-135/BUFF CFIC Wifferdill

[CobraKai]

I was wondering if any Castle era CFIC IPs/IBs had any photos of the wifferdill contact demo from CFIC. There is some debate on the Annapolis thread about it being impossible to maintain the contact or precontact position during this manuever. I have a hardcopy of one photo from the boom pod but no scanner to make it electronic.

 

[MarineGrunt]

I've seen photos as well, but don't know where to find them online. Thats some crazy s@#$t.

 

[KCPilot]

I got one for ya, check your e-mail!

 

[Draginass]

Been there done that. It's basically a 1g maneuver. The airplane doesn't care. It is pretty impressive, however, the first time you witness it.

 

[Andy]

I got one for ya, check your e-mail!

Can you shoot me one also? I didn't save any copies.

Damn, I must be getting old if so many people now think that it's a BS story. Castle didn't close until the mid-90s.

 

[KC-10 Driver]

I got one for ya, check your e-mail!

Me too, please.

 

[LJDRVR]

For those of y'all wondering what the heck these guys are talking about and those of you who do but would like a picture, here ya go fellas:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1140646/whif.jpg

and an older one:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1140646/ei8k14.jpg

Draginass will correct me if I'm wrong, but this was an old confidence-building maneuver back when both airframe schoolhouses were at Castle. Sort of a "use the tanker as a big single-cue flight director" sort of thing.

Looks like a whole bunch of fun.

 

[Vingus]

Kinda like flying close trail in the tweet!

 

[Draginass]

For those of y'all wondering what the heck these guys are talking about and those of you who do but would like a picture, here ya go fellas:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1140646/whif.jpg

and an older one:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1140646/ei8k14.jpg

Draginass will correct me if I'm wrong, but this was an old confidence-building maneuver back when both airframe schoolhouses were at Castle. Sort of a "use the tanker as a big single-cue flight director" sort of thing.

Looks like a whole bunch of fun.

Yes it was a confidence-building exercise. Certainly not a manueve that would be used operationally. The demo was very carefully planned and briefed between the tanker and bomber IPs . . and they had done it enough to be good at it. For the receiver, the point was just follow the tanker and stay in position and don't get uptight. Just like close trail in Tweets or 38s. It's a good lesson for night in IMC, since the pilot flying is flying off the tanker exclusively and may not have any idea on the actual attitude of the airplane. A good technique is for the other pilot to ocassionally tell the flying pilot what the attitude and airspeed is, just so the flying pilot can "cage" his gyros. Having been both a tanker and receiver instructor, night refueling incloud can be tough because the vapor coming over the tanker's slipstream can be very disorienting. For the tanker, the point was be very smooth on the controls and have smooth throttle technique (a tanker pilot jocking the throttles trying to hold exact airspeed drives the receiver pilot nuts). Let the airspeed ride and telegraph your turns by slow roll-ins. "Fun" is probably the wrong word . . more like "challenging." It's "fun" to watch and "challenging" to do . . like most things in aviation.

 

[malterf15]

If a tanker/BUFF duo can do it, it must not be that hard.






Just kidding boys....love ya.