What Do We Have Here??

[MJG]

Is this a three engine ferry flight on a B-1?

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pics taken apparently yesterday at Fairford, U.K.

 

[pilotyip]

why not it is a four engine airplane, we used to do it on the L-188 to get to a maint base. Three eng T/O was not that big a deal if you had a lot of runway

 

[BiffF15]

Is this a three engine ferry flight on a B-1?

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pics taken apparently yesterday at Fairford, U.K.

Was it met by fire trucks? No trucks, no emergency, highly likely a ferry. Fire trucks + three engines = emergency / not a ferry.

 

[BiffF15]

Is this a three engine ferry flight on a B-1?

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pics taken apparently yesterday at Fairford, U.K.

Assuming it was a ferry, wonder where it's been TDY? Any of you Bone folks out there? Does the B1 do pond crossings without tanker support to Europe?

 

[Publishers]

That aircraft is a ground lover at any kind of weight so might want to take off really light and then fuel up from a tanker and land light as well.

 

[BiffF15]

That aircraft is a ground lover at any kind of weight so might want to take off really light and then fuel up from a tanker and land light as well.

Few planes can take off with full fuel / payload. It probably isn't one of those, however with it's "payload" consisting of fuel only it would have the range to cross the pond (not sure if they are allowed to do that or not). Just curious if they are allowed via reg's / Dash-1 limitations to do an un-tankered crossing.

 

[Andy]

Few planes can take off with full fuel / payload. It probably isn't one of those, however with it's "payload" consisting of fuel only it would have the range to cross the pond (not sure if they are allowed to do that or not). Just curious if they are allowed via reg's / Dash-1 limitations to do an un-tankered crossing.

Only fighters need to be drug across the pond with a tanker. If the B-1 needs any additional fuel to make the crossing, they'd get topped off on their westbound routing, the AR ending somewhere around Iceland. If they still need additional gas, they'd pick up another tanker overhead Maine.

Having done a ton of ARs in the KC-135 for heavies crossing the pond, the only time that I can recall being in formation with a non-KC-135 heavy aircraft across the pond is when we had an EC-135 Head Dancer with us while dragging a bunch of A-7s across the pond. And they were only there because of the A-7s.

 

[Andy]

Was it met by fire trucks? No trucks, no emergency, highly likely a ferry. Fire trucks + three engines = emergency / not a ferry.

The engine HAD to have been removed prior to flight. Ain't no way it'd separate that cleanly without doing major league structural damage.

 

[BiffF15]

The engine HAD to have been removed prior to flight. Ain't no way it'd separate that cleanly without doing major league structural damage.

Good point! Didn't know the AF did that kind of flying, but then again I have never flown the Bone. We do all sorts of one time flights on the Eagle so it stands to reason (we too always leave with enough engines to get us where we need to be)...

 

[TXDanno]

Somewhat more than a year ago a B-1 slid to a stop on a remote runway, with the gear not in the expected position. Substantial damage to the aircraft. Could this be the ferry flight to get the jet back to depot?