There was certainly a learning curve for the front seaters. The Nav was, in many cases, a quasi-mission director for the tanker crew. The Nav would coordinate with receivers, command post, etc. The Nav usually took the lead in forming the plan when weather, or some other factor, complicated the refueling. After the avionics upgrade, the pilot teams, when learning what buttons to push, or looking at the pretty colors on the MFDs, or asking "why's it doing that?" sometimes forgot that no one was going to call their turn to go get the receiver.

I was giving an ASEV check one time to a crew with an AC just back from a staff tour or two. He had flown tankers before, but never without a nav. The weather turned nasty on them as they were headed for the AR track. I noticed that the AC kept turning around and looking at me (in the jumpseat). Then I realized that he wasn't looking at me, he was looking for the Nav to tell him what to do. I don't think he realized he was doing it but he probably looked back in the direction of the Nav seat 4 or 5 times a minute until the weather/rendezvous issue was resolved.

WW