I was probably asleep about 8 miles away when the plane left Carswell AFB to head for LA. B-58's were a common sight then.When I was a kid in the 60s they had B58 Hustlers stationed at Bunker Hill AFB (now Grissom) in Bunker Hill, IN. They also had an air refueling wing. On US 31, which was just a 2-lane back then, they had caution low flying airplane signs, as the end of the runway was very near the highway. Once, on our way to Cincinnati, we saw a yellow VW beetle that had been crushed by a plane sitting on the side of the road. Yikes!
The Hustlers were imposing looking planes sitting there in their quonset hangars.
Here's the story of one, the Cowtown Hustler that won the Bendix Trophy setting record from LA to NYC, then back to LA. I used to work with the navigator's son. The plane is at the museum in Dayton. Beautiful machine!
"Reportedly, the U.S. Air Force received more than 10,000 damage claims for windows that were broken by the sonic booms created by the two B-58 Hustlers as they flew across the country."
Cowtown Hustler | This Day in Aviation
www.thisdayinaviation.com
Bruce
