In 1990, five miles off the USS Independence, a USAF B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber requested permission to do a fly-by. The carrier accepted the request but stated that there was no visual on the aircraft.
The images included in this post were taken in 1990 when the USS Ranger (CV-61) was five miles away from the US Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber, which requested permission to fly by. The carrier agreed to the request but stated that there was no visual on the aircraft. The B-52 instructed them to look down before flying past the Independence below the flight deck level.
This is how the story unfolded. When two B-52s wanted to do a fly-by of the USS Ranger, the carrier air controller approved it. The carrier controller stated he had not seen the B-52s when they indicated they were nine kilometers away. The carrier crew was directed to look down by the B-52s.
B-52 Pilot: “Ranger, we’re 5 miles out.”
USS Ranger: “We do not have visual…”
B-52 Pilot: “Look down”
The Tailhook Association website states that although the B-52’s paint scheme made it difficult to detect from above, sailors were able to make out the aircraft and the water that the B-52 jets were causing to spray out as they approached.
As we have already explained B-52s usually practiced low-level flights during Cold War years to come in under Soviet radar. In this case, the B-52 pilots asked the carrier controller if they would like the bombers to come around again. The carrier guys said yes, and a lot more sailors had their cameras out this time.
While low fly-bys by USAF aircraft below a carrier’s flight deck are extremely uncommon, sometimes B-52s perform low fly-bys over US Navy flattops. In fact, two B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers stationed in Guam carried out a low flyby over the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41) during the winter of 1981.
Note: The carrier in the images is unquestionably the USS Ranger, despite the fact that one of the pictures shows an F-14 with tail markings from VF-154 and an E-2C with tail markings from VAW-115 parked on the flight deck, with NK in the tail of the aircraft at the time not assigned to USS Ranger.
However, as a reader explained: “Top photo is definitely Ranger CV-61. As for CAG-5 or CVW-5, they were not deployed on Independence until August 1991 after Indy relieved Midway. I was ship’s company on Indy from 1989-1992 and I definitely do not remember ever seeing or hearing of this happening.”
Another added: “VF-154 didn’t joke CAG-5 until 1991/1992. NK is the tail letter for CVW-14. Judging by the few aircraft on the flight deck this looks like a 2 week carrier quals. During carrier quals, the squadrons will go to whatever carrier is available not necessarily the one they deploy on.”
Photo by U.S. Navy