97th Bomb Wing at Biggs AFB 1948-1959

The B-29s were replaced by B-50s in the early 1950s. 48-095 (left) carries the "Flaming Spear" emblem, but the Triangle "O" has been removed from the tail. Most of the 97th's B-50s carried the name of a city on the nose. The name on 095 can not be made out, but it could possibly be "Moline". The photo appears to be at an open house. (NMUSAF)

One very frustrating thing in looking at photos is a partial shot of an airplane. The RB-50G (47-157) parked bahind the 97th PMS shack ic a case in point. The airplane has a black belly and tail, but the question I have is: "Is the 97th BW patch carried on the nose? Does it have the standard lettering on the fuselage and wings?" (USAF)

This panel is taken from a yearbook on the 810th Air Division published in 1954 and shows various maitenance functions performed on B-50s. (USAF)

The 97th Bomb Wing deployed to the UK on a regular basis throughout their stay at Biggs AFB. B-47E 51-5214 is shown on display at an air base in England during the late 1950s. In the background of the photo to the right is a 47th BW B-45. The 47th had been stationed at Biggs prior to receiving B-45s. (Courtesy of Leo Barish)

With the arrival of the B-50 and the invention of the "Flying Boom" aerial refueling became viable. The KC-97 was assigned to the 97th during the tenure of the B-50 and stayed through the B-47s career. 52-2680 was the 500th C-97 built and was delivered to the 97th during the early 50s. She is shown in all three photos. In the last photo a censor has tried to obliterate the serial and the "500th Boeing C-97" markings on the nose. In that last photo she is refueling B-50D 49-0325. (USAF)

Two pages taken from the 810th Air Division book (USAF)