return to anotherlife

 


This is a view that the pilot sees.  That is the runway at the top in the windscreen and the runway also shows on the radar screen as the space between the yellow blobs 
This airplane is in landing configuration with the flaps full down.  Both the leading edge and trailing edge flaps are "blown".  Air from the engine compressors is pumped through 3 mm slots at the flap hinge to "blow" over the flap and make it seem bigger.  This lets the airplane land at a slower speed.

This is what it looks like from the back seat landing
the airplane.  That is Moron Air Base in Spain.

This is also at Moron AB at Seville, Spain.  That is a 
B-58 on a "Reflex" mission.   The B-58 used the 
same GE J-79 engines as the F-4, only it had twice
as many.  Observe that the RF-4C number 007 has 
one of the engine bays doors open.  It is having an
engine changed while I wait at Moron. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 There were four B-58's in from Indiana during this exercise, plus two KC-135 tankers to refuel them on the trip to and from Indiana.  They spent about four days in Spain doing nothing but buying stuff.  On the day when they left, I was in 007 waiting to take off for a test flight after the engine change.  The two KC-135 tankers departed first.  Then the four B-58's about a minute apart.  When the last B-58 took off it did not depart, but pulled back power and turned to downwind.  The pilot called that tower and talked to the "SFO" (supervisor of flying - a B-58 pilot in the tower for this exercise.)  He said, "Jack, there is something flapping in the breeze, I'm going to bring it by for you to look at."  As we are sitting on the ramp waiting to get clearance to take off, the B-58 goes about three miles downwind (almost out of sight) and turns final (aligned with the runway.)  And then from the B-58 black smoke appears, tons of black smoke.  You only get black smoke from a J-79 engine when it is put to 100% power.  I said to the back seater, "He's going to do a high speed pass."  Sure enough, he passed over us doing about 600 knots and Jack (in the tower) said, "I don't see anything out of place."  And the pilot said "Thanks" and went into a vertical climb in full after-burner on all four J-79's.  

Later, one of the KC-135's returned to Moron AB and the pilot and crew were mad.  The "show" put on by the B-58 used so much fuel, that after the KC-135 refueled it, the KC-135 did not have enough fuel to continue on to the states.  So it had to return to Moron and spend the night.

Still it was quite a show!