Flying close.
05-04-2015 | 03:40 AM
#21
Otto
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 0
From: Turkish Pile Driver
Almost 4000 hours in the F-16 and one of the most consistently terrifying things in the airplane was instructing a newbie on his first night AAR from the back seat, followed by a backseat night landing.
Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
-- didn't want to make anybody else sit through that abomination!!!
05-04-2015 | 04:23 AM
#22
Moderate Moderator
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,681
Likes: 0
From: Curator at Static Display
.....Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
When we found out they turned at a certain A/A TACAN DME, we just stopped using the TACAN, and often just told him we'd do the turn ourselves.
05-04-2015 | 09:28 PM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 536
Likes: 0
From: Right Seat 737, Front seat T-6
Almost 4000 hours in the F-16 and one of the most consistently terrifying things in the airplane was instructing a newbie on his first night AAR from the back seat, followed by a backseat night landing.
Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
On another mission (the night Vega 31 went down), when my 3 hour OCA mission turned into a 7.7 hour RESCAP, I once rejoined on a KC-135 ... That was dragging a drogue, so had to go find a proper one with a boom instead!
05-05-2015 | 03:33 AM
#26
Otto
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 0
From: Turkish Pile Driver
Agree with most of what you said. I was never a backseat IP, so I would say getting shot at by Serbian SAMs was a little more scary than getting gas ... BUT, on the other hand, we did take an informal poll in the squadron a couple of weeks into the war (Allied Force, 1999), and the consensus that the most dangerous part of each mission was getting to / from the tanker ...
05-05-2015 | 04:24 AM
#27
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: Walmart Greeter
Almost 4000 hours in the F-16 and one of the most consistently terrifying things in the airplane was instructing a newbie on his first night AAR from the back seat, followed by a backseat night landing.
Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
Really, it was less comfortable than a dentist chair. I was always untying the knots in my toes afterwards.
On deployment, when you'd refuel several times a flight, it actually gets to be quite uneventful. Especially if the boomers are proficient; a fact frequently overlooked. Proficient confident boomers make refueling go WAY faster. Timid boomers can ruin your night.
Hell, there's usually more funny stories about blown tanker rejoins than actual refueling. Remember! Never go two circle with a tanker above 20,000, he might out-rate you!
05-05-2015 | 07:11 AM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: Retired
Agree with most of what you said. I was never a backseat IP, so I would say getting shot at by Serbian SAMs was a little more scary than getting gas ... BUT, on the other hand, we did take an informal poll in the squadron a couple of weeks into the war (Allied Force, 1999), and the consensus that the most dangerous part of each mission was getting to / from the tanker ... Too many jets around and too many not following the procedures, too often the ATO changed and you didn't know. I remember one night that I rejoined on what was supposed to be my tanker, but it ended up being the wrong tanker in the wrong track--something I figured out after I was on the boom and getting gas! Good on the boomer for getting the mission done.
On another mission (the night Vega 31 went down), when my 3 hour OCA mission turned into a 7.7 hour RESCAP, I once rejoined on a KC-135 ... That was dragging a drogue, so had to go find a proper one with a boom instead!
On another mission (the night Vega 31 went down), when my 3 hour OCA mission turned into a 7.7 hour RESCAP, I once rejoined on a KC-135 ... That was dragging a drogue, so had to go find a proper one with a boom instead!
05-05-2015 | 02:09 PM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 13,843
Likes: 1
From: FAA 'Flight Check'
I demo'ed one plug (amazing what a great sight picture it is sitting so far back) and then all four guys did outstanding with very few aborts or misses. Monkey see - monkey do was certainly a player that night.
I was wiped out after those 4 flights though and we canceled the night tanking since I was still the only IP around.
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