B-52 Stratofortress pilots control six-decade-old hardware with a 185-foot wingspan — and the lives of the four or five airmen onboard. But the moment the Vietnam War-era bomber’s wheels leave the ground, anything can happen — and some of the most important lessons cover more than routine flight procedures.
Defense News visited Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to check out the aging B-52 bomber fleet and talk to pilots about what it will take for the aircraft to fly for several more decades. Here’s what we saw:
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Lt. Col. Michael "Fredo" DeVita, left, instructor pilot and commander of the 11th Bomb Squadron, and student pilot 1st Lt. Clayton Hultgren prepare to take off in a B-52H Stratofortress for a training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The radar screen at a B-52 weapon systems officer's station. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Student pilot 1st Lt. Clayton Hultgren of the 11th Bomb Squadron, right, guides a B-52H Stratofortress in for aerial refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker above Arkansas on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A panel in the B-52H weapon systems officer station contains numerous instruments that control where a bomb will drop. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
On this Jan. 4, 2024, training flight on a B-52H Stratofortress, the bomber's new digital display wasn't working. The pilots had to rely on an older navigation system, seen here. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber flies alongside another during a training flight out of Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The weapon systems officer station on a B-52 Stratofortress contains an array of instruments that control where it will drop its bombs. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Capt. Jonathan "Loaner" Newark of the 11th Bomb Squadron, an instructor weapon systems officer on a B-52, carries out simulated bombing during a Jan. 4, 2024, drill over Fort Johnson, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
First Lt. Clay Hultgren of the 11th Bomb Squadron makes preflight adjustments to a B-52H bomber before a training flight on Jan. 4, 2024. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Lt. Col. Michael "Fredo" DeVita, instructor pilot and commander of the 11th Bomb Squadron, runs through preflight checks before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber, dubbed the Red Gremlin II, sits on the flight line before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber, dubbed the Red Gremlin II, sits on the flight line before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A B-52H bomber, dubbed the Red Gremlin II, sits on the flight line before a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Lt. Col. Michael "Fredo" DeVita, commander of the 11th Bomb Squadron, prepares for a training flight Jan. 4, 2024, during a preflight briefing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The throttle of a B-52 Stratofortress allows its pilots to individually adjust power to specific engines in case of trouble. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The co-pilot's yoke on a B-52 Stratofortress. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The bomb bay of a B-52 Stratofortress prior to a Jan. 4, 2024, training flight at Barksdale Air Force Base. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The Red Gremlin II, a B-52H Stratofortress, was built in 1960 and is still in service today. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
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