Getting Buffed.

[Sbob]

So, what is this thread about?
I flew the Alphasim B-52 a LOT many years ago. It was a serious challenge to get it right and I also did some tweaks to things like
panels, gauges, and some minor changes to the Aircraft.cfg file. There was a lot of frustration out there from other people who tried to fly it but got fed up and gave up. Along the way, I did a lot of publicly available research and reading so I could find out what I was doing wrong. The biggest thing I learned was that the Alphasim flight dynamics were amazingly good, I was just doing it wrong.

Flash forward to today, I mentioned my old idea in passing in zswobbie's thread and enough of you said you were interested, so I dusted my old idea off and, well, here we are. I also told zswobbie I was sorry I de-railed his thread. You folks caught me by surprise after I had mostly shelved the idea.

So, what's going to happen in this thread? First, you'll need to do some basic training. I tried a couple of ideas and wound up understanding that the best of them was to mimic the actual flight training the Air Force used for B-52 crews.
You'll start out at Mather AFB doing some basic VFR work in a jet trainer. Since we just don't have a good T-37 for FS9, I would encourage you to find a decent A-6 Intruder with fair flight dynamics and, most important, a good VC.
These initial flights may seem easy, but the whole point is to develop your Situational Awareness around Mather. At the same time, I'll be recommending some programs you'll need later on. Its important that you learn how to use them and get the most out of them now.

The first program is pretty old. Its Nav30. You can try some of the newer flight planners but Nav covers the basics really well without getting you in over your head in data. I would avoid anything that looks like an FMC. They are too complicated and too automated for this kind of flying.

The second program is ACS-GPS, the last version plus the gauge updates. Again, you can try other stand-alone GPS programs but ACS-GPS will give you everything you'll need in terms of flight planning while also giving you a quick view of the data you need. You can also couple Nav and ACS-GPS to create your flight plans and they both work with FS9. Trust me, this will make a lot more sense as you progress in your training.

Think of this first post as your indoctrination and school house work at Mather. I'm doing this so you'll feel like freshly minted Air Force officers. One quick thing about questions. Please ask them if you have problems and I'll do my best to help you get set up. Please, don't jump the shark. Trust me, we have a lot of work to cover and I've put in a lot thought about what you'll need to know and when. In other words, we'll get to it at some point.

My plan is to post in this thread once a week, probably on Mondays or Tuesdays at the latest. Your assignment for this week is to set up Nav and ACS-GPS and get them working. If you already have them installed, spend a little time reviewing how they work. You should be able to convert a flight plan from one program to the other. If you're good on that stuff, load up an Intruder at Mather and just go out and putt around. VFR only, I want you to build up your S-A of the local area. This will be more important next week but for now, get to know the area visually and.. anyone who accidently lands at Travis owes a round to the rest of the class at the Officer's Club.

One last thing, You have a nice Logbook in FS. If you don't already, start using it every time you fly. At some point you might teach yourself something. Your Logbook helps you learn from your mistakes.

Any questions?

 

[zswobbie1]

Here is the Nav30 & ACS-GPS software:

 

[Sbob]

Good point, I should have added some links. They should also be available at AVSIM and Nel's old site.
Getting the programs installed and talking to each other as well as FS9 might be tricky, but it IS do-able and they are still very stable in Win10.
I'm also betting you all have FSUIPC installed.

 

[ViperPilot2]

Downloading them as I speak. Is there a suggested Altitude for these FAM Flights?

The only Intruder I have is Kazunori Ito's A-6, so I hope it'll fit the bill. Looking forward to this whole Exercise!

 

[Sbob]

These are really sightseeing flights, and this is a really good question.
You should be flying basic VFR, as time goes on we'll be getting into tighter timing requirements and tougher navigation problems.
You'll be paired up with a fairly senior pilot who's on the back side of of their flying career with the Air Force or maybe with a "young gun" pilot who got "FAIPed" to fly trainers some more as a short term assignment until something on the pointier side of spear becomes available.

On one of these earlier flights, your pilot will get "loosey goosey" with you and tell you that for a trainer, this plane is really a lot of fun.
Then they will casually say, "Wanna try some aerobatics, we got some spare time and plenty of fuel?".

YOU are being set up.

If you try to beg off on the offer, it could be taken as you being a little too starched or worse yet, scared.
At this point, your pilot will take the bird vertical so you can experience some G's and a terrific view as the earth starts to cart wheel around the cockpit.

What your pilot really wants to check is if you'll barf. This isn't hazing, its important.
Some folks are just more prone to motion sickness and at this stage in your career, you are NEVER going to confess that you once got sick on a merry-go-round. Still, the Air Force needs to find this out NOW before they commit more money to your training. You are in some military hardware, and military people DO NOT spray paint their breakfast all over the cockpit of that hardware.

As far as altitude, don't sweat it at this stage. Have some fun BUT start building on your S-A around Mather. Just don't cheese off the FAA.
Ideally, you'll want a side-by-side jet trainer with a decent VC. These are primarily visual flights, all flown in good weather during the day.
What I'm talking about would be stuff like "mnd_c22j_fs9_v1.0.zip" or even "fs9_fokker_s-14_machtrainer_rnlaf_l-1_version_2.zip" over at AVSIM.

This is an early stage of the training and you aren't going to marry this plane, its more about building experience with VFR in a sort-of-fast jet.
I wish we had a good T-37 for FS9, but we're stuck with some play acting until the transition to the T-43 (737-200) for some longer training flights.

At most, if you want to do some "hard core" then try flying the patterns from this addy- https://www.airnav.com/airport/KMHR
Trust me, the tougher stuff is on its way.
BTW, welcome aboard.

 

[ViperPilot2]

Sounds good. I have a T-43 waiting in the Hangar, so I'll use the A-6 Intruder I have and get familiar with the Airspace around Mather AFB. I need the practice landing a Jet anyway, so this will be a good challenge for me.

Thanks!

 

[zswobbie1]

Ito's A-6E or ALPHASIM's A-6A or A-6E or C-22J?
How about Razbam's?
Any preference?

 

[Sbob]

At this stage, fly what you like.
We'll be getting a lot more serious down the road.

I just installed mnd_c22j_fs9_v1.0.zip and its..a whizzer.
Its actually well suited for this phase of your training.
This is jumping the gun a little, but this is also about flying so give that plane a try-out.
Its side-by-side, its a jet, and desperate times call for desperate measures. So..
You can transform the c22j into a cheesy Tweet with a little slight of hand.
You're stuck with its sound folder, but we can make some edits to the aircraft.cfg like this:

Change the atc_type= and atc_model= lines to

atc_type=CESSNA
atc_model=T37

You'll also need a call sign. I've attached it to this thread and you'll need EditVoicePack to make it work.

Your callsign while you're at Mather is...

GATOR. Its short for Navigator, get it?

Your flight number will change for each flight. First flight will be "21", second will be "22", etc.

Install the GATOR callsign then edit each [fltsim.#] entry like this:

[fltsim.3]
title=Caproni-Vizzola C-22J I-GIAC White
sim=C22J_MN
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=IGIAC_White
kb_checklists=C22J_Check
kb_reference=C22J_Ref
atc_id=I-GIAC
ui_manufacturer=Caproni-Vizzola
ui_type=C-22J Ventura
ui_variation=I-GIAC (White, Torquoise)
atc_airline=GATOR
atc_flight_number=21
description=The C-22J is the last aircraft to be adorned with the legendary Caproni name. Originally known as "Caproncino", then marketed as "Ventura". A very-light jet developed in the 1980s as a military trainer, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. Powered by two TRS-18 turbojets fed from a dorsal NACA intake, the aircraft reached Mach 0.47 and was fully aerobatic. The airframe shows its origin in a glider design, the Caproni A-21 Calif. After the merger with SIAI Marchetti, the project was cancelled in favor of the SF-260.

You'll be flying VFR in FAA airspace, so make sure you check in with Ground, Tower, and ATC.
I encourage you to use Progressive Taxi. This will become more important when you start flying at night, so get in the habit now.

 

[Sbob]

OK, Happy New Year and I hope you have some fun.

This seemed like a good time to "burn a post", as it were, and spend some time on what you're getting yourself into.
After all, this thread is all about a training pipeline to get you behind the controls of a SAC B-52 and operate it in a proficient manner.
Gen. "Hap" Arnold built the foundation of SAC at about the same time as the USAF came into existence and was split away from the U.S. Army.
It took Gen. Curtis LeMay to build the sky scraper that SAC would turn into. This isn't flowery creative writing on my part, SAC was run like a 1950's US corporation from the ground up. Except LeMay would quickly inform new members of the SAC family, "WE are at war, NOW!!!". This would later morph into "Peace Is Our Profession" but make no mistake, SAC would ALWAYS be ready to drop The Big Ones. Which is deceiving, SAC's primary mission was not winning WW3. SAC's primary mission was deterring WW3 by convincing any and every enemy that they might get in the first punch, but SAC would come back with something much bigger. In other words, if SAC sent out the Go codes for real it meant that they had failled their primary mission.
Making all of this happen took money, LOTS of money to build the bases, buy the airplanes, and pay the troops. To ensure all of this funding, SAC had to lean heavily on the Air Force, the DoD, and the US Congress. For many years, SAC was the only military organization that had its own lobbying office in the US Congress. This kind of footprint made a lot of people angry. LeMay would quip (paraphrasing) that he "had two enemies, the USSR and the US Congress. And, I don't know which one is more dangerous". LeMay wasn't a blowhard. He was the first and one of the few Army officers to qualify in EVERY position on a bomber. He led the way in practical long distance navigation and bombing accuracy and was also a very competent pilot. More than that, if LeMay thought you were pulling your weight he would back you 100%. Of course, if you screwed up, he wouldn't hesitate to drop a ton of bricks on you. He could be gruff and crude when it was needed while he was also a force in integrating the US armed forces. In short, he was the kind of leader you WANTED to work for, as long as you didn't screw up. My favorite story about LeMay goes something like this: an armed guard was standing watch near some B-29's when he spotted LeMay touring the flight line. With his usual lit cigar clamped firmly in his teeth, LeMay walked up to one of the bombers. In a panic, the guard ran up to the General and yelled, "SIR! You CAN'T smoke this close to the plane. It might explode!". "Son", LeMay replied, "it wouldn't dare".

In a normal situation, there's a saying about serving in the military- "If you aren't moving up, its time to think about moving out".
In SAC, it was a little different. As long as you were competent in your job, you could stick around as long as you wanted. SAC had the authority in the Air Force to "spot promote" its people. Of course, SAC would demote faster than the USAF if you got into some hot water.
If you came from a small town, you would still wind up in the boonies, far from the city lights, but the base itself wasn't bad. There was plenty to do when you were off duty. Movie theaters, dance halls/discos, restaurants, the Officer's and Enlisted clubs were nicely polished and you could even find good hunting and fishing spots near the base (in most cases). If you grew up in a city, yeah it was remote, but you would figure out that country life wasn't so bad and the people around sure seemed like they were happy. Many folks in SAC would elect to stick around after they left or retired out of the Air Force. Land prices tended to be much cheaper than in a city and there were always jobs available on base unless you wanted to start your own business.

With bomber and tanker crews, especially, their flight status wasn't the brief high light of their career. Crews were encouraged to stick together and stick around. In the regular Air Force, an officer's actual flight status might run for two to three years before it was time for the dreaded Staff Duty and Admin. tour. In SAC, a crew could stay together for five or more years with no problems. As long as you wanted to wear the green suit, you would see your name on the squadron's flight schedule. Of course, there was always the temptation of airline jobs and higher pay for the folks who wore pilot's wings.

In the next post, we'll learn more about the Crew Dogs and the folks who make the plane go.

 

[ViperPilot2]

Any tips on where to install Nav30 and ACS-GPS? Just put them in the C Drive and run?

 

[Sbob]

Viper, you are two for two on really good questions.

Nav30 (from now on, known as just NAV) and ACS-GPS (from now on, known as ACS or "Hey, Nav?" ) are really old programs.
They were old when I first started using them in FS98 and FS2002. I've tried many Flight Planner and stand-alone GPS programs and these two just do the best job when used in combination with the B-52 because they are fairly easy to use and you don't have to wade through a bunch of bells, whistles, and fancy display screens. They also pair up well together. You can convert NAV flight plans into ACS programed flights and vice versa so you can have quick access to the data you need for flight planning.

I have NAV installed in C: Program Files (X86) > Microsoft Games. This is the "default" install location that NAV's set-up process uses.
ACS gets installed into your Flight Sim main folder. I use separate installs of ACS for FS2002 and FS9. The ACS gauges get installed into your main Gauges folder in FS.
Since these are old programs, you'll probably need to set some permissions. Its the same-old same-old and either "run using XP", or "run using Vista" should get them going. If not, let me know and we'll puzzle it out.

To make things more complicated , I have FS2002 installed in Program Files (X86)> Microsoft Games while FS9 is installed directly to C: and they run fine. As long as both programs can communicate with FSIUPC and your sim, you should be good to go.

I have shortcuts for NAV and both installs of ACS installed to my Win10 taskbar, so your set-up should work. Both programs are fairly bullet proof when it comes to finding FSIUPC and FS so they can do their job.

One quick thing with ACS. Make SURE you have the ACS.GPS98-V2 gauge installed in your GAUGES folder. You'll be using it for both the B-52 and the T-43. I'll provide the panel.cfg files that you'll need.

Remember, I told you folks that this was going to be a challenge. Once we finish with the VFR stuff at Mather, you'll be learning to fly a combination of FS VFR, FS IFR, and FS YOLO. We'll be using some really nice "canned" IR Low Level Route flights for FS9 and FSX, except you won't be using the standard "canned flights" set up. Due to the B-52's flight dynamics and profile plus the timing requirements, the last thing you'll want to do is load a canned flight. Its the quickest way to get in trouble. The irony is that Alphasim included a neat PDI gauge in the B-52's 2D panel and VC. I never use it. But, I'm jumping ahead. The only other stand alone program you'll need is ARRCAB26. ARRCAB is great for air craft landing "traps" and "cat shots" but it also includes a really nice air-to-air refueling function. Which you'll be using, a lot.

 

[ViperPilot2]

Thanks for the Reply! I have FS9 installed in C: and I'm using Win 7 64 bit. Do you see any issue with installing Nav there as well? I tend to avoid putting FS stuff in the 'Program Files' area of Windows. If it is an issue I'll put Nav where you suggest.

 

[Sbob]

Well, its the same old issue with FS9 and "your" OS.
"Where are you gonna put it and will it run?"

I think zswobbie is running Win11 and I'm running Win10 (64 bit).
I listed where I installed these programs, and they work for me.

This is why I'm glad I waited until I joined SOH to start this thread.
I'm sure ALL of us have dealt with these issues before.
Think of it as the training you got in Officer's Training School.
Adapt, over come, do what it takes, shine your shoes.

To keep it short, I used the DEFAULT install locations then made the Compatibility changes.
You'll probably want to create some shortcut icons for your desktop (or where ever).
Just be sure that six months from now, you'll be able to find those Start icons.

That also brings another really good point. Flying the B-52 just feel better (IMO) with "live" weather.
Live weather for FS9 is getting tougher to find.
Do you folks have access to something that can automatically change your weather in flight?

It will help with some later activities if I know now.

 

[zswobbie1]

Yes, I'm using Windows 11.
Nav30 dies, when I search for bgl files. I've tried installing in C:\, also in XP compatibility mode, as Administrator.
I'll try a few more options & revert back.

 

[Sbob]

Why are you searching for bgl files?
NAV was designed for FS98 and FS2K. If it gets a whiff of FS9, it will lock up solid.
At most, there was an FS2K airport database update and you don't even need that.
NAV is as bare-bones as it gets, which is kind of the point.
You'll be using a pencil and paper more than you'll use NAV. The stock data base is more than enough.

Believe me, there's a method to the madness. I'll explain it when we get to Flight Planning.

 

[Sbob]

I've attached some .lst files for Nav30.
Just add them to the main Nav30 folder.

Nav should grind for a bit after you select one of the .lst files then the map should re-populate.

BTW, I want you to fold, spindle, and mutilate with the drop down menus at the top.
Play around and check out some of the functions, like 2D map vs spherical.

 

[Sbob]

Well, dang it, I have a problem.

All along, I thought Nav30 was a stand-alone program. It isn't, it reads the BGL files from FS2002 or FS2K each time it starts.
Nav was a very handy program because it can convert ACS plan files for display. You can also convert a Nav flight plan directly to an ACS plan program for the ACS gauge.

This isn't the end of this thread, but for now it sure feels like it.
What would you guys like to do? I can skip ahead to just cover the B-52 and set you up with ACS programed flights (I have a ton of them covering actual training routes).
I wanted to ramp up the flight planning part because flight planning is pretty integral to how the plane operates. Its sick, but flying a low level route and staying on time is a fun exercise. We can still do that, if you want. I could post some maps showing a route and the pitfalls you should watch out for, how to spot a timing dog leg and how to use it, stuff like that.

Or, we could go directly to getting the B-52 tweaked up and then I'll show you how to fly it. I'll leave it up to you, sorry if I let you down.
Oh, I have a bunch of repaints for the G and H model over at Flightsim. If you have a request for a certain bomb wing's markings, I could also knock out some more repaints.

 

[ViperPilot2]

Well, dang it, I have a problem.

All along, I thought Nav30 was a stand-alone program. It isn't, it reads the BGL files from FS2002 or FS2K each time it starts.
Nav was a very handy program because it can convert ACS plan files for display. You can also convert a Nav flight plan directly to an ACS plan program for the ACS gauge.

This isn't the end of this thread, but for now it sure feels like it.
What would you guys like to do? I can skip ahead to just cover the B-52 and set you up with ACS programed flights (I have a ton of them covering actual training routes).
I wanted to ramp up the flight planning part because flight planning is pretty integral to how the plane operates. Its sick, but flying a low level route and staying on time is a fun exercise. We can still do that, if you want. I could post some maps showing a route and the pitfalls you should watch out for, how to spot a timing dog leg and how to use it, stuff like that.

Or, we could go directly to getting the B-52 tweaked up and then I'll show you how to fly it. I'll leave it up to you, sorry if I let you down.
Oh, I have a bunch of repaints for the G and H model over at Flightsim. If you have a request for a certain bomb wing's markings, I could also knock out some more repaints.

Personally, I think going the route of what you propose (in Bold) would be just fine. I mean, it would be nice to have stand alone Modules to assist with Flight Planning, but it could be complicated for those who don't have much experience with using these Programs.

I was thinking that with regards to flying 'Training' Routes, what about this option; the "Oil Burner" Training Routes, like these...

FS2004 Complete Set Of Oil Burner Flight Plans

FS2004 Complete Set Of Oil Burner Flight Plans. This is a complete set of all FS2004 Oil Burner flight plans. Installation and usage instructions are inside each individual folder. This should simplify the download for those who want all flight plans. By Bill McClellan.

www.flightsim.com

They're already made up, they're easy to load into the Sim, and we could use your insights about how to fly the Airplane to perhaps give one of these Routes a try. Or your Option would work, too.

I know your posts about flying the B-47 were very helpful to me in regards to flying the Stratojet, and something like what you posted for the B-47 but written for the BUFF would be just as helpful.

Please let us know what you think; of course your Anecdotes are quite welcome and very insightful as well.

 

[Sbob]

Oil Burner routes were the original IR Low Level training routes.
In a lot of cases, the waypoints are mostly the same but the IR routes feature more terrain masking and tend to be longer.
Even better are the STRC routes. They were designed on purpose for the large bombers (B-52 and B-1) F-111s and Strike Eagles.
The IR routes became needed after the USSR developed and deployed the Sa-3 SAM. The Sa-3 was designed to knock down ONE airplane, this thread is a good clue as to which airplane it is.

For the most part, the VR routes were designed for the smaller jets with one exception, VR-152 aka the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Ks.
Located north of Tinker AFB, Smoky Hill is one spot in the US where you can drop actual BDU-48 training bombs (those cute little blue mini bombs).

While flying something as big as a large airliner at 350 knots and at 500 ft agl sounds like a whole bunch of fun (it IS), it comes with a price. The timing is critical. You'll have to enter the route within 30 seconds (+/-) of when it was planned and do your simulated bomb drop near an RBS site within 20 seconds (+/-) of when it was planned. Miss your timing and the RBS site will award you a nice, fat, 0. Even if you flew the route at 2 AM, local time, you can expect a LONG and painful debrief with your squadron Co. when you get back to your base.

One quick aside on RBS sites. An RBS site is, basically, a very accurate Radar fitted inside a rail road box car along with the scoring team. While the box car was rarely the simulated target, it needed to be close by. After several runs in an STRC route, you might try to spot the rail road tracks.
The RBS system was also re-fitted and re-deployed to Viet Nam and Thailand for ARCLIGHT operations. These were the typical MSQ (aka "Miscue" or "SKY SPOT") missions against the Ho Chi Minh trail or north of the DMZ. B-52s only flew over Hanoi and Haiphong for a brief period in 1972 during Operation Linebacker and Linebacker2.

For state side B-52s, the IR routes are your bread and butter. You'll find your favorite ones ("Buff Ridge" is always a hoot) as well as the routes located near your base becoming very familiar, sometimes even boring. This is why you'll want to have some version of Live Weather. Nothing is as white-knuckle as an IR Route during a snow storm, at night, or in swirling or high crosswinds.

 

[Sbob]

Well, I've recovered from my Flight Planner goof up (again, sorry about that) and I'm finishing up some VFR flights in the (simulated) T-37 and T-43 trainers at Mather. The inital flights will be fairly quick followed by some flights that are designed to push you a bit as a simmer. This will be a cumulative process, what you learn or brush up on now will pay off later.

Let's jump ahead for this post. Its time to meet your crew. This is a long one, grab a drink and settle in for Part One.

The normal B-52 crew is made up of six people, five officers and one Sargent. Sitting in the left seat on the flight deck is the Aircraft Commander, "Aye Cee" or AC. The AC is usually a captain or a major who spent a lot of time sitting in the seat to their right. The AC owns the rest of the crew and basks in the glory when things go right or gets the brick bats when things go wrong. Any B-52 AC has to be good at one thing: aerial refueling. Its one thing to do air-to-air in a fighter in DCS, imagine taking on a full load of fuel for 35 minutes in one shot in lousy weather or at night and making it look easy. The AC also has the job of making sure their crew stays on schedule (think promotions and training).

Sitting to the AC's right is the co-pilot, known as CO ("kough"). CO's usually start out as newly minted pilots and most of them strive for one thing, their own crew after a minimum of two years. The CO's main responsibility is keeping the plane within its CG limits because the CO owns the Fuel Control Panel. Its the CO's responability to handle everything related to fuel and gross weight from pre-flight to shut down. That includes calling the tanker squadron during pre-flight to make sure the plane gets it's gas on time ("We'll be at this ARIP at 15 minutes after the hour, please don't be late. We'll be expecting a 15K on-load so please don't get stingey"). Not all CO's have a burning desire to jump in the left seat, some are perfectly happy where they are for the duration. Imagine a CO in the Co.'s office who's getting "that pep talk" about moving up. "But Sir, that new AC is great but they REALLY need a good CO. How about if I take that job, instead?". It happens.

The AC and CO are the only crew members who wear pilot's wings. This is great for the AC and CO when it comes time to move onto the Great Airliner Job In The Sky. For the rest, its a bone of contention. Especially after that long training flight while the AC and the CO are shooting touch-and-gos for two hours and earning their Delta/TWA/Continental Hours.

Sitting behind the CO (and facing backwards) is the EW, also known as "E-Dub or E-Dubs". The EW is (usually) a former NAV and wears navigator's wings. EW school is fairly long and stressful so the EW is usually the scholar (aka Know It All) in the crew. In many cases, the EW out-ranks the rest of the crew and is usually a major. Well, the EW out ranks the rest of the crew on the ground. In the air, the EW is basically the tail gunner's boss and also controls a ####load of electrical gear. Jammers, spoofers, RWR gear, and enough chaff and flares to impress a New Year's parade in a big city. In most cases, the EW is the best of the celestial navigators because the periscope for the sextant is right next to the EW's helmet. The..what? Believe it or not, the most dependable way to get a fix is sighting the stars. All that fancy Nav gear down in The Black Hole might be state-of-the-art, but what happens if it craps out or gets spoofed? Granted, a star fix can be larger than the Back Forty but its better than nothing.

Sitting to the right of the EW (again, facing backwards) and behind the AC is the most unique member of the flight crew. The Tail Gunner, known as GUNS or if things are loose in the crew, Sarge. GUNS wears enlisted wings, a tradition that dates back to the early days of WWII. B-52 tail gunners acted as "visual observers" in the pre-G and H models of the B-52. Their canopy gave them a good view for things like holes in the wings, smoky engines, or SAMs that were a little too close for comfort. GUNS was almost always a senior Sargent who had worked in one of the base's specialty shops or on the flight line. Meaning, if the rest of the crew was iffy about taking one of the squadron's planes out for a ride, GUNS knew who to talk to and find out what was really going on. "Nah, its a good plane. I talked to the crew chief and got the low-down".