• Flying from the Black Hole

  • The B-52 Navigator-Bombardiers of Vietnam
  • By: Robert O. Harder
  • Narrated by: Bob Souer
  • Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (85 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Flying from the Black Hole  By  cover art

Flying from the Black Hole

By: Robert O. Harder
Narrated by: Bob Souer
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.62

Buy for $17.62

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Air Force navigators and bombardiers have long labored under the shadow of pilots - their contributions undervalued, misunderstood, or simply unknown to the general public. This was especially the case with the non-pilot officer aircrew in the Vietnam and Cold War-era B-52 Stratofortress.

Of the six people who operated the bomber, three wore navigator wings - two of those men were also bombardiers, the other an electronic warfare officer. Without the navigator-bombardiers in particular, executing the nuclear war strike plan or flying Southeast Asian conventional bombing sorties would have been impossible.

This book reveals who these men were and what they did down in the "Black Hole", a story told by one of their own.

©2009 United States Naval Institute (P)2018 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Flying from the Black Hole

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    57
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    53
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    53
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Today I learned something new.

As someone who grew up around these guys, it was an engaging listen. All too often, only the perspective of the left-seater is given; and, while exciting, it overlooks the rigorous training and important contributions of the guys who figured out the directions to the target, how to deliver the payload, and how to get home.

My only real complaint about this audio book is that the reader would say "S-A-C," pronouncing each letter, as opposed to "SAC" the word. (Rhymes with "sack.") The whole world knows what SAC (or TAC) is, and for the duration of the audio book, I'd grumble every time I heard those letters.
(I also think that there was a mistake in the use of the word "exacerbate" when I think the author meant "exasperate.")

All of that said, this was an excellent book, and I am glad that I discovered it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

B52, a history relearned

Wow, the descriptions of this amazing airplane are so real that you feel like you are part of the crew. From it's inception and concept of design to where and how this airplane is currently staged. How vital a role this airplane was to ending of the Vietnam war, to the Cold war and the nuclear programs that proliferated after 1973. If you like learning history from the people who participated in the real events then this audio book is a great place to begin.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional story, well written!

The author puts you right there in the ejection seat! He covers all the boring out of your mind sequences with light humor and the terrifying instances with simulated pucker factor! This is one of the best I've read lately! As for the narrator, exceptional! Brilliantly incorporates the authors sarcasm!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

If he says S.A.C instead of SAC one more time....

Maybe it's just me but the narrator saying S.A.C. or T.A.C. instead of SAC or TAC just drove me crazy. I spent decades in both and never heard anyone spell it out rather than just saying SAC, TAC, etc.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing Review of the Buff

Enjoyed the unique viewpoint of being a navigator-bombardier on the b-52 during Vietnam

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

COULD NOT FINISH

I thought this was going to be a story of the B-52 air combat missions, it is not, it is rather have a long list of complaints. I could not finish this work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too Much Detail

I expected this book to be about events that happened to B-52 crews, but the first half was almost a detailed manual on how to navigate and drop bombs from a bomber. The second half is better, but overall I can't recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good insight on the B52, crews and missions

Good book that doesn't overstays its welcome. The reading is superb, and the story keeps you coming back for more. The details about the operations and the crew's side on it all are presented in excelent form. Good insight into the plane, the training, the constraints, the theater of operations in the vietnam era. overall and ode to a terrific plane.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Super story

Well done. Great look at navigators and radar navigators. Might have touched on how B-52 tactics changed as the airframe had new capabilities added but overall a great listen. (with one caveat— as with some other military books, get your pronunciations correct! it’s “sack! (SAC) not “ess-ay-see” and “”ee-woah (EWO)” and several others.)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Crew Dog

This was a great read! If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a "crew dog", then you won't be able to stop turning pages. I'd always heard rumors about the Linebacker II bombing, but never saw it documented like this in an easily readable form. The text is pretty technical and Harder does a good job of translating the jargon--but, I think the book's audience is largely a niche audience. And, author's appreciation for BGen Sullivan, who laid his career on the line for the crew dogs and FUBAR tactics, is admirable. Further, the Linebacker II kefuffles onlined here, made me relate to the 1991-2 USAF reorganization when CSAF McPeak, AND Jack Chain, CINCSAC, both career fighter pilots, made SAC disappear--after a 20 year wait. As a -135 navigator, I always subscribed to the "sister in a...than a brother in a BUFF" theory. However, this book brought back memories and gave me greater appreciation for those who flew in the hole on the big ugly... . Hat's off!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!