The 159ft-long aircraft, which has a wingspan of 185ft, is used by the 93rd Bomb Squadron in Louisiana and is far too large to land at the Airport but could complete an approach.
Deputy Mike Higgins, who organises the Jersey International Air Display, said that the fly-past would mark the opening of the static display, which opens at 2pm on the same day, with the main show scheduled for the following day.
‘They should fly over the Airport and around the Island three times – twice with its gear and flaps retracted but also doing a “dirty pass” with its gear and flaps down, so people will be able to see its unusual tandem landing gear and outriggers,’ he said.
‘The main wheels in its fuselage are odd because they can change angle. So when it lands in crosswinds it can be travelling down the runway with its nose pointing off to the left or right – it is very unusual.’
Deputy Higgins added that the B-52’s pilots had initially asked if they could land in Jersey for next year’s display, but swiftly withdrew the suggestion after learning that the Island’s runway was around half the length needed to accommodate the plane.
‘The crew were interested in bringing it here but the runway was only just over half of the length that they needed, which is disappointing as it would have been good to have them here, but they have really pulled out the stops to help us,’ Deputy Higgins said.
‘The pilots have to abide by air navigation rules, but it could fly between 500ft to 1,000ft altitude. They might make a missed approach to the Airport – where they come in to land but climb away at the last minute – and they could get even lower then. It all depends on Air Traffic Control – they will be controlling it. Either way, people will really get a darn good look at the beast.’
B-52s have been in service with the US military since the 1950s and have been used in a number of conflicts including the Gulf War and Vietnam War. They have the capability to be equipped with both conventional and nuclear weapons.
The aircraft were also subject to a bilateral treaty between the United States and Russia which was designed to reduce the large arsenal of strategic offensive weapons that both countries amassed during the Cold War.
As a result, a total of 365 B-52s were cut up into five pieces which were then laid out in a desert in Arizona so Russian satellites were able to verify their destruction.
Deputy Higgins said that announcements about the exact timing of the B-52’s visit would be made in the coming days.
