Col. Holland was highly skilled too, or else he could not have done what he did for so long.
What's the old saying ... "there are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots" ?
Gwehr, seems I remember you posted a 60 degree bank photo from inside the cockpit, but of course at a much higher altitude ...
My photos are at 300-400ft AGL, and I never exceeded 45 degrees bank angle, per the T.O.s. Trust me, I know, as did everybody else in the 8th Air Force on down since that day.
Bud Holland was a hot-dog, and had been behind the 8-Ball for a while due to his aggressive behavior and disregard for procedures. He was only authorized to fly with a Stan/Eval crew at the time of the incident. There's very little aerodynamic lift delivered by a B-52H fuselage when the aircraft is rolled to a 90 degree bank angle. He was an accident waiting to happen, and the entire 92nd Bomb Wing contributed to that disaster by sweeping his previous infractions under the carpet vs. taking appropriate measures.
Part of the story here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Fairchild_Air_Force_Base_B-52_crashYour airframe assignment out of UPT is based on your class standing. The top scores get fighters, then it goes to TTB (Tanker, Transport, Bomber). I've seen folks change airframes later only on rare occasions, usually from rotary wing to fixed wing, and I know of one C-130 pilot who transitioned to the U-2/TR-1. He was the exception, rather than the rule.
I don't know how the Navy does it - they may be easier, they may be tougher. It doesn't hurt to shoot for astronaut, but don't eat a shotgun if you can't get that far.
