Low level pilotage, at 600mph

[TangoWhiskey]

Awesome footage from the 1950s of a Fort Worth-built Convair B-58 Hustler's low level pilotage (visual checkpoints) west from Texas to California and back.

 

[BillTIZ]

Looks like he landed at Edwards AFB.

Great video, reminds me of doing the same in the B-52 at 340knts and the B-1 at planned 540Knts plus. We were limited to .95M low level for structural life of the aircraft, non combat. Not that we went from Texas to CA, but some our training routes were long enough to be the same distance.

 

[frfly172]

Nice video.

 

[Old Geek]

Why the oxygen mask at 500'?

 

[EvilEagle]

Why the oxygen mask at 500'?

Several reasons - regs require it when doing the mission (because), it protects your face in an ejection, your mic is in there, when you drop your mask the intercom is very loud (crew airplanes don't like that). Probably more reasons but that's just off the top of my noggin.

 

[Velocity173]

Several reasons - regs require it when doing the mission (because), it protects your face in an ejection, your mic is in there, when you drop your mask the intercom is very loud (crew airplanes don't like that). Probably more reasons but that's just off the top of my noggin.

Evil do you all wear anything different for NBC training?

 

[BillTIZ]

Why the oxygen mask at 500'?

Mic is in the mask, need two hands to fly at times, can't be holding up the mask every time you need to communicate. We did not have a hot mic, had two PTT switches, one for internal, one for selected radio. Old systems had one PTT and dial a radio/intercom. PTT on the yoke, back sweaters had two foot switches, one crew com, the other was radio.

Mask on does protect the face and help hold the helmet on during ejection.

Helmet and mask were required for certain for phases of flight in heavy bombers. Takeoff, refuel, low level, approach and landing, any time the seat was armed. Air combat maneuvers. Seat required armed during prescribed phases of flight.

 

[SoloEqs]

it protects your face in an ejection,

Not in the B-58, which had capsule ejection.

I agree with your other ideas, and will add that having the mask and hose swinging around during a hard ride is very annoying and wears you out faster. Having it in place is more comfortable.

We can also assume that the immediate-action abort plan was to go up, and you could get into the FLs in a couple of moments, while being too busy doing other stuff to want to mess with the mask. Whacking the bayonet to fully seat the mask only takes a second.

 

[Hawker800]

Nice find.

 

[poadeleted20]

Several reasons - regs require it when doing the mission (because), it protects your face in an ejection, your mic is in there, when you drop your mask the intercom is very loud (crew airplanes don't like that). Probably more reasons but that's just off the top of my noggin.

Also protects your face if a bird comes through the windshield. Same reason visors must be down (including the clear visor at night) for low-levels. Back with the old dual-visor helmets, many guys put both visors down for night low-levels -- added protection.

BTW, at Red Flag and the like, I've seen 600 knots at low level in the RF-4C and 770 knots in the F-111D. Al Wickman and Walt Watson (later of SR-71 fame) were clocked at 831 knots in an F-111D one night at Red Flag -- burned/peeled back the unit decals on the sides of the plane. Best quote of the night was Walt's response when an F-15 pilot ragged on him later that "You guys think you're so cool doing that, but I can see your burners blazing 100 miles away." Walt's memorable response: "You can see the sun 93 million miles away, but just try to hit it."

 

[poadeleted20]

We can also assume that the immediate-action abort plan was to go up, and you could get into the FLs in a couple of moments, ...

"Moments"? Two minutes, maybe, to the flight levels. But in the jets I flew (A-6, RF-4, F-111), we'd just pull to get above the ETCA (emergency terrain clearance altitude) for the route and then level off - typically only a few thousand feet of climb even in the mountains. Usually the bigger issue was slowing.

 

[Ted]

Too cool. Gotta love all that black smoke.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Best quote of the night was Walt's response when an F-15 pilot ragged on him later that "You guys think you're so cool doing that, but I can see your burners blazing 100 miles away." Walt's memorable response: "You can see the sun 93 million miles away, but just try to hit it."

That's AWESOME.

 

[JimNtexas]

I don't think they could have flown that far in afterburner.

And by the way, a 610 knot low level is SMOKING FAST!!!!! Way faster than anything in the current inventory could sustain for any length of time, let alone all the way from Fort Worth to California!

By comparison, F-16's usually fly low level at 420 knots (for what, 100 miles?), F-15E's at 480.

F-111A/D/E usually flew 480knots, but could step it up to 520 for a respectable distance. I'm pretty sure the F-111F could have kept up with that B-58 at least in to New Mexico.

 

[poadeleted20]

I don't think they could have flown that far in afterburner.

Agreed, but given the size of the Nellis areas, they didn't have to before being in and out. :wink2:

F-111A/D/E usually flew 480knots, but could step it up to 520 for a respectable distance. I'm pretty sure the F-111F could have kept up with that B-58 at least in to New Mexico.

The D's and E's planned for 480 knots cruise GS (which often required a good bit more than 480 KTAS), 510 IP-target. We could do 600 KTAS pretty easily if needed.

The F's planned 30 knots faster. They had lots more thrust, and on a cold day could even supercruise (supersonic without afterburner) on the deck. In fact, a brain-dead Lakenheath 48th Wing crew did that inadvertently one day up at the Benbecula RBS site and knocked the scoring shack off its concrete blocks. The RAF called the wing commander before they even got back to the 'Heath:

 

[JimNtexas]

I never saw 600 knots at low altitude, but I was in the EF, and there really wasn't any reason for us to fly that fast. And the F-111F was incredible!

I wonder if the B-1 could cruise along at 610 knots?