How the USAF lost a B-36
Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:13 am
This story was told to me by a veteran of SAC. He said that the USAF had a guy that was supposed to take count of all the aircraft of the SAC. When he did they kept coming up one B-36 short. It seemed that they were missing one of the B-36's. They recounted the list a hundred times, and still the same. He actually traveled to a bunch of bases to find all of the serial numbers. After that they finally found out which one was missing, but still had no idea where it might be. Then out oof the blue a private FBO operator called and wanted to know when the USAF wascoming to get this airplane out of his airport, since it was killing all of the grass with it's shadow. Turns out a crew was supposed to ferry the aircraft to this airport, adn another crew was going to pick it up. Word never got to the crew picking up that it was there. He aslo told me antother story about making an emergeny landing at an airport with an engine on fire, only to find that they were landing during an airshow!
Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:36 am
Don't know if the miscount story is true or not, but knowing our gov't beuracracy it certainly sounds plausible!
SN
SN
Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:38 pm
With all due respects...
Somehow I don't think the USAF would park a B-36 unattended at an airport where the main person in charge is an FBO. That would probably be a small field...and aside from the obvious runway length requirements, there are all the other logistical issues...fuel, oil, battery carts. Even a medium sized GA field copuldn't support a B-36 operation.
The planes were "owned" by a wing..someone would know if there was one missing. And in the Curtiss LeMay days of people being held accountable for their actions... promotions were given and taken away...I doubt if a colonel would "lose" a B-36.
Somehow I don't think the USAF would park a B-36 unattended at an airport where the main person in charge is an FBO. That would probably be a small field...and aside from the obvious runway length requirements, there are all the other logistical issues...fuel, oil, battery carts. Even a medium sized GA field copuldn't support a B-36 operation.
The planes were "owned" by a wing..someone would know if there was one missing. And in the Curtiss LeMay days of people being held accountable for their actions... promotions were given and taken away...I doubt if a colonel would "lose" a B-36.
Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:40 pm
I could only tell you what the former B-36 pilot told me.
Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:59 pm
JBoyle wrote:With all due respects...
Somehow I don't think the USAF would park a B-36 unattended at an airport where the main person in charge is an FBO. That would probably be a small field...and aside from the obvious runway length requirements, there are all the other logistical issues...fuel, oil, battery carts. Even a medium sized GA field copuldn't support a B-36 operation.
The planes were "owned" by a wing..someone would know if there was one missing. And in the Curtiss LeMay days of people being held accountable for their actions... promotions were given and taken away...I doubt if a colonel would "lose" a B-36.
The story has to be a hoax. During the B-36's time, there were only a few airports in the world that could support the massive weight of a B-36, and nearly all of those were air bases. A B-36 parked in the grass would very quickly sink up to its axles, even on dry ground!
Cheers!
Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:01 pm
The way the guy made it sound it was not on grass, but the wings were hanging over into the grass and killing it. I want to say he said it was out in California. I don't know, I thought maybe one of you guys had heard the story before. 
Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:18 pm
leave it to the pentagon to lose something 100,000 times bigger than a bread box at an f.b.o.!!! they couldn't find a pimple on on a flea's ass if that's the case!!!!
Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:59 pm
Reminds me of a story told to me by a Sayakhat Il-76 crew how, during the period of the collapse of the USSR, Aeroflot supposedly lost track of some 60 of their Il-76's. It was suspected they were, well, stolen by their crews to start their own cargo airline operation.
That sory always kept me wondering how they got the '76 they flew themselves
.....
Tillerman.
That sory always kept me wondering how they got the '76 they flew themselves
.....
Tillerman.
Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:13 pm
That is wild. I know that Tallichet lost a B-25 once. He couldn't remember where he put it. That is a true story that I was there to see. It was the one painted like the Doolittle Raider. Which reminds me, has anyone seen that aircraft recently?
Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:21 pm
Hi,
I gotta weigh in on this one. My father told me a story of when he was in the USAF, based out of Rhien Main Germany, of an airlift his squadron was doing going to the UK. He crew chiefed the Wing Commander's bird and at the mission breifing all crews were told NOT to "look around". Well, what they were "Not" supposed to see was the base in the UK where they flew the B-36's out of which was where they were airlifting to. Thing is that given the high level of security surrounding the SAC at the time, the story seems out of place. Considering that Gen. LeMay was in charge.
But, stranger things have happened in this world I guess
Paul
I gotta weigh in on this one. My father told me a story of when he was in the USAF, based out of Rhien Main Germany, of an airlift his squadron was doing going to the UK. He crew chiefed the Wing Commander's bird and at the mission breifing all crews were told NOT to "look around". Well, what they were "Not" supposed to see was the base in the UK where they flew the B-36's out of which was where they were airlifting to. Thing is that given the high level of security surrounding the SAC at the time, the story seems out of place. Considering that Gen. LeMay was in charge.
But, stranger things have happened in this world I guess
Paul
Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:49 pm
I think that B-25 was in Lancaster, Ohio the last I saw it.
Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:28 pm
Hi,
There never seems to be a shortage of tall tails in the aviation world and I must say this must rank as one of the tallest.
Does the words Bull Poo Poo Ring a bell? Although I did see a photo in a national magazine of a B-32 Dominator on the moon 
KINDA HARD TO SWALLOW. But stranger things have happened.
Thanks Mike
There never seems to be a shortage of tall tails in the aviation world and I must say this must rank as one of the tallest.
Does the words Bull Poo Poo Ring a bell? Although I did see a photo in a national magazine of a B-32 Dominator on the moon KINDA HARD TO SWALLOW. But stranger things have happened.
Thanks Mike
Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:38 pm
I saw a T-38 one time that was "lost".
Apparently it was "left" on base and "forgotten" when the base closed.
It "fell through the cracks" and ended up in another state, in a private hanger.
The "plan" was to put it back together, slap an N-number on it and fly it at airshows.
But it didn't stay 'lost" for ever..... and is now "found"
Apparently it was "left" on base and "forgotten" when the base closed.
It "fell through the cracks" and ended up in another state, in a private hanger.
The "plan" was to put it back together, slap an N-number on it and fly it at airshows.
But it didn't stay 'lost" for ever..... and is now "found"
Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:24 am
In the book 'To Fly A Desk', the biography of Sir Geoffrey Roberts, who was wartime Pacific commander of the RNZAF, it says at th end of the war he was touring RNZAF bases in the islands to ensure all the squadrons and units were being packed up and repatriated to NZ properly. When he came to one of our Ventura squadrons, from memory on Los Negros, a count found they had one too many aircraft.
It turned out that at some stage the kiwis had required some parts and had approached a US squadron operating the Ventura there also. The Americans had given them a complete aircraft to use for spares, as they were no longer to use the type or something.
It was eventually put into service it seems. When Geoff Roberts completed his audit and the squadron had flown home this one aircraft was quietly pushed off the airfield into the jungle and left, so as not to wreck the balance of the books. It's probably still there.
It turned out that at some stage the kiwis had required some parts and had approached a US squadron operating the Ventura there also. The Americans had given them a complete aircraft to use for spares, as they were no longer to use the type or something.
It was eventually put into service it seems. When Geoff Roberts completed his audit and the squadron had flown home this one aircraft was quietly pushed off the airfield into the jungle and left, so as not to wreck the balance of the books. It's probably still there.