Barksdale AFB Airshow, May 8th, 2011

[Arjan]

Hi all,

Raw log from this interesting airshow yesterday;

A-10A 80-238/DM, 80/278/DM (white)
F-4E 72-1485/HD, 72-0140/HD
B-2A 93-1086/WM 13 BS
B-2A 93-1096/WM 393 BS
TC-135W 63-4129/OF
C-130H 91-9144 328 AS
F-18C 165199/NH411 VFA 86
UH-72A 07-72018 5 Avn Bat
UH-60A 80-23443 Tx Arng
CT-156 156115 RCAF
TC-44A 161197/G197
A-10A 79-0090/BD, 79-0105/BD (static)
A-10A 79-0155/BD (sunsheds) +more, have to check pictures
T-38A 64-13265/WM 509 Wg
T-1A 91-0091/XL 86 FTS
T-6A 08-3910/EN Banshees
F-15E 88-1682/SJ, 88-1687/SJ 336 FS
C-17A 99-0062 97 AMW
KC-10A 82-0193 60 AMW
KC-135R 62-3553 54 ARS / 97 AMW
F-15C 81-0022/JZ 122 FS
F-16C 92-0911/- SC ANG
T-38A 68-8186/HO, 68-8139/HO, 68-8172/HO 7/8 FS (carry both sqn badges)
F-16C 90-0718/LF, 90-0730/LF 308 FS

B-52H
60-0042/BD, 60-0041/BD, 60-0038/BD, 60-0058/LA, 60-0013/LA, 60-0021/LA, 61-0010/LA, 61-0019/LA, 60-0024/LA,
61-0004/LA, 61-0012/LA, 60-0054/LA, 61-0029/BD, 61-0038/BD, 60-0049/OT, 61-0013/LA, 61-0008/BD, 60-0045/BD,
61-0006/LA, 61-0021/BD, 60-0015/BD, 61-0036/LA, 61-0031/BD, 60-0016/LA, 60-0022/LA, 61-0016/LA, 60-0025/LA,
61-0031/-, 60-0038/-
The 60-0016/LA was parked on a revetment on the north side of the ramp and carried a very faded grey c/s. This one looks stored or an instructional?

I left the warbirds out, will update them later. A lot of Texans were present, certainly with the Tora, Tora, Tora gang around. The Skyraider, B-26 and B-29 were nice visitors!!

A lot of nice visitors on the ground, only few in the air. Around noon one of the B-2's left for a 5 hour mission, callsign Reaper 11. The plane had to backtrack first before taking off and made two interesting passes giving it ample photo opportunities. As it made a flyby at New Orleans saturday, I guess it will have flown there today as well.
One B-52 arrived around 1300 with a high speed pass, always impressive from a bone for a 360 turn and an airbase attack which they call the "wall of flame".
Further not much military in the air, except for the excellent A-10 West Coast demo and a few high speed passes from the Phantom, together with a P-51 they made a few heritage passes.
From noon on the sun in the back, allthough it was cloudy sometimes. It got a lot better in the afternoon.

Security was more tight and tense than yesterday at New Orleans. Also the military personnel kept telling that it was not allowed to take pictures of the row of B-52's parked alongside the parkinglot. Don't know how they figured to enforce this?

[SquAdmin]

Also the military personnel kept telling that it was not allowed to take pictures of the row of B-52's parked alongside the parkinglot. Don't know how they figured to enforce this?

Crazy... I remember a show at Dobbins a long time ago, where the public was not allowed to take pictures of the backside of the demo F-117 which was being towed

[Arjan]

Wasn't this the case at Eindhoven '93 as well?

[okerkhof]

Hi Arjan,

I thinks you're right, I almost got arrested in '93 at Eindhoven when I crossed the line accidently to photgraph the F117. USAF personnel took me apart to check me out and find out what my intentions were. I was just a young guy who didn't read the signs properly......afterwards I got an autograph on a card of a KC-1O extender tanker...

regards Olaf

[Oscar01]

Hi,

I had a base-visit there early Feb and to me this bare-metal one looked like to be on tran-alert (as they were arming this one). But not sure.

Same for me with security. I was allowed to take all the pictures I wanted from the BDs, but not from the LAs, as they were the active unit.

Nice report though,
Oscar

[downwind]

"Security was more tight and tense than yesterday at New Orleans. Also the military personnel kept telling that it was not allowed to take pictures of the row of B-52's parked alongside the parkinglot."

Security at New Orleans was tight, but traffic logistics even worse...

The seemingly odd photo rules are actually quite normal(?). Operational flightline is out of bounds and so are certain details on the B-2 including the exhausts. Same thing happened to me previous years at Barksdale, but also at Oceana & Tyndall. Politely say you're sorry, wait 10 minutes and then do it again anyway. At New Orleans we weren't even allowed to tread the 10 ft grass strip between the concrete apron and the fence. Apparently that's obvious to Americans and they only need warned once.

[Arjan]

I can understand what you mean about traffic, but planning is key and I got on and off the bases within minutes each time. Leaving during the final minutes of the Blue Angels etc. helps!!

The following planes carried nose art;
A-10's
79-105 Daisy Mae
79-090 Tigress

B-52's
1013 High Tension III
0041 Christine
0035 Global Warrior
0013 Lucky 13
1010 Junkyard Dog
0058 War Hog
1031 Judgment Day
1029 SAC Time
1038 Apocalypse