CES makes way for BUFF

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jose L. Hernandez-Domitilo
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  

To make way for the arrival of one of the biggest aircraft attractions of the 2015 Misawa Air Festival, the B-52H Stratofortress, U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force civil engineers temporarily removed a number of edge-way lights on the base's flightline, Sept. 11.

Despite a rainy and windy morning, more than 20 U.S. Air Force and JASDF members caravanned out to edge-way of the north and south side of the flightline manually removing and securing each light for reattachment as soon as the BUFF landed and taxied off the runway.

"If we didn't remove the light it could have potentially caused damage to the B-52 wings," said Senior Airman Douglas Bennett, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems journeyman. "The aircraft's wingspan is more than 60 meters in length which is too wide to fit on the current runway edge-way lights."

The last time the B-52 made an appearance at Misawa AB was during the 2010's Air Festival, which at that time Airfield Management determined that anytime an Aircraft with that long of wingspan comes, lights required temporary removal.

"This was the first time I've removed lights," said Bennett. "We showed up early and the rain didn't slow us down at all."

The B-52 is currently assigned to 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and is slated to be on static display during the 2015 Misawa Air Festival alongside a multitude of U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines and JASDF aircraft.

For a full list of the aircraft static displays and other pertinent information about the 2015 Misawa Air Festival visit: http://www.misawa.af.mil/library/misawaairfestival.asp?