I was stationed at Castle in the early 80s when we first started acquiring aircraft for the museum. I was standing on the top of my KC135s fuselage when the B17 was flown in. They put on quite a display for her last flight, the crew even performed a hammerhead stall with it, I would have never thought that possible, but at that time she was a bare bones stripped out airframe, so she was pretty light. We had to acquire all of the gun turrets and so forth to put her in military configuration again. I was also there when the B25 flew in, and Ret. Gen. Doolittle was there, and gave a speech. I spent time helping to reassemble the B29, and get her ready for display. It was a lot of fun.
I got to crawl through one of those in 1957 as a 10 year old. That was fun then as it would be for me now. That tunnel trolley was the most fun of all. Not too sure I could even fit in the tunnel now though but I can still wish.
Nice seeing my old Friend, that B-36... Saw her at Chanute AFB in the 1980s and was glad they saved and moved her out to California. Amazing job and vision by a Dad and son team...
Nose art on the -36 was "Alley Oop", IIRC. Marched past her twice a day for 10 weeks while at Chanute, Jan-Mar '83. Saw her in pieces @ Castle in '95, right before I PCS'd to Minot.
@@h.h.6171 Cool that you got to see her delivery to Castle... When I was in the Air Force, an old Master Sergeant actually told me he saw an *operational B-36 around 1962!* I wonder which one it was? Or if it could have been the Chanute bird on its way to Chanute or elsewhere? He said it was "loud as Hell" and that the jet pods were NOT operational...
OMG, I was at Chanute in '75 for POL school, and somewhere in all the pictures my family saved, I have pictures of that B-36 when it was there. Wow, that will be wild. I last saw that plane when I was 18, and will see it again at 64.
@@PlasmaCoolantLeak Great... A lot of legacy there. I recall one weekend seeing two old and grey couples get out of a car and take a look at it while at Chanute. Regret not getting any names. No doubt one of the men flew on a '36, perhaps this one? Hopefully, the visitor logs from that period are still intact. Would like to look those people up. Wish the team at Pima would work on her. I heard it's been deteriorating a bit
The RB-36 H on display here is bringing veterans of Chanute AFB together even if it only on this posting. I was there at Chanute when they took the aircraft apart. A lot of tender loving care went into reassembling the aircraft. There are only four B-36's around, I have been around the one at Chanute and a second one at the Strategic Air Command museum in Ashland Nebraska just a few miles west of Offutt AFB, SAC headquarters
July 24, 2020---Lucky you that you were there on its open cockpit day. Used to drive truck and our yard was 20 miles or so north of the museum. Had some down time, meaning I couldn't haul anything for the company, but was allowed to take my truck to get groceries, etc. Was surprised at the variety of aircraft they have and have added to since then. Still plan on going back (I'm in Reno), but when it's open cockpit day. I was there about 10+ years ago. Thanks for the video.
I was an aircraft mech. at some point and my boss at the time and I flew in his ercoupe to castle air force museum. The b52 runway was immense, the coupe could have landed on it perpindicular. Upon takeoff we reached 1000 ft in alt. and hadn't reached the end of the runway. Cheers go go flight!!!!!
I used to gas up the BUFFs and that flightline was so long, that when we were sent out to one of the hardstands, we'd joke that we were sent TDY to the nearby town of Livingston.
At 4:52 the Bell AH-13 helicopter, my late father fought in Korea and was wounded twice in action. When he was evaced to a M*A*S*H unit it was via one of these. He said that was one helluva ride especially on morphine.
Wow, a lot of fantastic aircraft in one place! Hopefully, one day they will have some sort of cover provided to protect the cockpits and airframes from the elements?💰💰💰
B-36 was conceived in the dark days of WW2 when stategic planners thought we might have to bomb Axis targets from the US mainland if England fell. How we'd muster the resources to fly thousands of bombing missions across the Atlantic was never addressed. The B-29 program flying out of Western Pacific islands against Japan was costly enough.
Fly bombing missions to Europe from the US in WW2, how would they provide long range fighter escort ?? How would damaged bombers make back all the way across the Atlantic ? Land in Greenland (maybe) ?? Same issues during early cold war. I assume a B-36 mission into the Soviet Union would have a low probability of survival and/or return to the US.
@@sierramike5259 for a few years the b36 had no competition , not in the form of range nor payload , jet fighters operating ceilings were lower then and no surface to air missiles , all bombers were vulnerable when they got replaced by icbms early sixties , as a nuclear delivery platform they were dead then
I was stationed at Castle in the early 80s when we first started acquiring aircraft for the museum. I was standing on the top of my KC135s fuselage when the B17 was flown in. They put on quite a display for her last flight, the crew even performed a hammerhead stall with it, I would have never thought that possible, but at that time she was a bare bones stripped out airframe, so she was pretty light. We had to acquire all of the gun turrets and so forth to put her in military configuration again. I was also there when the B25 flew in, and Ret. Gen. Doolittle was there, and gave a speech. I spent time helping to reassemble the B29, and get her ready for display. It was a lot of fun.
I got to crawl through one of those in 1957 as a 10 year old. That was fun then as it would be for me now. That tunnel trolley was the most fun of all. Not too sure I could even fit in the tunnel now though but I can still wish.
This is a great air museum. In fact one of the best. So many diverse planes. It's a dont miss this one you wont be disappointed
You lucked into an Open Cockpit Day.....fortunate for you guys ! Such open days are not often !
My first visit was in the 80s.
Nice seeing my old Friend, that B-36... Saw her at Chanute AFB in the 1980s and was glad they saved and moved her out to California. Amazing job and vision by a Dad and son team...
Nose art on the -36 was "Alley Oop", IIRC. Marched past her twice a day for 10 weeks while at Chanute, Jan-Mar '83.
Saw her in pieces @ Castle in '95, right before I PCS'd to Minot.
@@h.h.6171 Cool that you got to see her delivery to Castle... When I was in the Air Force, an old Master Sergeant actually told me he saw an *operational B-36 around 1962!* I wonder which one it was? Or if it could have been the Chanute bird on its way to Chanute or elsewhere? He said it was "loud as Hell" and that the jet pods were NOT operational...
OMG, I was at Chanute in '75 for POL school, and somewhere in all the pictures my family saved, I have pictures of that B-36 when it was there. Wow, that will be wild. I last saw that plane when I was 18, and will see it again at 64.
@@PlasmaCoolantLeak Great... A lot of legacy there. I recall one weekend seeing two old and grey couples get out of a car and take a look at it while at Chanute. Regret not getting any names. No doubt one of the men flew on a '36, perhaps this one? Hopefully, the visitor logs from that period are still intact. Would like to look those people up. Wish the team at Pima would work on her. I heard it's been deteriorating a bit
The RB-36 H on display here is bringing veterans of Chanute AFB together even if it only on this posting. I was there at Chanute when they took the aircraft apart. A lot of tender loving care went into reassembling the aircraft.
There are only four B-36's around, I have been around the one at Chanute and a second one at the Strategic Air Command museum in Ashland Nebraska just a few miles west of Offutt AFB, SAC headquarters
It has received more aircraft since I was there mid 80's. There was a B 52 there back then.
July 24, 2020---Lucky you that you were there on its open cockpit day. Used to drive truck and our yard was 20 miles or so north of the museum. Had some down time, meaning I couldn't haul anything for the company, but was allowed to take my truck to get groceries, etc. Was surprised at the variety of aircraft they have and have added to since then. Still plan on going back (I'm in Reno), but when it's open cockpit day. I was there about 10+ years ago. Thanks for the video.
when i'm out there i will visit. i'm an airforce vet and like the old planes.
Thank you for showing the F-106. Top of the line.
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Was stationed at Castle in the 70s, and my folks lived near there.
Impressive collection, B36 in particular. But where is this Castle Air Museum?
I was an aircraft mech. at some point and my boss at the time and I flew in his ercoupe to castle air force museum. The b52 runway was immense, the coupe could have landed on it perpindicular. Upon takeoff we reached 1000 ft in alt. and hadn't reached the end of the runway. Cheers go go flight!!!!!
I used to gas up the BUFFs and that flightline was so long, that when we were sent out to one of the hardstands, we'd joke that we were sent TDY to the nearby town of Livingston.
Saw many of these planes sitting in a hanger at Castle during my time there (Jan 80 to Jun 85).
Castle Air Museum is located at 5050 Santa Fe Drive, Atwater, California, 95301.
Thanks for the address
At 4:52 the Bell AH-13 helicopter, my late father fought in Korea and was wounded twice in action. When he was evaced to a M*A*S*H unit it was via one of these. He said that was one helluva ride especially on morphine.
Back in 1975, we would march past that B-36 everyday.
I WISH they would put it under protective cover. The central valley is not a dry environment like Mojave or Davis-Mothan.
It's sad to see them all outside especially a SR 71
Wow, a lot of fantastic aircraft in one place! Hopefully, one day they will have some sort of cover provided to protect the cockpits and airframes from the elements?💰💰💰
Bill Gates just got divorced. He needs to get a B36 up and running for comfort and to make some friends. I’ll be right there for ya bill
Unelected speaks volumes
I've been thinking about going back again.
B-36 was conceived in the dark days of WW2 when stategic planners thought we might have to bomb Axis targets from the US mainland if England fell. How we'd muster the resources to fly thousands of bombing missions across the Atlantic was never addressed. The B-29 program flying out of Western Pacific islands against Japan was costly enough.
Fly bombing missions to Europe from the US in WW2, how would they provide long range fighter escort ?? How would damaged bombers make back all the way across the Atlantic ? Land in Greenland (maybe) ?? Same issues during early cold war. I assume a B-36 mission into the Soviet Union would have a low probability of survival and/or return to the US.
@@sierramike5259 for a few years the b36 had no competition , not in the form of range nor payload , jet fighters operating ceilings were lower then and no surface to air missiles , all bombers were vulnerable when they got replaced by icbms early sixties , as a nuclear delivery platform they were dead then
The B36 defense was its flight ceiling, but! by 1960 that was totally obsolete as the Russians were shooting down U2s which flew even higher.
I hate seeing these planes out in the elements like this.
Nice bunch of aircraft, but the clown who can't even square his cap away detracts from it.
I was born there and they still charge me for entry.. figured I'd atleast get a discount...
Интересное видео ✈️!!!