Originally Blytheville Air Force Base, the base's official name was changed in 1988 to honor air pioneer and commander of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during World War II, Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker. Wing Headquarters. In the late 1980s, the government, under congress had begun inspections on Air Force Bases. Any monthly plan. Buildings have collapsed in that time frame. Pinterest. The majority of buildings have suffered the same fate. Watch. In the bomb bay were ADM-20 Quail decoys. Luckily, the nose art was removed first and donated to the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum. Contributions to PAs Most Endangered List, National Register of Historic Places (Jan, 26th 2018). I was an army brat and a military wife along with an army civilian off and on over the years. Glad to see the alert pad will be saved. Arkansas had six Army airfields. In any case, out of a sense of history and because commanders were now favorable to the idea, nose art began to return, though the USAF was very careful to ensure any "painted ladies" to have nothing more risque than bikinis. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); http://www.fi-aeroweb.com/Defense/KC-46-Tanker.html#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20KC%2D135,cargo%20and%20aeromedical%20evacuation%20capabilities.&text=The%20KC%2DX%20Program%2C%20the,current%20KC%2D135%20tanker%20fleet. Hill Aerospace Museum officially received the aircraft for static display on July 11, 1991. The KC135 fuels other aircraft through an extendable boom on the aft of the aircraft. It was around 1960 and I still recall vividly sitting in the cockpit of a B-52. Upon his return to the United States in November 1970, General Brown was assigned as vice commander of the 97th Bombardment Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., and took command of the wing in July 1971. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956. A strong gust of wind has pushed the rear of the aircraft left then right. Photo Gallery. The Southeast Asia War Tour Boeing B-52D Stratofortress BUFF LF USAF Museum (9202) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 3-10-2019. But it is well-worth the visit. In the Monett City Park is displayed the USAF Thunderbird F-4E Phantom II #3 Jet. Evans at Blytheville air show in 1980. My other picture of "Valkyrie" was taken from the right side, but the other day I realized I had never posted the picture of the aircraft's nose art. action, the base has sat mostly dormant. Of reinforced concrete and concrete-block construction, moleholes were of two-story height, with one story below ground. The National Cold War Center is planned to be the largest collection of history and information on the decades that made up the war in the world. Since then, there have been only 744 aircraft built by Boeing. While the B-52Hs remained on nuclear alert standby, the G models were used in the conventional bombing role after the first few nights of cruise missile strikes; at first, this was done at low altitude, but switched to high altitude later onnot because of the threat of Iraqi air defenses, which had been badly degraded, but of the psychological effect. 3 talking about this. I took this from the back seat of the P-51 Mustang Gunfighter. It was one of many air fields created in the country's interior during the war for this purpose. Blytheville Air Force Base was established in 1942 as a pilot training station. I'm fairly certain I saw this aircraft at an airshow at Malmstrom AFB in the 1980s, as the nose art is familiar, but it may be wishful thinking on my part. 1942-1946, 1953-1992. Air Base Group Headquarters. Camo with white under belly North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile on display at the Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base. Airman First Class Monex Thomas of the Blytheville Air Force Base died in an aircraft training incident on August 1 1982. Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH, USA - Arkansas; By: Brady Brooks Photos | Profile | Contact; To differentiate ALCM-equpped B-52Gs from unmodified aircraft, a wing fairing was added solely for the benefit of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, in accordance with arms control treaties. This would determine if the base could go on operating in the future, or if it was deemed unnecessary to continue service. View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). In the early 1950s, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) approved a plan to convert the former airfield into an airbase, which officially opened in 1955 as Blytheville Air Force Base. Military Photos; Military Reunion Stories; Military Service Map; Military Cadences; Military Jokes; Military Lingo; Great Military Web Pages; Recommended Military Books; Today in Military . The Blytheville Air Force Base Alert Center and Alert Apron constructed as part of a national expansion of Strategic Air Command Facilities across the United States and its Territories, to help in creating a "program to safeguard nuclear deterrence" through the SAC Alert program. It is the USAFs main aerial fueling aircraft. Currently, there is a restoration program working to rebuild and reuse buildings that arent disappearing. My 1972 Suzuki looked exactly like the one in the brochure. And in 1991, Eaker Air Force Base was on the top of the list. Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . The Ritz Theater from the outside circa. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Select from premium Blytheville Air Force Base of the highest quality. The boom operators on KC-135s got a laugh over it, the pilots loved it, commanding officers were horrified and eventually ordered it removed. 27 items. "Valkyrie" was known to the USAF as 58-0183, a B-52G Stratofortress. Though, local organizations and legal entities constantly fight to preserve the base. During WWII, my Dad and his best friend, John Whittington, would go to the base (teenagers) and work. Thank you! N503DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport by M.J. Scanlon 17 . Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, Blytheville: See 8 reviews, articles, and 21 photos of Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 6 attractions in Blytheville. There was no need for the Global Shield. The incident over Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on January 21, 1976, would not only stretch to a second night but was also witnessed by pure chance by a student journalist known only as "Bruce.". Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Currently, the wet carpet has molded over and over again. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. Today. Eaker AFB was selected for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round of 1991. Ash. I don't have a clue who captured or created this image but this is it is an excellent computer generated image of a Pre-Vietnam War SAC Paint Scheme with a North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile. On June 10, 1942, the U.S. Army opened an advanced pilot training school at Blytheville, Arkansas. In 1990, Blythevilles population was 23,443. Opened in late 2020, the BAFB Exhibition features memorabilia, video and personal stories of the base from its 1942 beginnings until closure in 1992. KC-135A - 61-0267 - 97th BW, Blytheville Air Force Base by Darren Currie 19 International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. Hopefully the site will become available again for us. It has the exact same problems as the hospital, though both buildings trade off on extremities. If the alert force had not received that second "stand down" code, they would have taken off; and (as we saw it, back then) if that happened, very soon, we would have been in the midst of a nuclear war. On 16 January 1991, she was one of seven B-52s that would fly from Barksdale to fire cruise missiles at Saddam Hussein's Iraq on the first night of Operation Desert Storm. Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. This VC-47D had been assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. I hope they can save this base so that it doesnt get destroyed. The National Cold War Center at the former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville announced Monday that it had received a $400,000 grant from the Division of Arkansas Heritage Cultural Institutions Trust Fund.A spokesperson said the money would be used to . Posted June 9th, 2014 by NFFF & filed under Uncategorized. Abandoned Arkansas had noticed while touring the base, the former base bank had been torn down the week prior to January 1st, 2022. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000+ lbs. About ten years ago a group of old 97 OMS troops made a trip to see the old place. As crew chiefs we had all spent many tours in the mole hole. Timeline photos. (For some reason, this "Hotshot" never got eyes.). Loved it. The exhibit is on the old air base, which is now an FBO for the new steel and other corporations that fly in there, along with other airplane related functions. Under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 the United States government is obligated to consider utilization, procurement and disposal of government property. The Strategic Air Command had reached the end of the road. Extensive efforts to offset the negative economic effects on the community of Blytheville were undertaken by local and federal officials, who cleaned up the site and then distributed the land to various organizations, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The B-52 had 8 engines but the two AGM-28 engines could also be used for take off and getting up to altitude. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. This B-52G-100-BW (S/N 58-0191), nicknamed "Bearin' Arms," was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, and delivered to the USAF on October 16, 1959. As a kid in nearby Jonesboro, our cub scout pack got to visit what was then Blytheville AFB. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. Gosnell reported losing over half its students. Best years of my life. This is like the B-52Gs with the North American AGM-28 Nuclear Hound Dog Missiles assigned to my base. action specifically caters to closures and revitalization of U.S. military bases. If you can make it, even for an hour, we will be glad to have you!
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