great memory.

When we were kids our parents used to take us out to Fox road which would put you right under the flight path and at the beginning (or end) of the runway and we would watch these land. It was close enough whereas every once in a while a pilot would give us a wave. We would also head out to snelling now and again and in the late evening if you looked up long enough you could see one of the F-117's flying out of Nevada. (Back when they were still kinda hush thus they would be at a fairly high altitude). Miss those days.

Amazing......I personally use to hear these enormous aircrafts back in late 80s living with my Grandparents ....what a sight they were ..now that was the treat ...Thank You for all whom have served and are serving our country.🇺🇸💪

Brings back many fond memories of my time from 1984-1987 in 93rd Supply Squadron - Fuels. Wouldn't it be nice to be young again. Thanks for sharing.

@FlyinZX10R

2 жыл бұрын

I was also in fuels from 91-93 at Castle.

I was there for this exact extracting of the Bomb Navigator. He had dental surgery the day before the sortie. When up at altitude the cabin pressure pushed an air bubble in his tooth down into the nerve. He was in extreme pain. Took him off the Buff and replaced him with other nav. Back up to finish the mission.

@catfish252

3 жыл бұрын

He should have been placed on DNIF(duties not including flying) after dental procedure, that's a regulation. I spent hours flying at Castle, 4017 CCTS(Combat Crew Training School) and the CFIC(Combined Flight Instructor Course) two years later. Lots of pattern work.

I was born at Castle Air Force Base back in 1957.

93 AMS/ILMS 1991-93 My daughters lived there for a while and we all loved it. "The San Joaquin Valley." Yosemite and Sequoia

I was stationed at Castle 1967-70, 4017th CCTS, B-52 D, F, G, H Flight Simulator, operator /tech, static and mobile, numerous TDYs to KI Sawyer, Wurtsmith (lost a wisdom tooth in Gwin), Kinchloe, WP, Ellsworth, Warner/Robbins, Beale, Fairchild, Mather...Peace was our profession.

Grew up in Merced in the 60’s - 70’s and would see these beautiful monsters everyday in sky. Used to really like seeing the dark black ones flying over. My dad took me and my sister to Castle AFB to see John F. Kennedy.

I too was TDY @ Castle during the time you were there, and I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude. I was going through CFIC in '85, so thanks for keeping them in the air!

Did my CCTS and instructor upgrade there, like all of us Buff guys did back then! Worked out at Staats Gym downtown instead of the base gym. Best gym I ever joined!

I was a B-52 nav/Radar Nav 1988-92, did the initial qual and my RN upgrade training at Castle AFB. Thank you for the memories!

Grew up in nearby city of Merced. Can remember air raide sirens back in the 60's. Miss being able to go watch B-52'a doing touch and go's. lol..used to love telling people on the other end of phone, "hold on for a minute...there's a B-52 flying over my house and I can't hear you."

Just want to say what a beautiful aircraft. Crawled around the one in the Castle museum on open cockpit day. Another small world moment, I raced in the Fresno SCCA at the Castle de-fuelling pit.

I was stationed at Castle AFB from Feb 82 until Oct 92. I worked as a crew chief on KC-135A and KC-135R. I also worked B52's for a short time. This video brings back so many nice memories. I do miss the area and the people. Thanks for posting this video.

Live near the base and still remember the KC-135s and the B-52s taking off like every 10 or20 or so minutes. Sad it went out of service. Love seeing the B-52 on display at the museum.

My last Active Duty assignement was Castle. I was a Tanker Crew Chief. I separated there in 1979. Lived on Second Street in Atwater...

I was there on October 24, 1993. I vividly remember the b-52 display, the b-1 full afterburner takeoff, and Thunderbird display...I remember too much about that show to list. I was 9 at the time.

ahhh...I have fond memories of my old USAF alma mater, Castle AFB.

@W4RFIGHT3R1

5 жыл бұрын

If you were a Lt with the 93rd SPS, I was on your Giant Sword Team

I was stationed there at this time. And I worked on these majestic planes. I would be assigned to the squadron command plane 59-2588. And it earned Black letter initial in the forms with no write ups.

I was a tanker nav 1977-1981. Went through Castle upgrade in late 1976. Will never forget my first MITO takeoff. Went back in 1979 for CFIC (instructor) school. Wonderful days in the KC-135. Will never forget them!

Nice. For once, no commentary and no music. Just pure B-52G roaring, majestic sound!

I was at Castle from '89-'93. Worked the BUFF's Phase Docks. Definitely good times. I currently work KC-135R Phase Docks in Birmingham Air National Guard and one of the saddest days I've had was going to Davis-Monthan for CDDAR training and seeing my old friends parked in the boneyard. The big CA still on the tails.

@homerfry9234

5 жыл бұрын

I worked BUFF phase at Castle 1977-81 at the big hanger.

To me, the B52 Stratofortress was, and remains the most Beautiful Bird in the World. I've loved her from Day 1. God Bless America.

Thanks for the memories! Castle 90-95

My first memories of B52s was standing in the cow pasture in Southern Oregon counting the high altitude contrails of planes from Castle on training missions to Fairchild (I think).Enlisted in '70,stationed at Castle '71-'73.First day on the flight line was in mid-July trouble-shooting the old tube-type fuel quantity amplifiers(the rack was behind the pilot).Climbed out the bottom hatch after about 10mins and squeezed 2 cups of sweat out of my t-shirt.Damn! it was hot!

Amazing airplane. I flew the B747 for 15 years and the body gear steering was a direct carry over from the B-52. So many systems and parts were interchangeable on Boeing aircraft. The B52 was the first airplane I ever saw take off with full flaps. Well, there's an old saying, "if it ain't a Boeing it ain't going."

This is some great footage. I left the Air Force after 8 years as a B52G Crew Chief as a result of the BRAC and the personnel shifting that occurred. Castle AFB was my last base when I left in May of that year. Many great memories there.

That is a real nice piece of film. What a beautiful aircraft.

My pops was a crew chief here ‘88-‘94, 0214 was his favorite plane. Went to Gunsmoke at Nellis in ‘93, I always watched that bombing competition on the VHS player and he still has his Gunsmoke glass with the picture of 0214 with the Gunsmoke flag.

I really miss the nights when you could look down HWY99 from Merced looking south and could see line of 10-11 buffs & KC135's flying a long circle coming in from Chowchilla/Madera doing touch-go's at Castle. I work under the glide path in Merced and really miss the sight & sound of the incoming aircraft headed towards Castle. Used to go out to Fox road and watch the incoming planes - thrilling. Those students could really get those B52's twisted up heading for the runway. Thanks for Posting.

@WildBillHabiki

6 жыл бұрын

What always got me driving to base from Merced in the morning was the thick blanket of black smoke from the Buffs and 135s. It would start 3-4-5 miles from the base.

I was stationed at Castle's RTU program from the summers of '69 thru '73. At that time we still had D models, and trained over 600 G/H model crews into the older D model so they could fly in from Guam and U Tapao during the Vietnam war. Great flying, and it was all at high altitude, except for the touch-and-gos at the end of each mission!

I really miss the BUFF flying in the skies over Merced. I still remember the last flight of the SR-71 and the last ever flight of a B-47 Stratojet from China Lakes Naval Air Station for retirement at Castle. The Airforce still uses the Castle runway for touch and go practice for C-17 transports and the occassional B-52. The most recent government landing was one of the "United States of America" planes that Mischelle Obama used to travel to Merced for the U.C. Merced graduation last May.

I was with the 320th Bomb Wing (Heavy) at Mather AFB, CA.

@GoletaBrian Love the work you did videoing the B-52G "touch 'n' goes" and "low approaches." The sound of those eight J57 engines stirs the soul.

I also was stationed at castle from '77-81 and '88-'92 and lived in Atwater. I was a jet engine mechanic with the 93rd FMS APU/CSD shop in the old hound dog test cell on the flight line my first tour, then came back with my 2nd tour with the 693rd out of the Gam building working on the KC-135A and R models. This video brings back a lot of great memories. Thanks!

@homerfry9234

7 жыл бұрын

Jam to the Gam, that was the saying on the line

As a kid growing up in the 1980s, I always loved watching the B-52s do their low level training on the IR 075 route that ran across a portion of Kentucky and the mock attacks on the radar bomb site at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond, KY. I saw many a G and H model fly overhead at 400 feet altitude. Sadly, they closed that RBS site sometime in the early to mid 1990s and military aircraft stopped flying that route. I really miss seeing all of those old SAC aircraft such as the B-52, the B-1B and the FB-111. As a kid, I just took it for granted that these aircraft would always remain a common sight.

My Dad was stationed at CAFB too. He was a hydraulics specialist on the B52 and I remember these planes flying all the time...and being LOUD! But, they were my Dad's favorite to work on. We left in 1979 for LAFB in Glendale, AZ where he worked on the F15's...he hated how tight the spaces were compared to his first love the B52. LOL We lived in base housing. I went back to Atwater a few years ago...boy has it changed.

Castle Air Museum has a 52, B-36, B-47, B-24, Vulcan--and many others on display. At Open Cockpits you can climb in many.

Castle AFB was the first base in which the B-52 B was assigned on 29 June 1955 almost 40 years from the making of this video. The 93d Bombardment Wing welcomed the first B-52 (B-52 B053-8711 flown in by the commander B Gen William Eubanks. Greg-Phoenix

Thanks mariven45! I never expected to find out why that crew man was removed from that B-52.

@donkeyspamffs The B-52Gs in this video are powered by J57 turbojets. B-52Hs are powered by low bypass TF-33 turbofans. Re-engining the B-52H fleet with high bypass turbofans has been suggested several times, It's just a matter of money.

Brings back memories, was there 61-65 93rd oms. worked on B's then F's. ground crew. My plane 033 an F. The B's left for March AFB, than Nam. We were next to the flt line 4 barracks and chow hall in the middle. thanks for the memories.

The BUFF in action. Great video Brian!!! I would have loved to been there to see this beautiful plane in action. Take care and keep up the good work. -Big Tony

Stationed there from 88 - 94 in the 93rd FMS AGE shop. Good memories!

@d.heller7038

3 жыл бұрын

78 - 82

I was at Castle at that time. I remember the joke - SAC stands for Stuck At Castle. But I got orders to Lakenheath less than a year after getting their.

I went to Atwater High for my Freshman and Sophomore year (1978-1979). My Dad was PCS'd out to Luke AFB in 1979. I too, recently went back with my son and was very disappointed in what has happened to base housing, and the whole town. I'll never go back.

I remember sitting at the end of the runway in '93. Saw a lot of B-52Gs and KC-135s that day. Good times!

I worked on and flew on the G models at Barksdale AFB when we had the Hound Dog missiles on them. They was nice airplanes and I loved both them, and the D, and H models which I also worked on at Minot, and U-tapao during the Vietnam War.

@quietcorner293

5 жыл бұрын

I was there from 92 to 93. I remember this BUFF model being a nightmare for sheet metal. Those engines were hard on the struts which often needs complete rebuilds.

I was there in 1971-1974. I worked on 4 different models of buffs. The KC-135 was a bit easier to work on. I was in the Aero Repair shop inside the big hanger, third floor.

It is my understanding that we are going to use them for 40 more years. It must be a really sturdy airframe. Seems like the investment in high performance engines is kind of a no brainer.

@ DxRoadDuke Yes, the 50 cal's were removed from the G models. Fire Control started the dmod before they were all cross trained, and trained Bomb Nav to complete the task.

Man; 20 years ago. memories. I was in the 328 BS and worked out of the "GAM" on the flight line. Not sure why we called it the GAM. Anyone else work on the flight line?Maybe in DIFM? Ever eat the "Darla Dogs" in Atwater. This was a great trip down memory lane. Thank your for sharing. A couple of years before this video the B52s in this video sported some very nice nose art but ACC made us remove them and paint "CA" on the tail.

Wow, that brings back memories! CAFB, CA. 91-94. 58-0242. B-52G

Hey! My old squadron.93rd OMS 1987-1992..Electro/Environmental Tech.And QA. Remember when a crew broke one in half and the wing commander parked it at the hammerhead as a reminder? what a trip!

Was stationed at castle Jan 62 to June 66 first job was on ground crew on B52B-007 then went recovery team 93rd oms

I get a bigger thrill watching a b52 take off than the space shuttle!

I was also at Castle from 72-80 as a OMS member on 52s F,G,H and 135 s aq,r models night refueling on both aircrafts. Also in both docks and in job control for 52 dock. And finally finished in training in 1980. All of your comments are right about MITO take offs. There was nothing like watching a MITO of fifty or more B52s every 15 seconds and to loose site of them off PADDY'S POINT and in about what seemed to be a long time and then seeing them again.Also seeing the KC 135 in Kadena Ab MITO take off of 1 min a gagle of 130 or more aircraft taking off . Both abovementioned statements just bring goose pimples to me every time I remember those times. Oh I forgot the B47s doing a simultaneously takeoffs after a Ori excersize.

@homerfry9234

7 жыл бұрын

Whooo Hooo! AFSC 43151E , Castle 1977-1981 OMS Bomber phase dock in the big hangar. Chanute AFB schooled not a Shepard wiener

@randalllinhares3061

6 жыл бұрын

Hi I'm Randall linhares i was born at Castle in 1953

Thanks for posting this! I've been a big fan of the B-52, and it's always amazing watching them in action. Question-- after Desert Storm, did they remove the tailguns on the G's like they did with the cannons on the H's?

@terrygamble8108

2 жыл бұрын

All of the G's were retired by '94, I don't remember if they bothered to take the guns out before they retired them or not.

When I was a kid we were stationed at castle and remember being at the end of the runway with my dad when they had those drills! Video does no justice to the awesomeness of these planes!!! After castle we went to barksdale then sheppard afb in wf,Tx and boy that was boring with there little T-38s

@PchanStitch Good question. After they pulled him off the plane, it went back up and continued flying.

Awesome camerawork, great content... does it get any better?

The museum is still active there and first rate with SR-71 Vulcan B-37 over 70 airplanes

I remember driving into to Merced you would always see these massive planes circling around low over head practice take offs and landings what a sight to see, when you would be talking to someone and one flew over head just would have to pause mid sentence wait a few seconds then start right where left off like nothing had happened Ahaahahhaah!

My uncle was a navigator/bombadier on a B-52G at Grand Forks. He was going to go to Vietnam but his unit got recalled.

From the very first second of this video, the sound confirms that the title is correct.

I was at castle from 1985 to ,1987, I worked for the commissary, services squadron.

@timsergent4380

5 жыл бұрын

Did you know Tim Miller?

@timsergent4380

5 жыл бұрын

Did you know Tim Miller

The beginning where that ambulance was carrying off a crewmember must’ve been a bad situation. Looked like the paramedic was giving chest compressions. Anybody know about that incident? Very rare for something like that to happen to an Air Force in a crewmember.

Stationed at Castle AFB - 93rd Bomb Wing 1963 - 1967.

Was this the last year before they closed Castle? Chanute afb was one of the many bases closed in 93. Just curious.

I remember back in 1970 as a kid going on a school field trip to Castle to see the B-52 and the KC-135 tanker. I saw some pictures of the base recently. Its totally trashed. What a waste of its former glory.

I went to the last Castle AFB Show in 1995, but by that time, all the B-52's were gone. :(

@Toneyg2 and what Planet's resources should we use? Castle is indeed closed, no secret underground 2.5 mile long runways.

I was stationed at Castle AFB from 1984 to Oct. 1993. I busted many a knuckle on the aircraft featured on this video. Rate this 5-stars. :) I only wish you had footage of the KC-135R going nearly vertical.

trong tất cả các loại máy bay mà tôi biết ,tôi thấy B52 là loại máy bay có hình dáng đẹp nhất ,và hùng dũng nhất ,tôi rất say mê khi xem những hình ảnh về B52

Hey bomber fans. This is one of many that have been retired and the only last ones flying is the b52 h model. Great jet however and its sweet to see this one here.

I remember the days I was about 8 my house would shake and rattle 3 miles away

@peterlows: Your right. What they did in this instance was during take off the co-pilot deployed the drag chute because they lost water injection on a couple of engines. He wanted to abort but the pilot gave it full throttle for takeoff. WHAM! BANG! they droped it at the end of the runway. No one was hurt but the aircraft. "CAN" Bird for maintenance,Total embarresment for the flight crews!

I was there at that time. I probably got called out to that plane. Jan 92 to Mar 93.

In My Honest Opinion in case of international crisis I would order to B-52 to remain flying until the crisis is over. I have read that B-52 engines can remain started until lubrificant oil is finished

The B-52H was fitted with TF-33 turbofans. The B-52 was also used to test the turbofans that would be used on the early 747s.

@allencorrigan1972

Жыл бұрын

Pictures? I remember this story.

How many hours did a patrol mission last? some one says he stayed on air for 35 hours and longer

What's the difference between the H and G models?

@GoletaBrian any idea why?

@donkeyspamffs The B-52G's in this clip no longer exist. The B-52H is the only model still in service, and they have had turbofans since they were built in the early '60s. The earlier A-G models were built with '50s era turbojets, but they have long since been retired and most of them destroyed at the "boneyard" in AZ. There have been proposals to replace the eight early '60s fans on the remaining B-52Hs with four larger, much more powerful and efficient fans, but it hasn't yet happened.

[From someone who isn't American) Is someone able to explain to me what the tailsigns indicate? CA means Castle?What about LA,BD? Castle AFB was closed down, when they relocated would they have changed the tail signs? Finally, all the G models have been retired as of today right?

I have read that now there is no longer a navigator officer because GPS and inertial systems can calculate direction by themselves. But there is still a "electronic countermeasure officer". Given that there was no war against soviet fighters, how could a crew be sure that these countermeasures were actually effective against soviet air to air missiles? If on a B-1, we would think that its speed and altitude made it unvulnerable, but a B-52...

Was this the last year Castle was open? Chanute afb was one of the many bases shut down in 93. Just wondering if Castle closed the same year.

@LionofthetribeofJudah650

3 жыл бұрын

Castle closed in 1995

I think I would have liked being in the Air Force back then as opposed to now.

สุดยอดเลยครับบินบี52

i agree, but she's known to be the hardest aircraft to work on in the AIR FORCE. i'd still work on them if called. i put three of them in the bone yard with my name on the side of them. i hated watching them leave castle for the last time.

The B-52H is the only model of the familiy with turbofan engines, guess why all other B-52 got phased out?

Wait, why were they taking someone off in a stretcher?

60-0001 b-52 the memphis belle IV was the first aircraft ever to have turbofan engines.

Is it just me or does the G model sound a good bit different than the H model?

@PlanesAndGames732

6 жыл бұрын

JPH1786 Yes, the B-52G uses 8 J57 and the B-52H uses 8 TF33

That guy they took off the plane? Oh, he threw his back out shoveling coal in the boiler room.

Always a great moment when they skidding sideways...