For nearly 50 years, residents of Blytheville, Ark., proudly supported the Air Force base in their town. This has been an ongoing project for over a year. Ash. Compared to hose style fueling systems, flying booms of KC135s are very unforgiving to errors. BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION. By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with seventeen B-52s lost to enemy action. Location. Albums. These women had proved their selves capable of flying aircraft such as the B25 and the B29. Operated by the 97th Bombardment Wing based at Eaker AFB, Blytheville AR. Any and all donations are appreciated. KC-135A - 61-0267 - 97th BW, Blytheville Air Force Base by Darren Currie 19 International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. The first DC-3s were ordered by the USAAF in 1941 under the designation C-47, but there was no way to predict that simple designation would become a legend, that over 10,000 would be built and that the plane would be listed by General Dwight Eisenhower as one of the four pieces of equipment most vital to our success in Africa and Europe. There were countless modifications to the C-47 fleet, some taking place at the factory and some in the field. I only ask that you send older photos (probably sometime before 1970).and they can be of People, Places in Blytheville, and Things. Many DC-3 and C-47s are still in operation, nearing the end of their first half century of service and looking like they could go another half century. I hope they can save this base so that it doesnt get destroyed. In 1972, all of the bombers were temporarily moved to Guam before being returned to Blytheville AFB, at which time the installation resumed normal functions. machine guns in tail plus up to 60,000+ lbs. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. My Heritage. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov) Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air Force Base as National Cold War Center 2/7/2023 Washington - Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in . About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Would love hear your stories or your thoughts. Who knew that 41 years later I would have a new Mustang or even still be alive. Blytheville Air Force Base was established in 1942 as a pilot training station. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. After Eaker Air Force Base was B.R.A.C.d, multiple buildings on the base were put up for sale, but never put to use properly. Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. Because it was an Air Force base, the airport has room and facilities that are not available in many other complexes. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. Rolls-Royce Offers Peek At The B-52's New Engines Undergoing Testing Photo Gallery. Blytheville AFB: See Eaker AFB: Bolling AFB ACTIVE: Location: Washington, DC . Blytheville | Arkansas.com By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. N503DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport by M.J. Scanlon 17 . Below is my Blytheville Air Force Base token collection. While with the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, it received the name "Valkyrie" with appropriate nose art of a mail-clad female warrior on horseback; nose art made a renaissance in the USAF in the late 1980s, though not quite as risqu as that seen during World War II. View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). I thanked my dad for my upbringing. Scanned from 35mm Negative. Our B-52s had the Vietnam War Camo paint while this appears to have the Pre-Vietnam War SAC paint which our bombers had before their Vietnam days. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. The hospital has been tightly sealed up. Property is disposed of, and the government cleans up after itself. Improve this listing. On the opening night of the war, a group of B-52s took off from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and struck targets in Iraq with ALCMs, in a 34-hour nonstop round trip mission, a record that stood until 1996. of conventional or nuclear bombs, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=294. These three 97th BW aircraft were stationed and flown out of Anderson AFB, Guam, as part of the 72nd Strategic Wing (Provisional). In July 1991, she was retired, and as one of the Secret Squirrel aircraft, was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum immediately. See All. 1950's. Janet Austin - Duplessis. Some of the land has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. During the second World War, the United States needed more areas to train pilots, and launch aircraft to respond to the threat on the Eastern front. Explore. [1], The Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. Though, due to high traffic in that area, the aircraft had to change its course and headed for Blytheville Air Force Base instead. The majority of the bases housing is still in use, a few buildings are in use, and the tarmac is now the Arkansas Aeroplex. The original, one-of-a-kind model was created by P.J. The accounting & financing building has a large and open floor plan. It is very possible the paint that is peeling on the walls is lead-based. For more information, visit the website at www.nationalcoldwarcenter.com or call 870-532-2100. Jun 18, 2016 - blytheville afb photos | Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . Federal Facilities/Base Closure in Arkansas | US EPA of conventional or nuclear bombs, Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. The KC135 Stratotanker, as most other notary aircraft, was born out of necessity. The commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces, Henry Arnold, went as far as saying that he doubted a woman could control a B17. The 17th Bombardment Wing (H) at Anderson AB was this aircraft's next duty station, arriving there in January 1973. Merged with: Blytheville herald-news (non-extant), to form: Blytheville courier news. From an extreme case of having to be boarded up like a top secret quarantine, to simply being an old tool shed that never got used. The 97th deployed to Edwards AFB, California, while operating this aircraft. THE 5 BEST Things to Do in Blytheville - 2023 (with Photos Fighter units also rarely carried nose art or even a name, though they made up for it with very gaudy colors and flamboyant unit crests. at the old Blytheville Air Force Base now called the Blytheville Aeroplex where the city is planning to invest $20 million . Doors and numerous truckloads of metal were being hauled off the alert pad. There was some concern that female aircrew--which were becoming far more common in the 1980s than in years previously--would object to the nose art, but no such objections materialized. We share a body likeness and dress and I had an orange helmet but most of the time I wore my Easy Rider Flag helmet. 10 UFO Incidents Over Air Force Bases In The United States 1942-1946, 1953-1992. The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); http://www.fi-aeroweb.com/Defense/KC-46-Tanker.html#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20KC%2D135,cargo%20and%20aeromedical%20evacuation%20capabilities.&text=The%20KC%2DX%20Program%2C%20the,current%20KC%2D135%20tanker%20fleet. To differentiate ALCM-equpped B-52Gs from unmodified aircraft, a wing fairing was added solely for the benefit of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, in accordance with arms control treaties. After a brief hiatus of less than a decade, the facility reopened as the Blytheville Air Force Base. The 456th completed deployments to Anderson AB in Guam with this B-52G. In June 1972 General Brown assumed command of the 416th Bombardment Wing at Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y. For the families, GI's, and community that was Blytheville AFB I was stationed at Blytheville AFB in the late 1950s when it was a new SAC base and the first B-52s arrived. He told me many stories about the German . What aRead more , Stationed there 1989-1992, loved the place and love the life long friends from there. A bomber crew from Blytheville were among the first shot down during Operation Linebacker II, a December 1972 mission targeting complexes in North Vietnam. The group was awarded two Distinguish Unit Citations during WWII and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crises. Photos from Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH on JetPhotos Eaker Air Force Base - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Blytheville Air Force Base Exhibition (BAFB) - Tripadvisor ADM-20 Quail Decoy used to produce a fake B-52 signature on radar making a single B-52 appear to be as many as eight B-52s causing the Soviets to waste their SAMs chasing the Quails. 07-4637 photos; United States - US Air Force (USAF) Airline: United States - US Air Force (USAF) Reg: 07-4637 photos; Aircraft: Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules; Serial #: 382-5597; . 4 items. [1], The base closure cost the community over 700 civilian jobs, but half of these were recovered through the adaptive reuse of the former base, such as United States Post Office's utilization of the base in the late 1990s as an airport hub during the holidays, some of the base housing being converted by Westminster Village of the Mid-South for a retirement community, the construction of a $2.5 million sports complex by the local community, and the private investment of some $3 million for the creation of the Thunder Bayou Golf Course. Contributions to PAs Most Endangered List, National Register of Historic Places (Jan, 26th 2018). Fifteen B-52s were lost during the 1972 Linebacker II Christmas bombings and three of those B-52s originated from the 97th Bombardment Wing assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base; B 52G 58-0201 "Charcoal 1" went down on the 18th, B 52G 58-0198 "Olive 1" and B 52G 58-0169 "Tan 3" were shot down on the 21st. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Cover photos. Retired from service in December 2019, MD-88 N907DL is stored at the former Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, now Arkansas International Airport, in Blytheville, Arkansas. The aircraft was set on course to Boeings headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. On 7 July 1971 SACs last C-47 was transferred to the USS Alabama Monument Commission. While the B-52Hs remained on nuclear alert standby, the G models were used in the conventional bombing role after the first few nights of cruise missile strikes; at first, this was done at low altitude, but switched to high altitude later onnot because of the threat of Iraqi air defenses, which had been badly degraded, but of the psychological effect.
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