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US bomber misses target for flypast at air show
By Michael Smith, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 21/07/2004)

An American B52 bomber flew from America for a flypast at the Farnborough Air Show yesterday but picked the wrong airfield.

To the consternation of the announcer and spectators at the Hampshire airfield the US bomber could be seen over Blackbushe, five miles to the north-west.

Show organisers initially appeared confused by the non-appearance of the bomber. "It didn't fly over Farnborough," one said. "It flew over Blackbushe instead.

"You could just see it in the very clear distance. We don't really know what happened, it is being looked into."

They later issued a statement saying: "We can confirm that the Boeing B52H Stratofortress did not arrive at the airfield".

The B52 is known for its range - it can fly 8,800 miles without refuelling. It played a key role in the 2001 attack on Afghanistan and during the Iraq War.

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B52 TRIP'S A BOMBER Jul 21 2004

A US pilot due to make an airshow flypast in his B52 flew to the wrong airfield - but instead of looking for the right one decided to go straight back to America.

After his 3,000-mile trip across the Atlantic to the Farnborough airshow, the pilot flew over Blackbushe Airfield five miles away - and all that could be seen was the bomber's grey shape on the horizon.

The commentator at the airshow was utterly bewildered, saying: "The pilot seems to have given a surprise visit to Blackbushe instead - that's enough said about that."

One onlooker added: "That's a long journey to make and get it wrong."

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