T H E       H U S T L E R' S       H A N G A R

Hi - I'm BJ Brown. Welcome to my new pages: The Hustler's Hangar  I served 20 years in the USAF and retired in 1972 as a LtCol. While on active duty I was privileged to fly as a crew member on three state-of-the-art bombers of their time: the B-36, B-47 and B-58. After my crew days were over I was assigned as Commander, 376th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, Kadena AB, Okinawa. I was in the Strategic Air Command my entire career and I accumulated about 4,000 hours flight time. The highlight of my Air Force career was flying in the B-58 Hustler for five years as a Navigator-Bombardier on a Select combat-ready crew.    My wife and I now live in Mtn Home, AR. We both enjoy fishing for trout on the White River and traveling. Sherie works in her garden and keeps her flowers looking very nice. Besides fishing and traveling, I play a little golf, exercise and piddle with this dang computer.    Move down this page and you'll see a recap of my USAF career. Farther down this page are clickable links to the following pages: B-58 Pages B-58 People - Places Just Some B-58 Photos

The B-36 PEACEMAKER was my first aircraft assignment. This 10 engine monster was the world's first intercontinental bomber. It had a crew of thirteen and could carry a 44,000 pound bomb load over 10,000 miles. I was a flight engineer in the B-36, assigned to the 7th BW, 436th Bomb Squadron at Carswell AFB, Texas. I was on a combat-ready crew from June 1953 until November 1957. The B-36 began phasing out of service and I was transferred to Mather AFB, CA for Navigator/Bombardier training.   While stationed at Carswell AFB I went to Nouasseur AB, Morocco - Gibraltar - Madrid, Spain - and Brize Norton AB, England.

The B-47 STRATOJET was my second aircraft assignment. It was the world's first strategic all-jet bomber. It had unlimited range with inflight refueling. After navigation school at Mather AFB I was sent to Little Rock AFB, AR where I received flight training in the B-47 with my new crew. We were assigned to the 96th BW at Dyess AFB, TX. I was the Bomb/Nav on a combat-ready crew in the B-47 from March 1959 until September 1962.    Our B-47 crew stood alert at Fairford AB and Greenham Common AB in England - Zaragoza, Spain - and Eielson AFB, Alaska. R and R time allowed me to travel to such cities as Copenhagen, Denmark - Madrid, Spain - Fairbanks, Alaska - Majorca, Spain - London, England - Wiesbaden AB and Giebelstadt AB, Germany. I've also landed at Lajes AB, in the Azores. In September 1962 I went to Mather AFB, CA for academic training for the B-58.

THE BEST B-47 CREW IN THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND ~ S-29 Major John R. Spalding, Aircraft Commander Captain Walt Baumann, Co-pilot Captain BJ Brown, Navigator/Bombardier

THE B-58 HUSTLER was my third aircraft assignment. The B-58 was the world's first supersonic bomber and the HUSTLER was capable of flying at speeds in excess of Mach 2 and at altitudes above 60,000 feet. I was a Senior Navigator/Bombardier in the 305th BW at Grissom AFB, Indiana. I flew in the B-58 on a SELECT combat-ready crew from January 1963 until March 1968. Our crew was selected to fly a B-58 from Grissom AFB to Fairford AB, England. From there we flew to Torrejon AB, just outside of Madrid, Spain. After three days in Spain we flew back to Grissom AFB, Indiana.   I finally got off crew duty and was assigned to the 305th Armament and Electronic Maintenance Squadron (AEMS) as Maintenance Supervisor until August 1969.

THE BEST B-58 CREW IN THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND     Lt Col Bob Franklin, Aircraft Commander (bottom step)     Major BJ Brown, Navigator/Bombardier (center step)     Major George Klump, Defensive Systems Operator (top step)

THE 376th Avionics Maintenance Squadron commander's desk at Kadena AB, Okinawa was my fourth assignment. I logged a few hours at this desk. Our squadron maintained the avionics equipment on B-52, KC-135 and RC-135 aircraft. These aircraft were launched 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in support of the war effort in Vietnam. Paperwork, incessant incoming phone calls, visits by Inspection Teams, Wing Commander snits and Maintenance Commander fits managed to keep this peon busy from August 1969 until August 1972. While at Kadena AB I made a few typhoon evac trips to Clark AB, PI. I also made trips to Taiwan and Hong Kong. I flew into Da Nang AB, Republic of Viet Nam on a KC-135 and we spent the night....that was enough for me!!

376th Avionics Maintenance Squadron AWARDS Best AMS in 3rd Air Division - 1969 Best AMS in 8th Air Force - 1970 Best AMS in Strategic Air Command - 1970 Best AMS in 8th Air Force - 1971 RunnerUp, Best AMS in Strategic Air Command - 1971

LINKS TO "JUST PHOTOS"

B-58 Pictures

B-58 Pictures

B-58 Pictures

B-58 Pictures

VIEW AND SIGN MY GUESTBOOK powered by  bravenet.com

I have been a member of Mensa International since 1997.

My thanks to the Smithsonian, Wright-Patterson AFB museum and Aerograph 4 for numerous photos and references. If any are done in error, or are out of context, please contact me through my GuestBook.