Originally Posted by atpcliff

Hi!

I was in a "formation" (it wasn't organized-everyone just kept out of everyone else's way) of about 17 aircraft.

There were a bunch of F-117s flying home from deployment. They were assigned, either one or two each, to a KC-10. They would refuel from the KC-10s all the way home, and the KC-10s would refuel from other tankers while they escorted their baby chicks back to the states.

I was in a KC-135R, and we refueled the -10s from about S. Egypt to somewhere into the Med.

The modification of the KC-135s into the -Rs was supposed to have included refueling capabilities for ALL KC-135Rs, but it got expensive, so there was only about 15? -Rs that were converted to receive fuel.

ALL the tankers can hook up to a receiver and SUCK the fuel out, but it's a slow process.

Nowadays, the "new" -R model is old. The KC-135T now has no navigator and is all glass-down to just 3 crewmembers.

C U!
cliff
YIP

PS-In the R we could fly for 24 hours, or 12,000 miles. We also did lightweight pattern sorties (landing and takeoff practice) at about 115,000 lbs., with 90K thrust!