WIX Archives
Re: B-52's and Demil Bill Rant...
Posted by bdk on Wed Jan 09, 2002 01:10:49 PM
In reply top When is a warbird no longer a threat? posted by Mike Henniger on Wed Jan 09, 2002 09:10:23 AM
The demilitarization of B-52's is monitored by the Soviets via satellite per treaty. That is why they are chopped up in the open at Davis-Monthan AFB. The remaining number of intact B-52's will probably always be more than the US could ever expect (or afford) to use again. They can't chop them up fast enough!
As for the Demil Bill, I don't think it has anything to do with P-51's. It has to do with items inadvertantly surplused that are still viable weapons for foreign countries (or now the latest concern du jour, terrorists).
Poor control of these items by the US government has found them being sold to all nature of undesirables. Unfortunately, our body politic (now populated with mostly lawyers) is famous for drafting extremely vague and far reaching laws that result in a mountain of unintended consequences, all in the name of public safety. Therefore, a law which gives the government more power and imposes more restrictions can only give the politicos more flexibilty to impose further draconian measures at will. When you attach these new laws to a funding bill, there is even more of a rush to pass all these ridiculous laws in the name of giving themselves yet more money to squander on their pet projects.
Once the bureaucracy gets a hold of these new laws, they interpret them any way they want (since they are so vague). This is what allows a P-51 to be destroyed. The politicians then say, "That wasn't the intent when we drafted the law!" But by then it is too late, another freedom is lost in the name of "Public Safety."
: The discussion regarding the B-52 aircraft on display has
: prompted me to think about something. I doubt the Russian
: government would be very happy about considering the vari
: ous B-52 on static around the U.S. as grounded military ai
: rcraft. Despite the age and design, the current B-52s are
: a viable weapons. You might think grounded military airc
: raft could be considered refurbishable military aircraft i
: ncluding the B-52s which might violate a treaty or two.
:
: Then you consider the recent bill (or portion of one) in t
: he U.S. that threatened the existance of warbirds. As muc
: h as it was a potent weapon in WWII it would be silly to t
: hink of a P-51 as a serious military threat to any governm
: ent today.
:
: My question is... When is a warbird (former military airc
: raft) no longer a real threat when it still has the potent
: ial to be used in it's originally designed roll? Or in ot
: her words... When can it be considered safe from a capabi
: lity point of view to hand over a former military aircraft
: to civilian operators? Has any kind of civilian operatio
: n of warbirds ruffled any government feathers foreign or n
: ot?
:
: Regards,
:
: Mike