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Show NOUJO FJu(i8(qdd" ? JDngCuO April 29, 1988 cacaDuGQd Hilltop Times 7 f feDD CdqduuCdgf qqQ WASHINGTON (AFNS) The secretary of the Air Force announced April 20 that the first flight of the advanced technology bomber, or B-is currently set for this fall. On its maiden flight, the B-- 2 will launch" from its final assembly facility at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., and land at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif.,' where flight testing will be conducted. 2, The initial flight of the B-- 2 will highlight the return of the flying wing design to military aviation. Secretary of the Air Force Edward Aldridge Jr. said, "The first flight of the B-- which has enjoyed bipartisan congressional support from its inception, will represent a dramatic leap forward in technology and the achievement of a major milestone in pur nation's strategic modernization program." The president's decision and the congressional support to develop and procure 132 s with an initial operational capability in the early 1990s, folwas based on lowing the deployment of 100 the need to redress the strategic imbalance between the United States and the Soviets. While the acquisition of 132 B-- bombers was originally estimated to cost $36.6 billion (in fiscal 1981 dollars), Air Force officials are cost estimates for the program as a result of current and projected fiscal constraints. When that process is completed later this year, they will release those updated figures. ' ! , ' . 2, B-2- B-lB- s, , .- - . s&3& v- -. - . U.S. Air Force Photo Advanced technology bomber The initial flight of the B-- 2 will highlight the return of the flying wing to the Air Force. The acquisition of the B-- 2 ensures U.S. capability to effectively penetrate Soviet defenses well into the 2 to begin later this year. In addition, the selection of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, Okla., was announced in February as the primary depot f acuity for the B-The first flight of the B-- 2 this fall will represent a major achievement in an aggressive and highly successful development program, said Air Force 21st century. 2. Air Force officials previously announced that Whiteman AFB, Mo., would be the initial operating base for the B-- Initial construction to support the aircraft's beddown at Whiteman is scheduled 2. officials. 7g$8 sO?v fcbggiDDs rj)Gju(Du( year odd rjaonGp MsGwy the time, the wing was equipped Beginning war years highlighted by courage, with the Thunderchief, or "Thud," as it's called. It's around the Thud that most of the former maintenance officer's memories are rekindled. was one hell of an airhe plane," said "I saw pilots get out of it after a mission and kiss it. .because it had taken the punishment and they had come back. ' ' Mr. Looney said it was important to put the durability of the aircraft in perspective so as to grasp the nature of the intense emotions displayed by some people during the F-1- purpose, difficult missions by Capt. Jerome Reed Unavoidably, he was overcome with emotion. His eyes slowly moistened and a single tear inched down his right cheek; he gazed upward to halt its flow. Those days were not forgotten, yet he never realized such vivid memories were so close to the surface. "I had no idea talking about it would be this emotional," he said. Retired Lt. Col. Don R. Looney had just recalled some of the bittersweet moments almost 22 years ago when he was a maintenance supervisor with the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was during a time when wing aircrews were involved in the most intensive air defense in the history of air warfare attacking in North Vietnam. He was part of a contingent of 175 officers and enlisted maintainors, Tactimembers of the wing's-469tcal Fighter Squadron, who flew and tar-ge- . Thailand, With a spirited tone, the old Lexington, Ky., native gave a vivid account of what he called courageous, dedicated men who displayed a special regard for man,: mission and machine. That, in his own words, was "the best year I had in 22 years of service. ) tUso," he said, "but what was most fulfilling was. the way everyone recognized they had a job to do and did it." Mr. Looney, then Major Looney, said he was referring to a point in the war when everyone thought it was a just cause. "We all felt we had a need to be there," he said. During this period, the 388th TFW was comprised of four tactical fighter squadrons, two of which are still active today (the 34th and 421st). At mm 3T V - A- V'jr W v. 4vcS- - - - 'v- - . " tion to mission' and machine. "I remember SSgt. Reuben j crr-ir!- v We counted 144 holes; it flew the next day," he said. Such events, according to Mr. Looney, occurred daily and seemingly bred the special display of devo- ts r; C-J- , 111 stand in. Another one came back after apparently taking a direct hit. performed basic organizational k. maintenance on the unit's jets. That was in August 1966, just four months after the 388th TFW had been at Korat Royal Thai AFB, 55-yea- fPi war. "We had a plane come back one day with a hole in the wing you could h a - Project Nnrrinr- "That 388th TFW Pubtic Affairs Officer "11 vte 05 Sailor, a crew chief, and his aircraft;, 'Mr. Toad One day, Sergeant Sailor was out on the ramp waiting for his plane to return from a mission ... he was bawling like a baby. Mr. Toad was late, and I guess Reuben thought it had been shot down. "Eventually his plane returned that day," said Mr. Looney, "but a week later, it never came back." Mr. Looney said the "love" be--i stowed on Mr. Toad and other air-- ; craft was in the way the jets were maintained and how the aircraft seemingly responded. "Reuben used a toothbrush to clean the cockpit gauges and he would paint the floor-o- f the aircraft. "Pilots used to tell me they had never seen a plane, direct from the factory, any cleaner than Mr. Toad," ' he said. "The aircraft was always flawless, and flew the same way. Everyone loved to fly it." CatoQyv yea became misty smiled. he Another fond and again, memory had ignited. "Ah, and then there was aircraft 421. 1 nicknamed it 'The Great Pumpkin.' Imagine a giant orange pumpkin with Snoopy riding it. "At first, pilots were a little appre- - U.S. Air Fores Photo by Copt. Jtromt Reed Port Loonoy 1966: "That was a good year." ; -- ' , ' hensive about flying a jet with a bright orange target on it ... but, they grew to love it," he said. "Maj. Glenn Wilson was flying it one day when it was hit and burst into flames aft of the fuselage. You could see the engine," said Mr. Looney. "Yet, I'm told he flew it 1 10 miles out of Hanoi before it lost its hydraulics and flight controls. He 'punched out but the plane never exploded. It just floated to the ground like a leaf." Back on the ground, Major Looney. continued to direct his squadron's maintenance activities. "My squadron was the first to fly 20,000 hours over 'The North,' " he said; "The aircraft attrition was incredible." According to Mr. Leoney, during his tour in Southeast Asia, he lost an entire squadron of aircraft. Then, there were 20 per squadron. "Incredible, but true," he said. "One month we lost 78 aircraft in the wing. "Usually, we'd have two 'goes' a day, 40 sorties each go, striking targets over Hanoi and Haiphong," he said. Mr. Looney said 10 aircraft per squadron were scheduled to fly and maintainers had those 40 "turned," and ready to fly in the afternoon. "That's when the maintenance people really humped." After that recollection, almost immediately, Mr. Looney's attitude changed. He had said "maintenance people," a group with whom he would always identify. "The dedication of the maintenance people was different. They didn't face the possibility of death like the pilots did. Yet, they were tied to their aircraft and the mission," said Mr. Mooney. "There was an undeniable bond with the men who flew the aircraft. "The courage off the pOets was quite memorable," he said. "I had seen some who literally shook with fear and wept dreading another mission. But they went, day after day, and sadly, many never came back. I lost a lot of good friends over there." Mr. Looney was careful not to fully disclose his personal or political views about his tour in Vietnam. Occasionally, however, he would allude to past moments which apparently still leave him bitter. Yet, he would simply say, "That doesn't matter now." And for now, Don Looney returns to the present. His smile returns and his eyes are once again in clear focus. "That was a good year," he said. Rtoi Mr. Looney reCJcr'i tired from active duty in October 1973. Currently, he is a GS-1- 2 logis- tics management specialist at Air Logistic Center, Robins AFB, Ga. He visited Hill AFB and his old wing when he was here April 11 through last Monday as part of the Air Force Logistics Command inspector general team conducting a unit effectiveness inspection of the Ogden Air Logistics Center. Warner-Robin-s |