Still is. I was the Operations Group commander for a C-5 wing at Westover AFB. They are currently undergoing uprades, new more fuel efficient engines and glass cockpits. Will be around for a number of years to come. (Probably not near as long as the "Buffs" though.)
That's the coolest thing I've seen in a while! You must be bursting with pride. Thanks to both of you and your families for serving our country. Would shake your hand if I could.
The B52 is a testiment to American craftmanship. It was , and still is, an almost flawless design for what it is intended to do. Because of this it is still relevant today and will be in the future. It has been manned by some of the best this country has to offer. TCU, and your daughter are an example of that. Thank you for your service to this country and for raising a daughter that today defends this country and my family. You two are both American heros. Thankyou , and your daughter for serving America proudly.
I can remember when they would start one of those big babies up in Marietta(?) and they'd trundle down the runway that the windows on our house, as well as pictures on the walls, and we could feel the vibration in the floors too... and our house was in the area between Buckhead and Sandy Springs (as it was then in the 60's/70's). The sight on tv of *tanks* (yes that's plural), vehicles and other equipment being loaded or offloaded was quite a sight... and boggled the mind.
I've been to the airshow at Barksdale and seen one loaded to show the public how much it carried. It amazed me the amount of cargo it carried. They also had an unloaded one on display. It was opened up so we could walk through and see how big it actually is. Amazing!!!
When I was in the USAF my boss & I made a trip to Greenland in the early '80s and we caught a ride on a C5 from Sondestrom AB in Greenland back to Dover AFB in Deleware. Since we were the only two pax they put us in the crew rest compartment behind the cockpit. I spent most of the trip in the jump seat in the cockpit. Hell of a view and a hell of a ride particularly the landing.
