Flying the boom, KC-135

Our squadron got an exciting ride yesterday! We went to Altus AFB and flew in a KC-135 and linked up with a C-17. Wow! was that cool! I got to fly the boom and took pics of the hookup.







AC

And you guys didn't invite your old buddy in Abilene, well I'll remember that. 

Looks like you guys had fun.

Hi Jed! You didn't get the invitation?

I'm jealous.  I've been in almost 20 years, everytime something like this comes up, it's either on such short notice that I can't take off from work, or there's a limit on number of people that can go, and I always let cadets go first.

Wish something like that would come available here in MER.

I'm pretty sure that NCWG gets invited every year on a refueling mission.  Check with their CP.  They're usually pretty full, but they need SMs to go along from time to time. 

I never got to go either - same thing: work. 

Our PAO did a good job and got an article published in Wings over Texas, our wing's magazine, about our ride.

Hope we get to do it again this year!

My squadron had the same opportunity a few years back.  There's nothing like seeing a jet go from a spec in the distance to a behemoth hanging what seems dangerously close off your tail!

At my cadet encampment (lo, all those years ago), we got an O-flight in a -135 refueling A-10s.   Just think about 30mm armor piercing rounds pointed at the sky's largest gas tank.   

Imagine being on the ground a couple 100m from a strafe run...

Rattles your whole body, no other experience compares.

I do hope our squadron gets an experience like that as well and we are only 2 hours or so away from Altus too. When I was in New York the Scotia squadron at the ANG base there got a ride in one of the C-130's then all of a sudden in mid air they opened up the back while flying...Boy what an experience!

NKAWTG!

NKAWTG!

So, how many tanker hours do you have? Only "Tanker Toads" are allowed to say that.

(For the record I have 4900 hours as a MBA/IBA/EBA in EC/KC-135's and 1200 hours as a MB in KC-10's)

Tanker Toad! Haven't heard that in a long time. Been there done that with about 6000hr KC/EC time. All in the front window seats, maybe some time in the boom pod.

Wish something like that would come available here in MER.

I'm not sure where you are in MER, but I used to be the DCC at the Langley Composite Squadron (VA-025).  We had an arrangement with Ft. Eustis to fly cadets once per quarter on their CH-47s.  It was pretty nice, especially for the area.  They'd fly east over the dead fleet, southwest down the river to the NC border, up the coast over Virginia Beach and back to the base.  There was a ton to see from that perspective and took about an hour.  They were even nice enough to leave the back open :-)

I have some pictures kicking around somewhere with two more following us, etc.

Anyway, long story short, it might be possible for your squadron to get a flight their, working with the VAWG SD...

The unit I just left had KC-135s on the base.  What a bunch of fun those are.  Our squadron met in one of the maintenance hangars, so there was usually a 135 in the way.  I recall one time, we weren't allowed to use our hangar because they had Marine 1 inside.

CAP definitely offers a bunch of flight opportunities. It turns out that I've been on more military airframes than most of the people in the military.  So far, my list includes;

C-130
C-5
C-17
CH-47
UH-60
SH-60
KC-135
KC-10

Tanker Toad! Haven't heard that in a long time. Been there done that with about 6000hr KC/EC time. All in the front window seats, maybe some time in the boom pod.

Raise your hand if you've cut the TWA! (On purpose!!!)

Jimmydeano: I think that I can top your list. 

OH-13
OH-23
CH-34
UH-1, A, B,C,D,H, N
CH-37
O-1
U-6
OV-1A,C,D
CV-7
U-8D,F
C-5
C-141
C-54
C-47
C-118
C-121
C-130
F-100F

Probably a couple that I can't remember.

Tanker Toad! Haven't heard that in a long time. Been there done that with about 6000hr KC/EC time. All in the front window seats, maybe some time in the boom pod.

  Feel like a newbie - I only have 2000 hrs in the back end of the EC working as the mahout.   

Jimmydeano: I think that I can top your list. 

OH-13
OH-23
CH-34
UH-1, A, B,C,D,H, N
CH-37
O-1
U-6
OV-1A,C,D
CV-7
U-8D,F
C-5
C-141
C-54
C-47
C-118
C-121
C-130
F-100F

Probably a couple that I can't remember.

I was going to post my almost equally impressive list, but then thought twice. I think he's saying that he's been in/on all those platforms as a CAP member.

Raise your hand if you've cut the TWA! (On purpose!!!)


Yep! Been there, done that. My total is 2.

For those who have not been to "Looking Glass University", the TWA is also known as the Trailing Wire Antenna.
This is the antenna that is used to transmit in the LF and VLF bands. The EC-135C carried an antenna that measured 28,000 feet long.
The length trailed depended on the frequency being used, the lower the frequency, the longer the wire.
When fully deployed the antenna trailed 5 miles behind the aircraft and the drogue was about 2000 feet lower then the aircraft.