Saw this movie at the drive-in when it first came out. The flying scenes looked terrific on the big screen and even now on DVD they don't disappoint. I think "The Strategic Air Command" made in 1955 with Jimmy Stewart did a much better job of showcasing the B-36 and B-47 aircraft of the time than this movie did with the B-52. But all-in-all, I enjoyed seeing the B-52s taking to the air with the thick clouds of black smoke trailing behind them. We didn't pay that much attention to the smoke at the time.
However, the non-flying drama of this movie certainly has become more relevant in the recent past. Even though SAC ceased 24/7 operations when the Cold War 'ended', we still require the dedication and efficiency extolled in this movie today. Without it, we have bundles of nuclear weapons shipped from one base to another unknowingly by the crew, stacks of nuclear bombs left unguarded on AFB tarmacs, 'special' weapons misdirected, misstored and forgotten. These incidents resulted in the dismissal of various AF commanders, but should never have happened. The country deserved the kind of professionalism strived for by the characters depicted in this movie and we didn't (always) get it.
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