B-1 aircrew, maintainers support air show in France

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kedesha Pennant
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A B-1B Lancer aircrew assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron and Airmen assigned to the 7th Maintenance Group supported the Istres Air Show June 4-5, at Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, France.

The Istres Air Show celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Lafayette Escadrille, a unit of American Airmen who volunteered to fight alongside the French during World War I. The Lafayette Escadrille was formed April 20, 1916, which was a year before the U.S. entered WWI. The name was in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer who fought for the U.S. in the Revolutionary War.

"The 28th BS-- the then-28th Aero Squadron-- and the French air force share a long history," said Lt. Col. 'Z', 28th BS instructor pilot. "We flew with the French in the Lafayette Escadrille beginning in 1916 to help win the war, which is one of the reasons we were sent to participate in their air show. We even share similar squadron emblems."

The B-1 aircrew was able to fly to France nonstop, showcasing the aircraft's many capabilities.

"We were able to fly directly to France with one air refueling, and the flight took just over 10 hours," Z said. "Our presence there shows we can be anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. It also shows we can bring the largest precision-guided weapons payload of the entire U.S. inventory anywhere on the planet at any time."

A popular topic of discussion during the event was the B-1's status as a legacy aircraft. The B-1 continues to prove itself as the Air Force's leading long-range strike asset since its inception near the end of the Cold War, through current operations in Iraq and Syria.

"The B-1 is celebrating its 31st birthday this year," Z said. "We've been in continuous combat operations for the last 15 years, and many people don't realize the impact the aircraft has made."

Though the general public didn't know much about the B-1 and its capabilities, the aircraft was well-received and garnered an outpouring of curiosity.

"Two of the biggest questions we got all weekend were, 'What is this plane?' and 'What does it do?'" said Lt. Col. 'Chunks', 28 BS instructor weapons systems officer. "A B-1 at a European air show is very rare. Most of the people didn't know it was a U.S. aircraft."

The air show was headlined by the Patrouille de France, the French air force aerobatic demonstration team. The B-1 was the only U.S. aircraft on ground display; however, a B-52 Stratofortress conducted a flyover during the event.

This experience propelled lasting impressions from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I was very impressed by French people with how warm and thankful they were for us to be in attendance," Z said. "They even thanked us for our partnership with them over the century."

B-1s were also on display at the International Aerospace Exhibition June 7, in Berlin, Germany. The aircraft's presence in Europe is expected to continue in the coming months.