2003 B-1B records become official
 

OVER EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The B-1B Lancer soars above the 2003 Edwards Open House and Air Show here. During the performance, the B-1B set 45 new world records for speed and broke five previously set records. These records became official April 30. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bobbi Garcia)


by Senior Airman Matthew Dillier
95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

5/7/2004 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Records set by a B-1B Lancer here during the 2003 Open House and Air Show were officially certified April 30 by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in Switzerland.

In two flights Oct. 25 and 26, the B-1B set 45 world records and broke five previously set records in the National Aeronautic Association C-1Q and C-1R, Group III weight class.

The 330,000-pound bomber falls into subclass C-1 for landplanes and Group III for its turbojet engines, said Maj. Wim Libby, 419th Flight Test Squadron assistant director of operations.

It was a long process to get the records certified, Major Libby said.

After the flights, the NAA observers had to complete a detailed report for each record, he said. Once observers completed the report, the records needed to be approved as “national records” by NAA officials. Then all the paperwork had to be sent to the FAI.

"Because we had so many records, it took (FAI officials) a few months to go through all the paperwork again and verify we satisfied all the requirements before they declared the results official world records," he said.

With the start and finish of most record-breaking flights flown above air show activity, the bomber followed three closed-circuit courses and two speed dashes.

"It was an unbelievable honor to be a part of an event of this magnitude and certainly was the opportunity of a lifetime for most, if not all of us,” said Maj. Troy Asher, 419th FLTS director of operations. “For the past 11 years, I have been part of a large group of aviators who have been trying to get the world to stand up and take note of the awesome capabilities of the B-1B.

“Ironically, this record-setting event comes at a time when the B-1B is also proving itself … in operations around the world. This event will possibly serve as icing on the cake for the great things the B-1B is doing in support of the war on terrorism and help solidify it as the weapon system of choice for the future," he said.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123007664

I can remember like yesterday the airshow I attended at Andrews AB a few years ago.  They had a B-1B on static display, and a demo fly-by.  It was absolutely the most astounding demo I've seen.  To see a plane that big stand on one wing tip and do a circle in 1/4 mile, well, you just have to see it.  And at the end, he swept the wings and gunned the engines, passing the flight line at just below the sound barrier.  Within seconds it was a tiny dot in the sky... and 150,000 tax payers gasped and said "WOW!!!"

My twin brother is in the Air Force training right now to be a WSO on either the B-1B or the F-15E. They both sound incredibly awsome. According to my brother the B-1B has some of the most advanced payload capabilities of anything we have. Sweet plane!

They did a flyover of a B-1 at Gen. Jimmy Doolittle's funeral about 10 years ago.  Quite and impressive plane, especially compared to a B-25.

GunLvr

I got to see a B2 fly overhead a few times in Dayton last year!  THAT was a sight I will not soon forget.  I got a video of it too.

Quoted: ...Oh, and the pilot flew the thing nearly upside down.  We have pics.   -Troy

I don't believe it.  You're going to have to post the pictures...

I had a B1-B do an "intercept" on my truck several times out in West Texas near Alpine.  We would see it coming in low and fast from a distance, then it would make a course correction to pass right over my truck at about 250ft.

About 5 minutes later, it would do the exact same thing from the opposite direction.  I think it "intercepted" us about 4 times over the course of 10 or 15 minutes.

It's hard to believe that they already have B1B's moth balled. Very impressive aircraft. I am glad that it finally got a conventional role (instead of nuke only).

I lost a very good friend from the Air Force Academy in a B1 accident in West Texas in Dec 02.

Rest in Peace Paul Ziemba (USAFA Class of 1990).

Gone but not Forgotten - Paul Ziemba

Quoted: The LOUDEST thing I have ever heard was a B-1B spooling up for take-off.  DVDTracker and I were at an airshow, and we were screaming at each other, and I swear it was so loud that you couldn't be sure if you were actually making any noise or not when screaming.  The 2' thick concrete was shaking like a Harley, and we were a good 300 yards away and at 90 degrees from the runway. Oh, and the pilot flew the thing nearly upside down.  We have pics.   -Troy

I lived a 1/4 mile from the runway at Grand Forks before they moved them.  We couldn't keep pictures straight on the walls because every time they took off the walls would rattle, and we had to make sure we left a little bit of space between the glasses in the cupboard or they would bang against each other.  I don't know how many times we would hear car alarms going off after a takeoff.

But, nothing beats seeing that HUGE aircraft, climbing out on two pillars of purple fire about 40 yds long streaming out behind them.  At night, all you saw was the afterburners.

Quoted: My twin brother is in the Air Force training right now to be a WSO on either the B-1B or the F-15E. They both sound incredibly awsome. According to my brother the B-1B has some of the most advanced payload capabilities of anything we have. Sweet plane!

I think a member here is a WSO on a B-1B.  

I've seen one land at Elmendorf, from several miles away.  Very elegant and graceful plane.  It was like watching a crane in flight.

Yeah, it's an awesome machine.    It's a bomber you can fly like a fighter!   I talked to one of Notrthrop-Grumman's J-STARS pilots recently, and he is a Test Pilot School graduate, and he has time in the B-1B as well.    I asked him about that, and he told me that it's an incredible ride, especially if they're using the TFR mode (Terrain Following Radar) and it's set on FIRM ride and the TFR altitude is as little as 50 feet.    He said that if THAT, in a hilly region or worse yet in canyons or a rugged mountain range,   can't make you puke,  YOU CAN'T PUKE at all!    

I saw one take off once in full AB, crank up to about a 70 degree angle immediately,  then roll and pitch left, VERY hard, practically reversing direction in what seemed like the width of the runway, and in the process, setting off every car alarm for MILES.    Very cool display.

CJ

When I was stationed at Nellis AFB, they would have those planes in for Red Flag and Capstone a few times a year. Let me tell you there is nothing like watching a B1 taking of at night! All jets take off at full power, and if they have afterburner, they shut it off a little while after takeoff and the blue flame extinguishes. Well, the B1 takes off with its four afterburners and it keeps them going at full power well after they disappear from visual range. It is really amazing to see and feel the power coming out of that jet.

The B1-B is a very cool plane, but still my fav all time military bomber has to be the BUFF (B-52 for the uninitated)

Over priced relic of the cold war.

Quoted: I had a B1-B do an "intercept" on my truck several times out in West Texas near Alpine.  We would see it coming in low and fast from a distance, then it would make a course correction to pass right over my truck at about 250ft. About 5 minutes later, it would do the exact same thing from the opposite direction.  I think it "intercepted" us about 4 times over the course of 10 or 15 minutes.

I have been nailed by Stealth bombers I don'tknow how many times.....

Each time is "unique."  In other words, teeth-chattereing, ear-splitting, ground-shaking....SO COOL!!!

Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war.

The B-1B is my favorite bomber of all time. No other heavy bomber in history had the graceful lines and sleek shape of that beauty.

Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. The B-1B is my favorite bomber of all time. No other heavy bomber in history had the graceful lines and sleek shape of that beauty.

Very well said.

Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. The B-1B is my favorite bomber of all time. No other heavy bomber in history had the graceful lines and sleek shape of that beauty.

What exactly does that have to do with its usefullness in modern combat?

Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war.

Not unlike yourself.

Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. Not unlike yourself.

What in the hell does that mean?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. Not unlike yourself. What in the hell does that mean?

you are turning into one hell of an instigator.

Had the B1's been left as nuclear capable-only.  Your statement would have neem true.
With the software upgrades and conventional weapons capabilities and large weapon capacity, they have turned into excellent all purpose bombers.

On the tarmac about 8 years ago at Ellsworth AFB (not airshow):



About 5 seconds later:





They are EXTREMELY loud, and huge.  But they take off like an F-16 (they were taking off shortly before the B1s)

Even with earplugs, my ears hurt.   Images above taken with 100mm Lens, not much zoom.

fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-1b.htm

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. Not unlike yourself. What in the hell does that mean?

I think he means that you are a no-longer-useful idiot who, since your communist utopia in the Soviet Union went tits-up, has had nothing to believe in except a philandering boob from Arkansas and a Tennessee tree-hugger who turned out to be only slightly to the right of Ted Kaczynski.

Or perhaps I'm over-analyzing it.

Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war.

Tell that to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq who had close air support from B1s dropping 36 JDAMs and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs).  They may have a different opinion.

Remember that preemptive strike on Saddam the day before the air war kicked off?  The one that was laid on in like two hours, and had promise of chopping the head off the snake early?  That was a B1 strike.

Quoted: fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-1b.htm fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/jdam.gif

What exactly does this show me?

Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. Tell that to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq who had close air support from B1s dropping 36 JDAMs and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs).  They may have a different opinion. Remember that preemptive strike on Saddam the day before the air war kicked off?  The one that was laid on in like two hours, and had promise of chopping the head off the snake early?  That was a B1 strike.

Missions that could have been flown by far cheaper aircraft. Are you really trying to convince me that the B1 is a great CAS aircraft? If so, your wasting your time.

You're right.  I don't think you could understand....

A long range bomber designed to penetrate deeply into heavily defended airspace an dispense a whole lot of whoop ass. All in the time it takes to load up and fly to the target, from the continental US. I can't see how we could use something like that in a world where hot spots develop overnight.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Over priced relic of the cold war. Tell that to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq who had close air support from B1s dropping 36 JDAMs and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs).  They may have a different opinion. Remember that preemptive strike on Saddam the day before the air war kicked off?  The one that was laid on in like two hours, and had promise of chopping the head off the snake early?  That was a B1 strike. Missions that could have been flown by far cheaper aircraft.

Uh, no.  The average "cheaper" aircraft (F15E, A10, F16 in CAS configuration) has a loiter time of measured in minutes because of the need to gas up all the time.  A B1 or B52 can loiter for HOURS and be on call the whole time.  In addition, the light grays can only carry a couple of passes' worth of ordnance (if that) before having to go back, land, rearm and refuel.  Compare an A10's lift capability (16,000 lbs of ordnance, not all of it bombs) compared to the B1s ability to carry 24 JDAMs or 84 (that's EIGHTY FOUR) 500 pounders, not to mention being able to carry a mix of weapons that the A10 simply cannot accomodate, like a combo of JDAMs and WCMDs, or for that matter JDAMs, GP bombs, naval mines, all in one plane.  

Yes, I am trying to say te B1 makes a great CAS aircraft.  But don't listen to me.....listen to the troops coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq.  Ask them if they had a choice of a B1 at their beck and call, or a two-ship of F16s, and they'll tell you the B1, because it'll stick around longer, can carry more, and as long as they have radio contact can drop them on a dime.  The only thing the light grays offer is a cannon they can use for two or three passes before it either jams or runs dry.

True, given the choice, I'd rather have an AC-130 supporting me, but absent one of them, a Bone or a BUFF raining flaming death from 30K feet would do nicely too.

Every aircraft has its niche, and every aircraft has its specialty, but the B1 doesn't even HAVE a nuclear mission anymore; might as well not let the $283 million a copy B1s go to waste.