28.03.

2018 US Air Force B-36 Flying 1955-1957

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Flying the Aluminum and Magnesium Overcast

Combat Air Crew S-02 (Select Lead)
40th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 6th Bombardment Wing (Heavy)
Strategic Air Command
WALKER AIR FORCE BASE, ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO
MARCH 1955 - SEPTEMBER 1957
By Lieutenant Colonel Ted Allan Morris, United States Air Force (Retired)

....

Cockpit Schematics:
Aircraft Commander's Station | Pilot's Station | Engineer's Station (B-36F II) | Engineer's Station (B-36J III)
Forward Cabin (B-36F II) | Forward Cabin (B-36F III) | Aft Cabin (B-36F II) | Aft Cabin (B-36F III)
Main Landing Gear (extended) | Main Landing Gear (retracted)

In March 1955 I became a "Johnny Come Lately" First Lieutenant in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) bomber force. After six months of
Officer Candidate School and 18 months in the Air Training Command Observer Course, I was assigned as a B-36 Aircraft Performance
Engineer (APE), Crew S-02, 40th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 6th Bomb Wing (Heavy), Walker AFB, NM. I had already served nine and
one-half years as an enlisted crew chief and flight maintenance technician on PBY-5A, PBM-5, SB-17E, SA-16A and C-119G aircraft in the Coast
Guard and Air Force. Although SAC initially had used both officer and enlisted engineers on the "Peacemaker", they converted to all officer
engineers during the final years of the B-36 program. I was commissioned specifically for that reason.

During those years SAC had six Bomb Wings (Heavy) with about 200 B-36s of all models. There were also four Reconnaissance Wings (Heavy)
(later designated bombardment wings) with just over 130 RB-36 models. The 6th BW (H) consisted of three Bomb Squadrons (Heavy), the 24th,
39th, and 40th. During my years with the 6th BW (H) it was first commanded by Colonel W. K. Martin, followed by Colonel Glenn W. Martin,
two very fine commanders and true gentlemen.

Each squadron in the 6th BW (H) was assigned nine B-36F aircraft (both standard and featherweight versions), and one featherweight B-36J. A
standard B-36F had fifteen crewmen, a total of 16 MK 24 20mm cannons in eight turrets for defensive armament, and carried about 9200 rounds
of 20mm ammunition. The featherweight B-36J carried only 1200 rounds for the tail turret), had two fewer aft gunners, and had the nose turret,
the two upper forward turrets, the two upper aft turrets, and the two lower aft turrets (each turret with two guns), the associated turret
retracting/extension mechanisms, and the fire control systems removed. This considerable weight reduction, permitted carrying an additional
2700 gallons (16,200 lbs.) of fuel, bringing the total fuel capacity to 30,600 gallons (183,600 lbs.). The B-36 was powered by six Pratt and Whitney
R-4360-53, 3800 horsepower reciprocating engines, and four General Electric J-47 GE-19, 5200 pound thrust jet engines. A combat loaded
featherweight B-36 weighed in at 410,000 pounds, and could scoot along at about 410 knots true air speed (KTAS) with a combat range of 4500
miles and a service ceiling of 44,500 feet.

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Two B-36F (II) of the 6th Bomb Wing (Heavy), fly low over the desert near their home base at Walker AFB, Roswell, New Mexico. Each aircraft had a crew of 15
men, sixteen 20mm cannons in eight turrets, and carried a 43,500 lb. MK-17 Thermonuclear Weapon during EWO (Emergency War Order) operations. Aircraft
92683 in the foreground has an oil leak on the right inboard engine as evidenced by two oil stains on the right stabilizer and elevator - a very common
occurrence. USAF photo. For a larger version of this same photo, click here.

Each squadron had ten aircrews. Although aircrews were qualified to fly any of the wing's aircraft, for our wartime missions and for most of our
training missions, each aircraft was assigned to a specific crew. Aircrews were designated featherweight or standard, reflecting the crew
complement required by the Emergency War Order (EWO) aircraft assignment. Our aircrew, S-02, was assigned B-36J-75 (III) number 52-2821.
The (III) denoted featherweight, and our crew was manned accordingly. Aircraft 52-2821 was the sixth from the last of 383 B/RB-36 aircraft
produced by Convair between 1946-1954.

Letter and number designators identified the aircrews of each wing. The letters NR (not ready), R (ready), L (lead), and S (Select) indicated
aircrew qualification status. The numbers identified the crews within the Bomb Wing. The highest crew qualification, Select, brought with it
"spot" promotions, a unique feature of SAC in those days. Although all SAC crews worked countless extra hours, pulled extensive temporary
duty (TDY) and deployments, spot promotions were designed to reward the very best. On Select crews, Captains, Majors, and enlisted men in the
ranks of Staff Sergeant and above were promoted one rank in temporary status. They retained this rank as long as the crew remained Select, as
measured by SAC's rigorous training and evaluation schedule. While holding a "spot", the individual continued to compete for promotion with
his contemporaries in his permanent rank. Our aircraft commander, Lieutenant Colonel Naden, for example, held a spot from Captain to Major.
When he was then promoted to Major in the normal cycle, he immediately pinned on, and was paid at the rank of, Lieutenant Colonel. On
aircrew S-02, the aircraft commander, navigator,, bombardier, first engineer, first and second radio operators and the gunners held spot
promotions. Unfortunately, Lieutenants were not eligible, and on crew S-02 we often said the copilot, third pilot, co-observer and second engineer
(me) were -working just for the fun of it! Of course, this was only our version of black humor because SAC, then as today, had the most serious
purpose ever conceived.

The mission of B-36J (III) 52-2821 and crew S-02 was, should the time ever come, to drop nuclear bombs on our EWO assigned targets. Our
primary EWO bomb load consisted of one 25-foot long, 43,500 pound MK 17 Thermo Nuclear (TN) Special Weapon carried in and filling the two
aft bomb bays, and a 6000 pound MK 6 atomic weapon carried in one of the forward bomb bays. In the tension filled world of the 1950s,
including during the Hungarian Revolt and the British, French and Israeli invasion of the Suez, SAC often went to full EWO alert. At those
times, SAC's well-understood capability to perform our mission deterred our enemies and peace was maintained. That ability to accomplish our
mission was the result of training, training and more training.

The MK-17 Thermonuclear (TN) Bomb. This was the primary EWO weapon carried by the B-36 fleet during the 1950s. The bomb was parachute retarded,
weighed 43,500 pounds, and was 25 feet in length. The bomb was carried in the two aft bomb bays, while a smaller 6,000 pound MK6 atomic bomb was carried in
one of the forward bomb bays.

Aircrews normally flew four or five training missions totaling about seventy flying hours a month. During my 30 months with the B-36, I
accumulated nearly 1400 flying hours. But the longest hours were those required to plan missions, complete ground training requirements,

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preflight and postflight the aircraft, brief and debrief.

The majority of SAC training missions, whether launching from home base or an extended deployment location, were flown "around the flag
pole" - taking off and landing at the same base. One reason was that the B-36 required numerous ground maintenance man-hours for each flying
hour. The postflight inspection schedule was demanding and best performed by qualified wing maintenance personnel. After 15 flying hours the
aircraft required an extensive postflight inspection, and after 35 hours it required an even more detailed postflight. To save maintenance man-
hours, the B-36 would be scheduled for a first mission with a maximum flying time of 14:55 hours and a second mission with a minimum of 20:05
hours flying time. Many a 14:55 hour mission lasted longer, but was nevertheless logged at 14:55. The 20:05 hour missions were also usually
longer, but the additional time would be counted. This brought the total for two consecutive flights to no less than 35 hours, but requiring only the
35 hour postflight inspection.

At 350 KTAS cruising speed, those around the flag pole flights proved quite the long way around! On a normal training mission, crew assembly
time was usually four hours prior to scheduled take-off. The crew needed a one and a half ton stake-body truck to move all the gear from the
crew storage bins to the aircraft. A-3 bags with winter survival gear, parachutes, one man dingys, Mae West life vests, 6-man life rafts, K3A radar
spare parts lockers, drinking water, and in-flight meals all had to be transported to the aircraft, then loaded and stored on board. Then, the
aircraft commander, copilot, navigator, bombardier and co-observer collected final mission and weather information, while the performance
engineers conducted the major portion of the aircraft preflight. The engineers calculated last-minute take-off data, determining nose-up, take-off
and flaps-up speeds (which depended on aircraft weight and temperatures), performed all weight and balance checks, planned mission fuel loads
and calculated engine power settings for all aspects of the flight (take-off, climb, descent, bomb runs, etc.). Performing these calculations, I
became quite expert at using a straight-line Mannheim trig slide rule, though in later years, as a navigator, I sometimes found it difficult using the
same scales on the round slide rule side of the E6B or MA-IA navigator computer.

The engineers' preflight always involved "crawling the wing". While each engineer nominally had a wing to preflight, in practice the first
engineer did the paperwork while the second engineer crawled both wings. This required climbing up the left main landing gear into the wing
crawl area ahead of the inboard and center engines, then crawling out to the inboard side of the outboard engine. Along the way, he checked fuel
and oil lines and numerous fuse and circuit breaker panels. Reversing direction he then returned through the left wing into the center wing bomb
bay area, into the right wing, conducting another inner wing inspection. He exited the wing through an access panel and down to the ground by
way of a maintenance stand provided by the ground crew. Sometimes a stand was not available, then it was back through the wing and down the
right main landing gear. This routine was guaranteed to thoroughly soak the second engineer - with sweat!

Of course, working in the hot and cramped area in the wings sometimes led to mistakes. For example, I once failed to detect three 10 amp fuses in
the left wing flap system in place of the 20 amp fuses required. When the flaps were retracted on climb-out, the 10 amp fuses blew out, leaving us
with asymmetrical flaps. The aircraft commander depressurized the aircraft and held below 10,000 feet while I crawled out through the forward
bomb bays into the wing. I had to squeeze past the retracted landing gear (the tires were very hot and smelled horrible), over the engine air ducts
of numbers 3 and 2 engines, and out to the fuse panel. After replacing the blown 10 amp fuses with the proper 20 amp fuses, I made the long
crawl back through the bomb bays to the forward pressurized compartment. There I got a chewing out from my first engineer, and some first-aid
for a nasty burn on my leg from a very hot oil line on number two engine.

In addition to their own preflight requirements, the aircrew performance engineers were essentially the aircraft's maintenance officers. In fact,
our Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was in the maintenance career field (432X) rather than in the operations career field (10XX or 15XX).
When the B-36 had to be moved, fuel load changed or final engine checks made, one of the engineers was the responsible officer. There were times
when much last-minute maintenance had to be accomplished during aircrew preflight, When this happened, the scheduled take-off time did not
change, and tempers could get rather hot as everyone tried to meet that scheduled time. A late take-off required a determination of whether
ground maintenance or the aircrew would be "charged" with the delay, and this also caused heated discussions. Many of these discussions were
avoided by having the aircrew performance engineers monitor most ground maintenance activities, identifying potential problems. Even so, there
were many "ramp picnics" by the aircrew while repairs and maintenance were performed by ground crew personnel while the navigator and
bombardier conducted extensive mission replanning there on the ramp under the wing.

After completing their preflight activities, the aircrew lined up for final inspection of emergency and personal gear before boarding the aircraft.
Engine start began :45 minutes before scheduled take-off time. The engineers started, preflighted and checked take-off power on the six
reciprocating engines. The copilot took care of the jet engines preflight and run-up. Individual aircrew members completed their specific power-
on equipment checks, then assumed take-off positions as the aircraft was taxied to runway take-off position. In the forward pressurized
compartment only the pilots and engineers remained at their crew stations. The other aircrew members in the forward pressurized compartment
(bombardier, navigator, co-observer, third pilot and radio operators) took crash landing positions sitting on the floor of the radio compartment
facing aft. This was for all take-offs and landings.

On the runway in take-off position with brakes set, full take-off power was applied to all ten engines at 30 seconds from scheduled take-off time,
the brakes were released, and the flying portion of the mission began. SAC regulations required all six recip engines to be running with the
propellers turning for take-off. Normally the jets were also used for take-off. It was not unusual to set a sick recip at idle during take-off, then to
feather the prop and shut down the engine as soon as the aircraft broke ground. The mission would then be flown using the remaining five recips.
The jets were primarily used during take-off, landing, climb and high altitude operations (above 35,000 feet), however they could be used for any
need. The jets used standard 115/145 AVGAS, the same as the recips.

For defensive armament, the standard B-36 had eight turrets, each with two 20mm guns. The five gunners in the aft pressurized compartment
operated the tall turret, the two upper aft turrets and the two lower aft turrets. In the forward pressurized compartment the co-observer
operated the nose turret, the upper right forward turret was operated by the third pilot, while the second radio operator manned the upper left
forward turret. On a gunnery training mission each turret had to accomplish an 85% fire out rate. Normally the gunners loaded and checked
alignment of all ammo to insure a successful fire out.

Of course, the primary training mission involved bombing practice, and crew S-02 was among the very best. Shortly after I joined aircrew S-02
the original bombardier suffered a severe heart attack and was medically grounded. Our new bombardier was Lt. Col. I. P. Evans, winner of the
1955 SAC Bombing Competition. A true professional and gentleman, he had been with the B-36 fleet since its early days. Bombing was done
using the K-3A radar bombing system, the original visual bomb sight having been replaced by the time I became a crew member. However, the K-
3A, like many radars in the days before transistors, had a very short operating life. On every flight, each aircrew carried three foot-locker size
boxes filled with replacement black boxes, and frequently used many of these spare parts to keep the radar operational for the complete mission.
Occasionally, we dropped a 6000 pound cement-filled atomic-bomb "shape" on a bombing range. The B-36 would jump up nearly 100 feet when

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these shapes were released, usually from an altitude of 35,000 feet or above. However, the majority of practice bombing was accomplished against
RBS sites operated by SAC. These were located throughout the US, most in railway cars which were moved around periodically.

On one training mission, we were scheduled to make a special high-altitude RBS attack at 43,000 feet on the last day of the training quarter. This
was a requirement which had to be accomplished successfully to remain combat ready as a Select aircrew. Shortly after departing the initial point
(IP) on the bomb run, engine number six lost all oil 'pressure and had to be feathered and shut down. While the pilots and first engineer cleaned
up that problem, the second engineer and bombardier calculated a new airspeed for the rest of the bomb run. Then, engine number 5 broke an oil
line and dumped overboard its 150 gallons of 1100 grade oil. It too was feathered and shut down. Then the two jets that were running suffered
apparent compressor stalls and quit. This left us operating on the four remaining recips with their throttles to the fire wall. We lost over 40 knots
airspeed and nearly 1000 feet of altitude during the bomb run. While the rest of the crew fought to keep the aircraft flying, Lt. Col. Evans calmly
recalculated all his bombing information, cranked it into the K3A bomb system computer and, while not getting a "shack" (perfect score), did get
an excellent bomb score. After the bomb run, we declared an emergency and landed at Carswell AFB, which was a two-wing B-36 base. During
our descent we got the four jets started and running. After getting engines 5 and 6 repaired and the oil reserviced we again took off completed our
remaining training requirements and returned to Walker AFB. This is just one example of the professionalism displayed by Lt. Col. Evans and
the rest of the crew, and was typical of a great many of the people I was associated with during my 18 years in the Strategic Air Command.

The B-36 was pressurized to 4.0 PSI differential. This meant that at 25,000 feet actual altitude, the cabin pressure was 10,000 feet. Above 10,000
feet cabin pressure, oxygen was required. Minimum training mission altitude was 25,000 feet. The cabin temperature was reasonably
comfortable at that altitude, mainly because of the heat generated by all the electronic black boxes. Flight above 25,000 feet, however, required
plenty of warm clothing.

For all its size, the B-36 had a cockpit designed to be cramped and uncomfortable. The canopy covering the pilots and engineers on the flight deck
had heater defrost outlets for the pilots' forward vision. The rest of the canopy "frosted" over thickly at high altitude, only to thaw during
descent, dripping on everyone on the flight deck. The engineers, seats were directly behind the pilots', facing aft. When the pilots slid their seats
aft for more comfort, the engineer had to slide his seat forward (aft) resulting in less comfort. On the B-36J the two engineers sat side by side.
The B-36F had one seat at the engineer's panel and a jump seat located so as to give the second engineer curvature of the spine and a stiff neck.
Normally the engineers wore a chest-pack parachute harness to give some small amount of extra room on the flight deck. In order for the co-
observer to make celestial observations for navigation, the periscopic sextant had to be mounted in the sextant port located in the top center of the
flight deck canopy. When he came clawing his way up from the lower bomb/nav compartment (located below and forward of the flight deck),
pilots and engineers tried to move seats and gear to give him room to use his sextant. It helped if he were thin and an agile contortionist!

Creature comforts were also lacking in the B-36, despite the propaganda films distributed by SAC and popular movies of the time. In the forward
pressurized compartment there were ten aircrew members. There was only one bunk located in the overhead of the radio compartment, and it
normally was used to stow much of the extra equipment. No one slept on it. As a matter of fact, very few aircrew members ever had time for
more than forty winks at crew stations. The aft pressurized compartment had three to five gunners and six bunks, but crewmen from the forward
compartment very seldom used the 85 foot tube connecting the two compartments, even to go aft to take a nap. The forward compartment had
one agonizingly slow-draining relief tube and a "can". To use the can required moving a lot of stowed gear and then one had to be a real
contortionist to use it. The first user also had to clean it after the flight. Needless to say what the last activity was prior to boarding the aircraft!

During descent and approach for landing the engineers performed a postflight on each reciprocating engine using the built in electronic engine
analyzer which was a great trouble shooting devise for its day. But this engine postflight was only the beginning of the engineers' postflight
duties. After each mission the aircraft was taxied to a single-point refueling pit located in the center of a main taxiway. The crew would unload
everything brought out during the preflight sequence onto a 1 1/2 ton truck, store the gear in the aircrew storage bins, and attend mission
debriefing. The second engineer would then return to refuel the aircraft to a minimum of 25,000 gallons or to the exact required fuel load if a
specific one was scheduled for the aircraft. After refueling, the ground crew and second engineer would tow the aircraft to parking. If your
aircraft was the only one on the taxiway refueling pits, this sequence went quickly. However, at Walker AFB, normally all six refueling pits were
in use at the same time. Towing and parking then became a game of musical chairs. The powers-that-be always wanted your aircraft parked in a
space where it was necessary to wait for all the aircraft to be refueled. Then you had to wait for the end aircraft, usually the last to arrive, to be
moved and parked first. It often took 2 to 3 hours to put your aircraft to bed. Only then could the second engineer go home, ending a 24 to 36
hour day depending on the mission length.

Although today SAC has a portion of its B-52, FB-111 and B-1 bomber fleets on continuous nuclear alert, until late 1956 SAC did not even have
the main EWO weapons located on the same base with the bombers. As a matter of fact, the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) maintained
and stored the atomic and thermonuclear bombs at several widely separated Air Force Stations (AFS). Deep Creek AFS, located at Fairchild AFB
WA, Mt Rushmore AFS at Ellsworth AFB, SD (where the 6th BW (H) received its EWO loads), and Limestone AFS at Loring AFB ME were the
primary ones used by SAC. Should the balloon go up, or during a typical SAC No Notice Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI), it was
necessary to load fly-away kits specially configured to fit into the B-36 bomb bays, fly to the appropriate AFS and swap the fly-away kits for the
EWO bomb load. The fly-away kits were equipped with sufficient spare parts and maintenance equipment to maintain each aircraft at its
forward bomb loading base. As might be expected, this method of operation severely degraded SAC's response time. SAC eventually switched to
a Bombs on Base (BOB) concept, establishing secure munition storage areas operated by Aviation Depot Squadrons attached to the base Combat
Support Group. These ADS later became Munitions Maintenance Squadrons (MMS) and were moved into the bomb wing maintenance structure.

Although SAC uploaded and downloaded the fly-away kits during the moves to the weapons' storage locations, AFLC crews handled the loading
of the bombs. This made it necessary to periodically fly a B-36 to these AFS to make an aircraft available to the AFLC bomb loading teams to
practice uploading and downloading procedures. SAC, of course, did not fly and aircraft up and back just to let AFLC teams practice. The
aircrew would be scheduled for a regular training mission both ways, usually a 14:55 hour mission on the way up and a 20:05 on the return flight.

From its inception, the B-36 had a number of detractors, especially the U.S. Navy, which believed that the cost of the 380 B-36s would have been
better spent on an additional aircraft carrier. Strategic Air Command found itself in a continual debate over the capabilities of its largest bomber,
and continually pushed the aircraft and crews to build statistics of their accomplishments. The command also did not hesitate to show off the
aircraft to the public and readily provided B-36s in low altitude formation for demonstration flights on holidays and other special occasions.

Flying the B-36 at 2000 feet or below on a hot summer day through the bumpy thermals practically guaranteed airsickness. On such a flight over
Macon, GA, in July 1955, airsick bags were at a premium, and several of us would gladly gotten out to walk if it hadn't been for that long first
step!

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Often these formation fly-bys consisted of aircraft from several different bomb wings flying in close formation together for the first time. We
would normally form-up over an assembly point and orbit there until the scheduled time for the fly-over. We would then drone past the
spectators rattling windows and giving them quite a show of our magnesium overcast at the exact scheduled time.

During a fly-over at Philadelphia, PA, the aircraft directly ahead and slightly above our aircraft had an engine malfunction, splattering our
canopy with several cylinder parts and a large quantity of engine oil, making a bit of a mess until the wind blast cleared most of it off.

Each fly-by naturally involved training requirements for the crew. The navigator always had "Nav Legs" to complete - day celestial, night
celestial, radar and/or polar grid. The bombardier had numerous Radar Bomb Scoring (RBS) attacks to make on widely scattered targets, and
the pilots needed instrument flying practice. The gunners had fire-outs to complete, and the performance engineers had to constantly get
maximum performance from the engines with the minimum of fuel use. Each B-36 flight, regardless of the reason, was packed with training
requirements for the crew members, but whenever SAC was tasked to "show the flag", the crews were ready, as they are today.

Every flight had its regimen of required training. In 1956, aircrew S-02 was selected to provide a B-36 for a static display and to present a 6th
Bomb Wing Flag to the Sixth Student Squadron at the Air Force Academy, which was then located at Lowry AFB, Colorado. Naturally, we flew
training missions on the way up and back (14:55 and 20:05, respectively!).

SAC did not like to have its bomber fleet and aircrews Remain Over Night (RON) at some other base. Yet SAC did not hesitate to send us off on
an extended 10-14 day exercise at a forward operating base or for a 90-120 day rotational tour to such locations as Guam, Greenland, Alaska,
North Africa, Okinawa, etc. One special uploading/downloading task performed by SAC aircrews took place whenever they were to be TDY for
extended periods. This involved installing a platform into the forward bomb bay then lifting the aircrews' and the groundcrews' privately-owned
motor scooters onto the platform. I believe SAC operations would have come to a near halt were it not for these motor scooters, which were used
to get about on the base and the flightline at the deployment location. The only other transportation available was foot power. I know they had
aircrew tax! services back in those days, but it seemed to be one taxi allocated per bomb wing.

Many interesting missions were flown during the typical deployment. During the 6th BW(H) 1955 90 day rotational deployment to Guam, aircrew
S-02 was assigned an upper-air sampling mission over the Siberian Sea and northern Russia. Special equipment was installed into the forward
bomb bays, with various probes extending into the slip stream through specially modified bomb bay doors. After a 20 plus hour mission, much of
it above 35,000 on oxygen, we landed for special debriefings and postflight servicing at Misawa AB on northern Honshu Island, Japan. Misawa
AB was an F-86D fighter base and the fighter jocks were eager to run practice intercept missions as we descended for landing. I remember them
swarming all around us, and wondered how we'd face against MiGs in a featherweight aircraft. As we were the first B-36 to land at Misawa, B-36
ground handling equipment was predictably in short supply. On departure we had no tug to move us out of our nose-in parking, so we put the
propellers in reverse and backed out of the parking area. We taxied down the runway to the take-off end, since the taxiway was too narrow and
weight-limited for B-36 operations. We did a 180 degree turn at the end and again reversed the props and backed to the end of the runway with
our tail over the overrun. Never saw an F-86 able to do that! While we were doing this, numerous spectators, mostly Japanese on bicycles,
massed behind us along the perimeter fence to watch the spectacle. When we applied full take-off power on all ten engines, the aft gunners
reported that the wind blast was blowing them, bicycles and all, end over end in all directions. After take-off we made a rather low altitude fly
over guaranteed to rattle everything not securely tied down. Naturally, we flew a training mission during the return to Guam.

During the return to Walker AFB from this deployment in Feb 1956, a severe winter storm blanketed much of the west coast with fog and snow.
After a 25 hour non-stop flight, only the first two B-36s made it into Walker AFB before "he storm broke over New Mexico, depositing more than
18 inches of snow. There were 6th Bomb Wing B-36s diverted across the Pacific and west coast, including Wake Island, Hawaii and Blythe CA,
just to name a few locations.

In addition to scheduled deployments, SAC also had numerous exercises to test our ability to deploy and operate far from home on short notice.
In March 1957, during the operational exercise "White Horse", the 6th Bomb Wing flew a Unit Simulated Combat Mission (USCM) from Walker
AFB to Hickam AFB, then on to the forward strike base at Anderson AFB, Guam. The exercise mission was then launched against simulated
targets at Zamboanga (where the monkeys have no tails) on Mindanao Island, Philippines, T'ainan, Formosa and Tokyo, Japan. After
successfully "bombing" these targets during a single non-stop sortie, we landed for post-strike debriefing at Kadena AB, Okinawa. The non-stop
return flight to Walker AFB from Kadena was scheduled to take about 27 hours. About 1000 miles north of Hawaii a brilliant light flashed
throughout the aircraft; everyone reported it had happened right in front of them. Probably a lightning strike, it promptly knocked all the
electrical circuits off line, leaving only the batteries to supply all the electrical power. Battery life according the dash 1 Technical Order (T.O.) in
these circumstances was 15-17 seconds. Everyone scrambled to shut down all electrical systems. As the engineer manning the electrical panel I
did my own scrambling to restore alternator electrical power in those very tense 15 seconds. Fortunately, we made it and landed at Walker AFB,
after flying more than 115 hours on four sorties during the eight day mission.

While I never had a steam bath or massage after a flight as shown in the film "Strategic Air Command", Walker AFB, located at Roswell, New
Mexico, was really a great assignment. The 6th Bomb Wing with B-36s was co-located with the 509th Bomb Wing equipped with B-47Es. Called
"Roswell by the Sea" (with all that sand, we knew there had to be a sea around somewhere!), Roswell was a small city of less than 10,000
population and 200 miles from any larger population center. The people there were great. I always measured my other assignments against
Walker AFB and Roswell, and none were any better. During the spring months dust storms were common and the blowing sand often rose as high
as 10,000 feet. Walker AFB itself was at 3660 feet. These sand storms often made landing an instrument operation. The wear and tear on the
aircraft and engines was considerable, and maintenance work in the springtime was down right miserable, but the rest of the year was really quite
pleasant.

Eventually, even the best things must end. The 6th BW (H) converted to B-52 aircraft in September 1957, and the commissioned performance
engineers were out of a job. SAC sent us back to school to become Navigator/Bombardiers (152X) for aircrew duty on B-47 aircraft. After
serving as a B-47 aircrew member for two years, I was medically grounded in 1960. I went on to find my real job as a SAC Munitions and
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer for the next 12 years, but that is another story!

The Crew of S-02, Walker AFB, NM, 1957

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Copyright by Ted A. Morris, 2000

is

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