Originally Posted by
Elvis90
I retired from the USAF last year...my last flight in the Bone was August 2010...first flight for me was 1999. The B-1 should remain in the inventory until 2040...it is a blast to fly and it's certainly a unique experience. Monthly hours won't be greater than 20/month...jets break and the flying hours are costly. If airlines are your goal, make sure you have enough flight time to get your ATP. Most guys in peacetime won't exceed 200 hours per year. If you deploy, you'll accumulate lots of hours; however, Afghanistan & Iraq have wound down, and the DoD is now cutting back for a new "peace dividend".
Take the opportunity...just be aware that pilots & WSO's who have started in the B-1 will progress ahead of you career-wise.
It definitely looks like a blast to fly and no doubt nothing like it. I've spent hours watching video's on this thing and I'm hooked. What a cool aircraft with amazing capabilities.
What other 390,000lb aircraft can you fly that fast, that low, drop that much hate, get inverted, and still get to be apart of a crew? Too bad they don't take some money from the Buff and put it into the Bone! Haha. I bet that's gonna make a lot of guys on here mad. Ultimately I know it's the nuclear mission that prevents that though.