On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 01:31:50 GMT, "Harold E. Johnson"
wrote:

[snip]

Same reason the Air Force still can't talk to the ground pounder
unless they stick an AF guy with an AM rig with them on the ground. Sigh

Nah. We had a surplus outfit here in Tucson that cut up old Air Force
planes at DMAFB (The Boneyard).

I bought a Collins KWM-1 from them that came out of a B-47. They were
using SSB a long time ago. I wish I had kept that radio as it might
have been very widely traveled.

Some of those planes were "special"... RB-47s. They were overflying
the Soviet Union before the U2s were.

I used to be a member of the Association of Old Crows. For more on
that see: (http://www.55srwa.org/55_crowstory.html). The author, Col.
Bruce Bailey also discussed some of these missions (and mischief) in
his book, "We See All", a Pictorial History of the 55th Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing. I happen to have an inscribed copy (no. 1474 of
1500) of the book.

Bruce has a lot more tales at http://www.55srwa.org/55_fhr1.html

Caution: Do not read any of his stuff with liquid in your mouth. It
will wind up all over your monitor.