Poker Deck routes were low level VFR routes while Oil Burner (later Olive
Branch) routes were the IFR ones.

Even the OB routes had VFR segments for terrain avoidance radar practice. I
flew those in the B-52H. In the B-58 we also had high speed segments which
we flew at 600 KIAS.

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B-58 Hustler History: http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/
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"WaltBJ" wrote in message
m...
Low level flight. Back then, in the early 60s, there were no
restrictions on VFR low level, other than stay out of airport control
zones, towns, and obey the general altitude restrictions. We used to
fly cross country low level - lead doing the nav and wing watching for
traffic. Down at 500 AGL and (usually) 360KIAS (for time - miles per
gallon was pretty much the same at 360/420) there was very seldom
anybody to be seen. We used to go into base ops, look at the weather
map for a nice big H, grab a stack of ONC charts, tear off a four inch
wide strip along the route, tape them together, draw the course line,
put time and mileage marks on them and off we'd go. BTW a clean 104A
could go 400 nm on the deck with plenty of fuel left. Later on the
USAF made us file IFR and that did away (mostly) with the informal low
levels.
Walt BJ