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Imagine a wavefront of these refuelling each other and enabling a single crewed aircraft conducting an Operation BLACK BUCK style strike at reach. https://en.w

Imagine a wavefront of these refuelling each other and enabling a single crewed aircraft conducting an Operation BLACK BUCK style strike at reach. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck#/media/File:Refuelling.plan.black.buck.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck#/media/Fi...

walrus01 5y ago
It's my understanding that for B2 missions the SOP is to fly from their base in the midwest US, get refueled several times on the way, perhaps drop some precision guided bombs on something on the other side of the planet, and fly home. There's a crew rest bunk where one of the two pilots can sleep on the way, in rotating shifts.
- wahern 5y ago
  "Here’s how B-2 bomber pilots pull off grueling 33-hour flights": https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/04/29/heres-how-b-2-bomber-pilots-pull-off-grueling-33-hour-flights/ https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/04/29/heres-how-b-2-bom... Reading the article it seems the pilot's personal 33-hour record was actually in a B-52. Here's an article that says the longest combat mission for a B-2 was over 44 hours: https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/the-stealth-bomber-elite-315558/ https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/the-stealth-bo...
deleted 5y ago
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remarkEon 5y ago
If you're interested, or are like me and just love visualizations of massive military ops, check out this from The Operations Room. Gets at the scale of Operation Black Buck and the massive complexity and coordination of getting those aircraft to their destination (and back). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5yAtuYPHK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5yAtuYPHK4
- DougN7 5y ago
  Wow! Thanks for sharing
  - remarkEon 5y ago
    That whole channel is amazing. Check out the Desert Storm series if you need to burn an hour or two on the weekend refreshing yourself on the history of modern warfare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRgfBXn6Mg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRgfBXn6Mg

walrus01 5y ago

It's my understanding that for B2 missions the SOP is to fly from their base in the midwest US, get refueled several times on the way, perhaps drop some precision guided bombs on something on the other side of the planet, and fly home. There's a crew rest bunk where one of the two pilots can sleep on the way, in rotating shifts.

wahern 5y ago
"Here’s how B-2 bomber pilots pull off grueling 33-hour flights": https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/04/29/heres-how-b-2-bomber-pilots-pull-off-grueling-33-hour-flights/ https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/04/29/heres-how-b-2-bom... Reading the article it seems the pilot's personal 33-hour record was actually in a B-52. Here's an article that says the longest combat mission for a B-2 was over 44 hours: https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/the-stealth-bomber-elite-315558/ https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/the-stealth-bo...

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

remarkEon 5y ago

If you're interested, or are like me and just love visualizations of massive military ops, check out this from The Operations Room. Gets at the scale of Operation Black Buck and the massive complexity and coordination of getting those aircraft to their destination (and back). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5yAtuYPHK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5yAtuYPHK4

DougN7 5y ago
Wow! Thanks for sharing
- remarkEon 5y ago
  That whole channel is amazing. Check out the Desert Storm series if you need to burn an hour or two on the weekend refreshing yourself on the history of modern warfare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRgfBXn6Mg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRgfBXn6Mg