Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

In-Flight Refueling

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Ar

Having done both basket and boom, I think the basket is much easier than boom. (at least when the AR door is behind the cockpit and not visible from the cockpit) Having said that, I still don't think I would put AR in the "difficult" column for a fighter-type aircraft. It just takes a little more concentration and formation flying.
 
At night, in the weather, tanking off the Iron Maiden... is not for Air Force boom guys! :) In all seriousness, the basket is on the end of a 6' hose, so you have about a 2' box in which you need to keep your jet. We (Hornets) can only take about 1K #'s a minute too, so you can be in the basket upwards of 10 minutes. When the boom is moving, it's bumpy, the sun is in your eyes, etc... that 180 # metal basket can snap your probe right off. It can be a grueling 10 minutes, especially when you have to do it 3+ times/mission.

I've heard the pointy nose USAF guys can actually couple up to the tanker, and let the autopilot fly. Is that true?


i would have to agree with this (from the other guys perspective). as a boomer, I hated hornets, easy to wrap the hose around the probe, beat the crap out of the canopy etc. .As a hornet plane captain, the planes always came back beat the f up and i would spend hours out there with the scrubby bubbles. . . oh yeah and navy dudes. . . the boom doesnt lock into a fixed position while in trail (used to get asked all the time "boom, can you lock the boom?)

I did once have #4 of a flight of light-grays up at cope thunder latch onto the boom and i couldnt punch him off. when i told the flight lead that i had delayed disconnect and that 4 was done, lead said "standby". . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .he's fixed, and will be buying the beer tonight.
 
yes - close

How about AR in a helicopter behind a HC/MC-130..

Lots of spinning parts...and danger close.

I used to "pass gas" in an HC/MC-130P before switching to MC-130Hs. The helos were definitely close. The -47 really use to push us around - you could feel them back there. Of course, we were slightly above stall speed, at night and low to the ground to boot. Ahh the memories.
 
At night, in the weather, tanking off the Iron Maiden... is not for Air Force boom guys! :) In all seriousness, the basket is on the end of a 6' hose, so you have about a 2' box in which you need to keep your jet. We (Hornets) can only take about 1K #'s a minute too, so you can be in the basket upwards of 10 minutes. When the boom is moving, it's bumpy, the sun is in your eyes, etc... that 180 # metal basket can snap your probe right off. It can be a grueling 10 minutes, especially when you have to do it 3+ times/mission.

I've heard the pointy nose USAF guys can actually couple up to the tanker, and let the autopilot fly. Is that true?

Come on Sig, don't be a tool. We use an autopilot? Give me a break...hopefully as a fighter guy like yourself (and I use that term loosely from your hotbunking background) you're saying that tongue-in-cheek. If you honestly are asking that - your SA is much lower than I thought.
 
Come on Sig, don't be a tool. We use an autopilot? Give me a break...hopefully as a fighter guy like yourself (and I use that term loosely from your hotbunking background) you're saying that tongue-in-cheek. If you honestly are asking that - your SA is much lower than I thought.

Heard it from the Mudhen guys when I was in Bagram. They said it's a datalink system to couple up. You guys get money to buy all kinds of sh1t, I wouldn't be surprised! Hell, we have a datalink system that will autoland on the boat, coupling up to a tanker wouldn't be that magical.
 
Heard it from the Mudhen guys when I was in Bagram. They said it's a datalink system to couple up. You guys get money to buy all kinds of sh1t, I wouldn't be surprised! Hell, we have a datalink system that will autoland on the boat, coupling up to a tanker wouldn't be that magical.


must have been a WSO and he probably honestly thinks thats how it works. . . . probably as a result of some pointy-head buttons he pushes in the back. .
 
Hook, line, and sinker...

Heard it from the Mudhen guys when I was in Bagram. They said it's a datalink system to couple up. You guys get money to buy all kinds of sh1t, I wouldn't be surprised! Hell, we have a datalink system that will autoland on the boat, coupling up to a tanker wouldn't be that magical.

I bet they were laughing their a$$es off afterwards too. Did you know gullible isn't in the dictionary either?

Cheers,
-Jason
 
Heard it from the Mudhen guys when I was in Bagram. They said it's a datalink system to couple up.

They were pulling your chain bigtime.

Or, maybe they were wearing their ascots too tight and were having delusions due to hypoxia.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top