B-2 Spirits return to flight

Published: Sat Apr 19th, 2008
Source: ACCNS

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. (ACCNS) -- The B-2 Spirit made a successful return to flight April 15 after a 53-day safety pause, following the first-ever crash Feb. 23 in Guam.

While an accident investigation board is still ongoing, Air Force and Air Combat Command maintenance and safety experts gave the 509th Bomb Wing the green light to fly.

Col. Tom Bussiere, 509th Operations Group commander, and Maj. Rich Collins, 394th Combat Training Squadron operations officer, took the Spirit of Florida to the skies April 15 in the first flight since the Spirit of Kansas crashed on takeoff at Andersen AFB, Guam, Feb. 23.

"We definitely wanted our return to flying to be deliberate and safe," Brig. Gen. Gary Harencak, 509th Bomb Wing commander said.

B-2s have been flying almost 20 years and are renowned in the Air Force for their unprecedented safety record, General Harencak said.

"In the history of aviation, there's never been an aircraft with a safety record like the B-2," he said. "These bombers combined have a logged more than 14,000 sorties, 100 combat sorties and 75,000 flying hours without a single Class A mishap until now."

The mishap was categorized as Class A, when there is loss of life or damage in excess of $1 million. But General Harencak said only one flight Class A mishap in 20 years beats the odds of almost any aircraft.

The Spirit of Kansas had logged more than 5,000 flight hours and 1,036 sorties before Feb. 23, and it was "renowned in the maintenance community for being a great jet," said Col. Bob Dulong, the 509th Maintenance Group commander.

"The B-2 is Air Power at its purest, most elegant and deadliest form," the general said. "(It is) an aircraft that cannot be denied access with its range, payload and stealthiness, it has everything that is required to hold at risk any of America's enemies anywhere, anytime - and we can do it from here."
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B-2 Spirits return to flight

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