Coronet Bat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coronet Bat was a 1995 U.S. Air Force exercise where two B-1B Lancers flew around-the-world non-stop with air-refueling on a practice bombing mission to ranges on three different continents, Europe, Asia and North America.
At around 3am June 2, 1995, four B-1B's launched from Dyess AFB in Texas commanded by (then) Lt Col Doug Raaberg as pilot of the lead aircraft,[1] nicknamed "Hellion" (tail number 85-057) accompanied by "Global Power" (tail number 85-082),[2] with the other two bombers serving the role of "airborne spares" in case they were needed to take over for any problems with the two primary aircraft ("Bad to the B-one" and "Black Widow" recovered at Langley AFB, Virginia and Lajes Field in the Azores). The servicemen flying the aircraft were Capt. Gerald Goodfellow, Capt. Kevin Clotfelter, Capt. Rick Carver, Capt. Chris Stewart, Capt. Steve Adams, Capt. Kevin Houdek and Capt. Steve Reeves.[3] Requiring six air refuelings, the two B-1B's performed practice bombing runs over the Pachino Range, Italy, the Torishima Range near Kadena Air Base in the western Pacific, and the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR), dropping BDU-50 inert, concrete-filled 500-pound munitions (practice version of the Mark 82 bomb) on these three targets.[4]
Total flight time was 36 hours and 13 minutes with an average speed of 631.16 mph[5] across a route that went over the North Atlantic, through the Strait of Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean, south to the Indian Ocean, north over the Pacific Ocean to the Aleutian Islands then southeast to the west coast of the US back to a landing at the starting point of Dyess AFB.[1] All eight crew members completing the around-the-world flight were awarded the Mackay Trophy.[6]
| Nose art of B-1B Lancer, tail number 85-057, Hellion. Lt. Col. Doug Raaberg, Commander, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, will complete a non-stop around the world flight in this aircraft to demonstrate global power during the exercise. Photo by TSgt. Lance Cheung, USAF |
| Nose art of B-1B Lancer, tail number 85-082, "Global Power", 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, the second of a two ship formation that will complete a non-stop around the world flight in this aircraft to demonstrate global power during exercise CORONET BAT. Photo by TSgt. Lance Cheung, USAF |
| Nose art of B-1B Lancer, tail number 86-107, "Bad to the B-one" one of four bombers of the 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which will launch during exercise CORONET BAT. At a point during the mission this Lancer broke formation and landed as planned while two continued on their non-stop mission around the world flight. The exercise will include five in-flight refuelings and three "no-drop" bombing exercises. When completed this will establish the first (unofficial) world record in this weight category. Photo by TSgt. Lance Cheung, USAF |
| Nose art of B-1B Lancer bomber, "Black Widow," a back-up aircraft for the four bombers of the 9th Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas which will launch during exercise CORONET BAT. This mission is a non-stop around the the world flight. The exercise will include five in-flight refuelings and three "no-drop" bombing exercises. When completed this will establish the first (unofficial) world record in this weight category. Photo by TSgt. Lance Cheung, USAF |
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