Bitburg Air Base F-15 Zulu Alert Take-Off

[ArianaRoxSox]

193MDS Lived Off base across from the HOSPital next to Harkees....Best Assignment of My Air Force Career!!!

[hamwallet13]

it's funny that the narrator calls the F-15 "delicate"

[PeoplesWar]

Awesome videos. I love these late-'70s, early-'80s Cold War videos. Anyone know the exact year of this documentary?

[colindhowell]

@PeoplesWar This is from Gwynne Dyer's "War", a television miniseries released in 1983. I'm not sure which episode it was. "War" actually has an overall antiwar theme, but it's also one of the best war documentaries ever made. It does a wonderful job of explaining the historical development of war, and specifically "total war", as well as the nature of being a soldier and the experience of combat. While it's surely dated now, it's still worth watching as long as you keep its era in mind.

[PeoplesWar]

@colindhowell Thank you so much! This documentary sounds worth checking out. Definitely up my alley.

[michaelfski]

I was there from 85 - 88 (A-Shop, 525). Loved every minute of it.

[drnone88]

@NocredRS You wuss. You sound like a piece of shit fat LIFER!

[1987SupaDave]

Big 22/Zulu Alert 87-90

[drnone88]

Glad it is closed. Those bases cost the taxpayer $1 billion a year to keep open!

[airforce122]

I SO MISS THAT BASE AS I WAS THERE BETWEEN 90 AND WHEN IT CLOSED AS I WAS PART OF THE R & R SHOP OF THE 36TH EMS, WE WORKED ALL THREE SQUADRONS. 53RD, 525 AND THE BIG 22. THOSE WHO KNEW ME, KNEW ME AS EITHER CRASH, B-BOP OR BASDEO.

[hotrod4you2]

time to build a new f-15 w/ more of every thing usa needs a a2a Xport FIGHTER

[kawi1167]

BIG 22 89-92.... loved it

[MYcoloradoplateau]

@kawi1167 ...me too, 22 AMU 90-94. Man I miss the sound of a JFS firing up in the distance. Still haunting after all this time.

[DMWBarngirl]

I remember the day they took BT off the plane and replaced it with SP. What a sick feeling that was! My dad was stationed there from '87-'94. Miss that base so much!!

[nightwriterou812]

@DMWBarngirl

I was stationed @ Spangdahlem '90-'94 and really hated seeing Bitburg being closed down because the base & folks were always top-notch. Spang gained several F-15's from Bitburg as part of the master plan to make Spang a "composite wing" comprised of A-10's, F-15's and F-16's. In conjunction with gaining Bitburg's F-15's we were supposed to phase out our F-4G's but the phase out was postponed due to the Gulf War.

[DMWBarngirl]

@nightwriterou812 I have a friend whose father worked in Spang, although they lived in Bitburg housing. I think they moved in '93. I don't remember what he did or his ranking, though. We were very blessed with a great base and tight community. It was pretty mind boggling moving stateside and finding out how impersonal the bases were [at least in Columbus, MS].

[TalksWithDirt]

Remember folks the F-15 was a act of a despiration. We had no idea of they would hold the line against the 4 to1 ration of combat aircraft from the Warsaw Pact vs NATO. As history has shown both sides would have had some rather shocking surprises.

[michaelpilot1000]

@TalksWithDirt

Desperation is the word you are trying to spell.

I was FMS 32 TFS Soesterburg. NL. 77 - 1980. During transition from F-4C to F-15

What fighter aircraft were you assigned to and where?

[ShaunaPirahna]

That sure brings back some memories... What a PARTY!!! I served from 92-93... I loved the roar of the planes first thing in the morning; then the BOOM when the broke the barrier...

[coachfieldsbball]

Love it, I was at Spang from 92-95. Doug Lerfald, dlerfald@mac.com

[DasShurikenRoy]

my dad was on the maintenance crew on that alert now hes stationed at mass air guard as the crew chief of maintenance its an f-15c air sobriety alert stationed at 131TFS and im so proud of him for this!

[jabsteak91]

I went to school there 01-06, i never saw the f-15s:( but now that im in the AF i would love to go back to spang or ramstein!

[f16boyhaxton]

I love the pilot starting to taxi while the crew chief is holding him! Typical pilots, never watch the marshaller

[newtekdb]

Was there 77-79 when the F-15A first arrived there. 36th OMS Able SQ-525 TFW. Was there when Col. Yeager came and did a Max Climb. AWESOME! My 2nd oldest son was born there also. Miss West Germany!

[mrkstvs187]

Best base in the AF I was there from 89-94.

[camarotx]

OMG .. I am in that video launching, you can see me marshalling out. SWEET!!! I remember that day ... so damn fun .... LOL ... Best assignment I ever had. '84-'88

[FrozenMinnesotan]

@camarotx My uncle was there from 83-87, I bet he would know you. He said that Bitburg was his best assignment by far too, and that he would give anything to go back there.

[colindhowell]

@camarotx You sure about the starting year? The miniseries from which this was taken was released in 1983.

[normanmj]

Love the sound of those engine starters!

[sufa256]

Nice!!

[ZangetsuBane14]

Dad was there from 88-92. Right before the 525th deployed to Bentwaters. He worked on life support systems. SSgt too i believe.

[hillbillyb4u]

Loved it in Bit. Worked in the LOX plant from 84-87

[stangcolbra]

Was there 66 to 69 crew chief F4Ds

[JenMelyssa]

I was born there♥ My dad was there until 89

[JoeyPNB]

I was at Bitburg 75-79, I was right in front when the first F-15 flew in and landed. Good times there

[manila143]

i miss Bitburg AB ah those memories at base from 88-91, with 525 bulldogs with 36AGS then 36EMS....

[djroe86]

nice ab blowout. not too promising, coming from an alert jet

[TY73Projex]

Bitburg Brat here! I was there from 81 to 84.

[chug26]

This is from hte 70s?

[colindhowell]

@chug26 Must be early 1980s, probably around 1981-1982, since it was taken from Gwynne Dyer's miniseries "War", which was released in 1983.

[123456789mischief]

what is the time from alert to actually being airborne?

[vince38curious2]

@123456789mischief I think from memory the expected time from the siren to airborne was 5 minutes but anywhere up to ten minutes is still pretty fast when you think about what it takes to get a pilot and his plane from a standing start to wheels up.

[roadrodent1952]

Was at Bit 1977-1979. Worked AMS (RDR, INS, HUD, Central comp.). Remeber a night when the AGE were getting a little rowdy over the radio making pig squeals, cow moos, and other animal sounds. All of a sudden someone came over the radio with "AHH AHH, EEE EEE, TOOKIE TOOKIE!!". For about the next 20 min. all you got over that channel was "George, George, George of the jungle strong as he can be. Watch out for that TREEEE!!"

[M42ap]

I don't know how it went after rotating back to the "world", but during my tour, the "ZULU" (Intercept) alert area was manned by "Able" section Mechanics and the "fly guys" of the 525th TFS "Fighting Bulldogs"..."VICTOR" (nuke) alert duty was pulled by the "Baker" and "Charlie" section Mechs, and the air crews of the 22nd "Fighting Stingers" and 53rd TFS "Fighting Bumble Bees". I'll NEVER forget (and you can buy it at your better liquor stores) Bitburger Pils! Loved that stuff..Bitte ein Bit!

[M42ap]

As a result of being assigned to Baker Section, I was (when not TDY to either Zaragoza or Aviano) pulling "Victor" alert duty, and I dare say that there isn't any video of THAT...or if there IS, "Uncle" has it by now! Loved every moment of the time "in country"!

[M42ap]

I was stationed at BT from January, 1974 until July, 1976 (with the "E" model Phantoms...shortly before I rotated home, the F-15's were coming on station/status, and I crewed one for about six months in Baker section (22nd TFS, 36th TFW). My folks weren't able to visit while I was on station, but they went over during the mid-to-late 80's, after the base had been handed over to the Nationals. Hope to visit someday soon (who knows, maybe even pick up a "smokin' piece" ;-0

[JoeyPNB]

I was there when the first F-15's arrived at Bitburg in '76 (or was it 77?)... I remember the constant exercises. The best times of my life. Love ya Julie T

[tomhat9]

I miss that base, it was a great assignment. I was there from 90-92

[MrMoronsrus]

@tomhat9 I was there from july of 79 to july 81 Able squadron and I know what you mean it was the best assignment I ever had.

[redfiretoyota]

@tomhat9 currently here... The base is almost dead now....

[dcs0582]

Excellent!

[Calimari459]

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