The B-52 celebrates 60 years

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Thanks Alison we'll talk about a family business won Stanley with three generations of B 52 bomber crew members who kept our country safe.

Are now celebrating the sixty year anniversary of that very aircraft.

The B 52 bomber two of the three join us today retired lieutenant colonel Don Welch and his son first lieutenant Daniel Welch of the US air force are here.

And -- grandpa could make it make the trip.

But he's watching from home in California nice to see both gentlemen this morning -- and FOX & Friends going to be here thanks for having us -- start with you.

How important is the B 52 bomber to the American air superiority really began in a way -- this aircraft tell us why this is so important to America.

Well I think it's critically important because it was part of the nuclear -- at the time.

It's versatile it's has a lot of capability it has a long reach.

NIC and basically.

He.

A home for conventional nuclear weapons it's got -- -- variety of missions close air support today precision strike those kind of.

And it's -- if you look at this.

-- people fit in that aircraft and how many.

How many people can I mean how long I know I know I've often heard about how long these things can travel to the amount of fuel these things hold go for a long time.

Right right as far as the cockpit I mean it can carry you.

Ten people -- that's with instructors and that kind of thing but in the old day we used to have a Gunner on board the Gunner is no longer on the airplane.

Bomb but the thing can fly on refueled I -- with refueling the airplane and fly basically around the world.

That's incredible Daniel how important was it -- -- you've got this a long legacy your family of flying these aircraft was it a no brainer for you to join the united states air force.

Something I always wanted to do I was saw you know my dad common home -- flight Seton.

-- it would go to -- my grandparents for Christmas I -- -- -- my grandpa about being a pilot and fly and so.

I knew from you know young -- as far bags like remember that I really want to be a pilot.

And just.

Didn't really know what Plano -- want to fly but I knew that I wanna be and a combat weapons systems so.

And here's a picture of -- in the Palmer Jack yeah.

Hit an adorable editor -- did you ever try to talk him out of it.

But no one ever did -- -- was probably encouraging him ignored him or -- Now I have to imagine a lot of technology has changed over the years since you first started flying these conversations I assume were probably pretty intrastate.

How it.

When you say to your -- how things change how different is this aircraft now these types of conversations you have polio all the time when I started flying in and we actually use.

Celestial navigation while -- using stars to actually find your way.

Around that's right -- was back in the early eighties and prior to that.

And we used radar navigation use the concept called dead reckoning.

We didn't have the a Global Positioning Systems on there today that allow the very.

Precision strikes so it's changed quite a bit so now -- you -- your -- about the technology and on board what -- you say -- to -- to -- with all these newfangled gadgets and that's -- way to look at the start.

-- my way home.

We got a lot of new equipment for served as what he's talked about earlier with the the precision weapons we can that we have.

-- -- pod that we can use.

That we can use laser guided weapons for as well as GPS data weapons to so.

It's change a little bit from the -- grab the weapons that we used to use and now it's really precise.

-- see all these newfangled aircraft come out on a regular basis in of course.

They would kill a lot of these broad programs on a regular basis we hear aircraft that are being phased out this aircraft of sixty years.

Why do you think it has the staying out.

Well I think it's probably because of the -- The technology that it's been eluding incorporate into the -- into the airplane so it adapts it adapts I think the Air -- use it to.

You know to keep adapt and -- putting on that new technology I mean it's a great platform.

For delivering a lot of capability plus -- can go a long way.

How important is it to the history of this country to be able celebrate the sixtieth anniversary this aircraft people -- watching this morning maybe aren't aware of how important is aircraft is what would you say to them this morning.

I just say -- is pretty cool to be a part of it but my grandfather -- every mile from the age of -- model and we fly -- based model now still so.

It may only be a fifty year old aircraft now but has a -- the six year old ones what's.

This is pretty cool and it's an awesome thing to be a part of.

Especially kids get to go to air shows and actually walk up and touch a B 52 bomber like I did it in Reading, Pennsylvania going going to be airfield and seeing him.

Great to have you guys here this morning congratulations it's a great story.

Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the B 52 bomber.

And grandpa you're watching at home.

Thanks guys they say everybody's allowed us to our country is -- -- and.

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The B-52 celebrates 60 years

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