The bomber conducted a flyover of the city of Abilene before landing. Rumors spread widely that the noise from the bomber would break windows all over town. This, of course, did not happen, but the first rumble of the B-1B was satisfyingly loud
The B-1 Lancer serves as a swing-wing bomber designed for high-speed, low-altitude penetration missions. Its inaugural flight occurred in December 1974, but the program faced cancellation by June 1977. Rockwell International constructed four B-1As for flight testing purposes, with the final test flight taking place in April 1981. President Ronald Reagan revitalized the program as the B-1B in October, and on Oct. 18, 1984, it completed its first flight, demonstrating capabilities to operate at 60,000 feet with a range exceeding 7,000 miles. In 1982, the US Air Force placed an order for 100 B-1Bs, and the first aircraft was delivered to the Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, in October 1984, merely 33 months after contract initiation. The final Rockwell B-1B emerged from final assembly in Palmdale, California, on Jan. 20, 1988.
The Strategic Air Command (SAC) received its initial delivery in June 1985 at Dyess AFB, near Abilene, Texas. On Jun. 29, 1985, “The Star of Abilene” (83-0065), the second operational B-1B bomber, arrived at the 96th Bombardment Wing at Dyess.
Approximately 45,000 people gathered at the Dyess flight line to witness the new aircraft. Before landing, the bomber conducted a flyover of Abilene city. Widespread rumors suggested that the bomber’s noise would shatter windows throughout town. This prediction, of course, never materialized, though the first rumble of the B-1B proved satisfyingly loud.
According to local lore, the Star of Abilene missed its debut that day due to engine trouble. The only other operational B-1B (82-0001) on standby at Edwards AFB flew in for the dedication instead, bearing a hastily applied Star of Abilene decal. During the flight, the decal partially tore off because the recently placed emblem hadn’t had sufficient time to adhere to the painted hull. The Dyess AFB Memorial Museum and Linear Air Park Facebook page notes that while no documentary evidence confirms this story, several individuals connected to the event have reported it.
Following her final flight on Mar. 1, 2003, the “Star of Abilene” (83-0065) was retired to the Dyess Linear Air Park for display inside the Dyess main gate. She had provided 17 years and seven months of faithful service. The B-1B bomber achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on Oct. 1, 1986.
In 1994, the USAF eliminated the nuclear mission for the B-1. Despite the Air Force allocating no additional funding to maintain nuclear capabilities, the B-1 retained its status as a heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armament until 2007. The conversion to conventional-only operations began in November 2007 under the original START treaty and reached completion in March 2011 under the New START treaty.
Today the multi-mission B-1 functions as the backbone of America’s long-range bomber force: it can swiftly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Allison Payne / U.S. Air Force
