It has taken almost three weeks to get here, but the B-52 is finally in Oklahoma City.The airplane made its way from Arizona to the Boeing facility in OKC.It’s set to become the prototype for all B-52s for the next 30 years. A Purcell man was shocked to see the B-52 come to town. He knows the plane very well – perhaps better than anyone.>> RELATED: Decommissioned B-52 bomber makes its way to OKC to serve as prototype for fleet upgradesThe 40-year-old bomber was parked on a side road in Purcell. “When I was driving by, it was, ‘Oh, wow! A B-52! I know that airplane,’” said Jack Hood, an Air Force veteran who worked on the Damage Inc. II airplane.Hood hasn’t seen the plane he worked on since 1980 – until he randomly spotted it in Purcell. The veteran showed his grandkids the exact B-52 he worked on during his service. “It was quite a surprise when I came down the road and saw that nose sticking there. I thought, ‘Oh man, it was exciting to see it!'” he said. “I was taken my granddaughter around to every panel that we had equipment under. I said, ‘Oh, here’s where this is’ and ‘Oh, this is where the antennas were.'”>> RELATED: 22-year Air Force veteran working as civilian at Tinker Air Force BaseThe 150,000-pound aircraft will be the prototype to upgrade the entire B-52 fleet over the next 30 years. A push to revamp rather than build a new aircraft. Hood said he’s grateful to see a familiar face once more.“It was like an old friend I helped keep in the air,” he said. “This is one of those old birds and it brings back all those memories.”
It has taken almost three weeks to get here, but the B-52 is finally in Oklahoma City.
The airplane made its way from Arizona to the Boeing facility in OKC.
It’s set to become the prototype for all B-52s for the next 30 years.
A Purcell man was shocked to see the B-52 come to town. He knows the plane very well – perhaps better than anyone.
>> RELATED: Decommissioned B-52 bomber makes its way to OKC to serve as prototype for fleet upgrades
The 40-year-old bomber was parked on a side road in Purcell.
“When I was driving by, it was, ‘Oh, wow! A B-52! I know that airplane,’” said Jack Hood, an Air Force veteran who worked on the Damage Inc. II airplane.
Hood hasn’t seen the plane he worked on since 1980 – until he randomly spotted it in Purcell.
The veteran showed his grandkids the exact B-52 he worked on during his service.
“It was quite a surprise when I came down the road and saw that nose sticking there. I thought, ‘Oh man, it was exciting to see it!'” he said. “I was taken my granddaughter around to every panel that we had equipment under. I said, ‘Oh, here’s where this is’ and ‘Oh, this is where the antennas were.'”
>> RELATED: 22-year Air Force veteran working as civilian at Tinker Air Force Base
The 150,000-pound aircraft will be the prototype to upgrade the entire B-52 fleet over the next 30 years. A push to revamp rather than build a new aircraft.
Hood said he’s grateful to see a familiar face once more.
“It was like an old friend I helped keep in the air,” he said. “This is one of those old birds and it brings back all those memories.”
