Do you wanna know if a Cold War era B-52H approaching you at low level is still a scary sight? Watch this photo.

The following picture was taken by The Aviationist’s photographer Giovanni Maduli during the opening flyover of the Day 2 of the Farnborough International Airshow 2012.

The B-52H, using callsign “Scalp 99”, performed the flypast and then joined up with a KC-135 for air-to-air refueling before heading towards the U.S.

I must admit that a Stratofortress approaching your position at low altitude, clearly visible from distance because of the eight smoky engines, is still an impressive (and quite scary) sight!

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.