This post’s video features some interesting clips of the incredible Convair B-36 strategic bomber landing and taking off
The cool video in this post shows some neat clips of the awesome Convair B-36 strategic bomber taking off and landing.
Since the video was re-edited in 4K from material from James Stewart’s Strategic Air Command film, it looks great on a big-screen 4K or 8K TV, as stated in the video description.
James Stewart starred in the 1955 American military aviation movie Strategic Air Command, which was the first of four Hollywood productions that portrayed the role of Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War.
Jimmy Stewart was recruited into the US Armed Forces on March 22, 1941. As an enlistee, he was assigned to the Army Air Corps and stationed at Moffett Field, California. In order to earn a commission, he also enrolled in extension courses throughout his nine months of training at that base. When Pearl Harbor occurred, he had finished the courses and was awaiting the results. A month later, he received his commission, and because he had logged over 400 hours as a civilian, he was permitted to take basic flight training at Moffett and received his pilot wings.
He flew bombardiers in the training school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and instructed in AT-6, AT-9, and B-17 aircraft over the following nine months. Stewart traveled to England in the fall of 1943 as Commanding Officer of the B-24-equipped 703d Bomb Squadron.
After starting to fly combat missions, he was named Operations Officer of the 453rd Bomb Group on March 31, 1944, and Chief of Staff of the 2nd Combat Wing, 2nd Air Division of the 8th Air Force after that. Stewart flew 20 combat missions before the war was over.
Stewart took his Air Force Reserve duties very seriously, making sure he flew the B-36, B-47, B-52, and B-58 even after he started his acting career again. On July 23, 1959, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general while serving in the USAF Reserve. He retired on May 31, 1968.