THE OLD GIRL RETIRES

(Originally published 11/2004)

Questions abounded at the post flight media briefing.

The press wanted to know how fast the X-43 had gone, how high it flew, how long it would be until we could all fly on a scramjet-powered airliner. These people had no idea what they had just witnessed.

While the mainstream media chattered about the X-43's latest flight, a few aviation photographers and journalists sat quietly in the corner of the room reflecting on the day. The X-43A had the media spotlight, but we knew the true story was with the supporting cast.

For the launch platform, NASA 0008, the B-52B testbed that has been a fixture at Edwards since the 1950s, it would be her last mission.

"Balls Eight" (named for the three zeros preceding the “8” in her serial number) first flew in 1955 and served all her days in the flight test community.

She had been the mothership to the US space program, carrying and launching everyting from the X-15 that explored high speed flight at the edge of space, to the lifting bodies that led to the space shuttle.

If X-vehicles were the classrooms that allowed us modern high speed atmospheric and space flight, then "Balls Eight" was the school bus.

Her starboard side is plastered with mission markings for HiMat, Pegasus, X-38, X-this, X-that... She may well be the single most historically significant airframe since the "Spirit of St. Louis" and the "Enola Gay".

She served nearly two decades in flight test with the Air Force before being transferred to NASA in 1976, where she served faithfully until this day. Though she still had the lowest airframe hours of any B-52 in service, parts for the old “B” model were hard to come by. NASA maintenance found many systems in 008 to be unique, and it was not unheard of to have to fabricate new parts from scratch. With a good number of B-52H models being retired from active duty, the wealth of “H” model airframes and spare parts in the bone yards led NASA to make a change. A younger “H” model B-52 was delivered to NASA Dryden, to take over missions.

“Balls Eight’s” final mission was a huge success. Thanks to the skill and dedication of the pilots, managers, and engineers on the X-43 project, the launch was perfect. All science goals were achieved, and the X-43 flew to mach 9.6-plus.

History had been made once again under the old girl’s wing.

After all the media questions were answered, the NASA public affairs officer was about to end the X-43 post flight press conference when he was interrupted by one of the X-43 panelists. There was just one more thing he wanted to say. He told the room that they had just witnessed a great airplane - 0008 - fly her last mission.

The room was quiet. Not because everyone shared the sweet sorrow felt by those few of us, but because they didn't understand that a huge era in aviation history had ended before their eyes.

Then the silence was broken by the slow clap of one old aviation buff’s hands, and then a few others who understood what they had just been a part of began to clap, and soon the room caught on and "Balls Eight” got a well deserved round of applause.

The media left, walking past the silhouette of an X-15 against a setting sun. It was a full-scale mockup of that magnificent rocket that, back in the late 50’s and 60’s, had taken the Wright Brothers dream to the edge of space from beneath the wing of old 0008. The X-15 had long ago been stuck on a pole and relegated to the job of "Gate Guardian".

The sun had set on 0008 as well, and the time had come for her to join her old partner on guard duty.

c 11/04 Dave Cibley