And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
When I was a teenager in El Paso, Texas, I watched the B-58 "Hustler" occasionally fly into and out of Biggs Air Force Base.
The main aircraft that were based at Biggs Air Force Base (back then, i.e., 1959 - 1962) were the B-47 "Stratojet" bombers, the F-100 "Super Sabre" jet fighters, and the F-86 "Sabrejet" fighters.
There were also B-52 "Stratofortress" bombers, but mainly, Biggs Air Force Base had B-47 "Stratojet" bombers.
In retrospect, I'm guessing the B-47s were in the process of being replaced by the B-52.
The B-58 was seldom seen, but I did see it flying by a couple of times.
As I understand it, the former Biggs Air Force Base is now an Air National Guard Base, and part of El Paso International Airport.
Another interesting thing I remember about El Paso International Airport was seeing a Continental Air Lines commercial jet airliner skyjacked on the runway by father and son, Leon and Cody Bearden.
As events unfolded, I would alternate between watching it live on television, and watching through binoculars from the patio of our military housing located high up on a hillside overlooking suburban El Paso and Fort Bliss.
I remember my uncle who was in SAC telling me it cost 1 Million dollars in 1958 dollars to fly that thing every time they cranked it up. It was made of Stainless Steel and ate fuel like a fat kid eating Hershey bars. It was obsolete the day the rolled the first one out, BUT BOY WAS IT FAST. Pretty too----Ray
One of the more beautiful aircraft ever to be built.
ReplyDeleteAND it was fast...and drank a LOT of fuel.
Singer John Denver's father, Colonel Henry J. Deutschendorf, Sr., USAF, held several speed records as a B-58 pilot
ReplyDeletetrivia
BaconLover
When I was a teenager in El Paso, Texas, I watched the B-58 "Hustler" occasionally fly into and out of Biggs Air Force Base.
ReplyDeleteThe main aircraft that were based at Biggs Air Force Base (back then, i.e., 1959 - 1962) were the B-47 "Stratojet" bombers, the F-100 "Super Sabre" jet fighters, and the F-86 "Sabrejet" fighters.
There were also B-52 "Stratofortress" bombers, but mainly, Biggs Air Force Base had B-47 "Stratojet" bombers.
In retrospect, I'm guessing the B-47s were in the process of being replaced by the B-52.
The B-58 was seldom seen, but I did see it flying by a couple of times.
As I understand it, the former Biggs Air Force Base is now an Air National Guard Base, and part of El Paso International Airport.
Another interesting thing I remember about El Paso International Airport was seeing a Continental Air Lines commercial jet airliner skyjacked on the runway by father and son, Leon and Cody Bearden.
As events unfolded, I would alternate between watching it live on television, and watching through binoculars from the patio of our military housing located high up on a hillside overlooking suburban El Paso and Fort Bliss.
I remember my uncle who was in SAC telling me it cost 1 Million dollars in 1958 dollars to fly that thing every time they cranked it up. It was made of Stainless Steel and ate fuel like a fat kid eating Hershey bars. It was obsolete the day the rolled the first one out, BUT BOY WAS IT FAST. Pretty too----Ray
ReplyDeleteNumber 1 Nuke transport. Pretty little thing. The name: "Hustler" was appropriate in 2 ways....speed & shamelessly leaving a destroyed victim behind.
ReplyDelete