B47stratojetAssoc

The B-47 Stratojet Association

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Coming home

TDY (temporary duty) was a common occurrence and at times crews and their planes would be gone for up to 90 days to all parts of the world. Upon return the crews would often line up in formation to make a good show returning to their home station

Then one by one they would start their decent timing their approach and landing one to three minutes apart.

When entering the flight pattern some times it was useful to deploy a small chute called the approach chute. This slight drag would require the engines to be operated at a higher speed on decent. This practice was used because the earlier jet engines would not spool up to a higher throttle setting as fast as they do in today's aircraft. If the approach had to turn into a go-around, then the engines would already be at a higher setting.

If the approach chute was not used then a normal approach on final could be made just as well depending on the weather, wind and other circumstances.

Once on the ground a larger chute would be deployed aiding in the braking and slowing the aircraft down. This type of chute was commonly used in several USAF aircraft and was designed similar to a parachute in shape however the chute had ribbons instead of a full canopy

There is an very interesting article in the July 2009 Air & Space Magazine authored by Walter J. Boyne, aviation historian, founder of the National Air & Space Museum, that covers and describes some of the above in more detail.

The B-47 Stratojet Association was formed in 1996 to preserve the legacy of the B-47 and to honor the men who flew and maintained it throughout the darkest days of the Cold War.