Stealth Bombers Again on Duty

A B-2 Spirit stealth bombers made a successful return to flight April 15 at Whiteman AFB, MO after a 53-day safety pause for the aircraft following the first-ever crash of a stealth bomber Feb. 23 in Guam.  While an accident investigation board is still ongoing, USAF maintenance and safety experts gave 509th Bomb Wing officials the green light to fly. Col. Tom Bussiere, the 509th Operations Group commander, and Maj. Rich Collins, the 394th Combat Training Squadron operations officer, took a B-2 into the Missouri sky in the first flight since a B-2 crashed on takeoff Feb. 23 at Andersen AFB, Guam. The B-2 that crashed, named the Spirit of Kansas, had logged more than 5,000 flight hours and 1,036 sorties before Feb. 23, and it was "renowned in the maintenance community for being a great jet," said Col. Bob Dulong, the 509th Maintenance Group commander