I wonder if perhaps that's the kernel of truth that started the legend. I can certainly imagine that kind of attitude during the Cold War, particularly since in many sectors attitudes were quite different from today.
Ah. The rumor is probably from this scene in Strategic Air Command, with Jimmie Stewart.[1] Stewart had been a USAF officer, and the movie was filmed with the full cooperation of the USAF. That's a classic SAC no-notice inspection.
(The movie is worth seeing just to see how much stuff the USAF had when the DoD got 40% of the US government budget. The whole takeoff sequence for the B-36 bomber is shown.
The last of the huge propeller planes, just at the transition from props to jets. Six propellers, four jets, and 10,000 mile range. It looks like a scaled-up B-29, tail guns and all. Although this was a transition aircraft just before the jet age, there were 336 built. None still fly. Also in the movie is the B-47 bomber. This was another intermediate step. It looks like a jet fighter scaled up to heavy bomber size. Six jets plus rocket-assisted takeoff. Worked, but not a great aircraft. Over 2000 were built. None still fly. Then the USAF finally tried an an adventurous new design, the B-52, which was the first really good large jet airplane. About seventy still flying, three quarters of a century after first flight.)
