It always impresses me how the pilots of B-52s and B-2s can make such a good contact with the fuelling probe when the intake is outside their field of view and behind them! It must take a lot of skill to get it down right.
@Plumbership I was a receiver pilot for six years, (RC-135), and taught air refueling to other pilots. FYI - the receiver pilot flies his plane into the contact envelope, guided by visual signal lights from the boom operator. Once in the envelope, the boom operator flies the boom into position, extends the boom and makes the contact. It is then up to the receiver pilot to remain within that envelope while in contact. If he gets close to a limit a disconnect is initiated. Training is key.
I don't know about all you arguing ppl, but this is just awesome flight porn to me. How many hours per mission would you guys stay up there for tasking? 10-16 hours? Or is that unrealistic? I'm just a dumb flight sim junky, so I don't know.
@risk3715 I've flown long missions and short missions. They all depend on how much gas you need to offload to the receivers. The higher the offload, the shorter the flight. I've taken off and started refueling within 20 minutes, given almost all my fuel to the receivers and gone back to land. The tanker can fly upwards of 20 hours without offloads. Makes for a LONG day.
@TV843 Just ran some numbers for fun - most B-52H models were built in 1962, and assuming that they were flown and air refueled an average of once a week (which is a significant lowball estimate, considering that when they were off nuclear alert, they would have flown several times a week), that would total approximately 2444 times. That's a lot of trips to the boom.
@htmobley NIce! If you think about it, it's cool in this "throw-away" society we live in to get to see actual antiques flying around--not for show, but real workhorses like the B-52. It makes you wonder with all of it's high maintenance & crazy coatings how long we're really going to see B-2s flying around. In 50 years, will they even be all that "modern" or will they be obsolete bomb-haulers? I just can't imagine the B-2 being around in 50 years like the Buff. Cool stuff to think about.
Using the tail number and call sign of the receiver, we fill out paperwork after the flight that bills the unit/squadron for the fuel that we passed to them inflight. Funds are then transferred from their unit to our unit to reimburse for the fuel. We, the crew, don't see any of the funds, but it would be nice to get a tip occasionally...
@nguyentuan1990 The tanker can carry about 200,000 pounds of gas, which divided by its specific gravity weight per gallon of 6.7 is about 30,000 gallons. The fuel needs of the B-52 vary depending on the mission. Not sure what the fuel in tanks capacity of the B-52 is. I could look it up, but may someone else has the figure handy.
Receiver pilots are trained and given key reference points on the tanker with which to visually place themselves in the air refueling envelope. They are also aided by the boom operator. He/she can flash a forward light on the underbelly of the tanker to guide the receiver in to about 12 feet, so they (boom operators) can fly the boom into position and make the contact.
@htmobley u know that they could use two GE 90-115 b's on that and it will still fly??? they tested it out on a 747 and that ONE engine could fly the 747 by itself. dam powerful engines!!!! lol :D
@pantanalcg It depends on much fuel he needs/wants. The tanker can offload about 6,000 pounds of fuel a minute (895 gallons/minute), so 60,000 pounds = 10 minutes. Another factor is how full his tanks are - as he fills his tanks, the fuel transfer rate decreases and therefore takes longer.
@TheAwesomeNess110 Turbulence is always a concern and if it becomes moderate or severe we knock off the refueling. It is possible to refuel in light turbulence and if necessary in moderate, but the risk has to be evaluated. Certainly don't want a boom nozzle going through a fighter's canopy or a windshield.
Next time you refuel, have the guys put a Playboy and a Penthouse magazine on their dashboards, then zoom in on them, then zoom back out on the plane. I think that would be hilarious.
What's the difference between the Air Force refueling method of using a boom, versus the Navy method of using the drogue parachute? Why the lack of uniformity with refueling methods between the two branches?
@sanfranciscobay The Navy has a lot more support aircraft like helicopters and they use a long boom coming from the helicopter that connects to a dragging drogue and hose. They adapted the aircraft fighters to use the same system for convenience. The army? TMK they don't stay in the air long enough to worry about refueling.
@sanfranciscobay I think so. Its hard to control a hose. The boom is a flying boom and is "flown" and manually controlled by the boom op. The boom can flow a lot of fuel based on the aircraft and tanks of where its going also. At almost 900 gallons a minute full flow it is fairly quick.
@sanfranciscobay When air refueling systems were initially developed, the Air Force chose to go with a fixed boom/receptacle system. The Navy chose the probe and drogue system to suit their needs and systems. The Army has no air refueling platforms or aircraft that need refueling.
@sanfranciscobay I don't know about KC-10's but the KC-135 tanker does not have access to the payload fuel it carries for others. It also cannot be air refueled itself. The average mission of a tanker aircraft can be anywhere from a couple of hours to over 24 hours in the air. It is basically a Boeing 707 type airframe.
@Billthesheepdog Out of curiosity, if it was able to use all the fuel in it's own tanks and the tanks it uses to refuel other planes, how long could it stay in the air and could it?
@Billthesheepdog The KC-135 can carry approximately 200,000 pounds of fuel. It burns approximately 10,000/hour, so if it burned fuel until the engines flamed out, it could stay aloft about 20 hours. If it was careful with the fuel burn and performed a step climb to the most efficient altitude and speed, it could fly for several more hours. Then KC-135 can give away all the fuel on board or use it to stay aloft. A number of USAF tankers that are air refuelable and can take gas from other tankers.
@htmobley I was not on the KC aircrew. MY dad was for 20 years as left seat. I reference only what he told me as an interested kid. If modifications were made after he stopped flying the KC in 1968 or to the KC-10 He and I wouldn't know of them. He left the 135 to fly C123's in Nam where he earned various medals including a silver star and purple heart for saving many lives. He retired in Major in 1971 in Montgomery Alabama at the air war college.
@Billthesheepdog Sounds like your dad had a great career in the AF. My congratulations and thanks for his service to our country. I have flown various models of the -135 as a navigator, copilot and Aircraft Commander, over a 31 year period starting in 1980. Again, I salute your dad for his service.
@htmobley and I thank you for yours sir. I remember a story he told me once of his boomer calling him to say he had a UFO pull up for fuel. It was the first time he ever had met up with an SR-71. I still remember when he left to disperse the aircraft around the country during the Cuban missile crisis. Mom cried a lot but I didn't get it till later. Families also serve.
@Billthesheepdog Yep, the SR was an amazing machine. I got to see a preflight and launch up close and personal. And I agree wholeheartedly - families serve also. The military couldn't function without the support of every family member.
@cumminsandcopenhagen Yes I heard from a tanker pilot. In my day there were none. My dad flew them for 20 years. He said then they couldn't refuel and they couldn't use the fuel they carried for others. I always thought that strange. Happy New Year.
@stuntmanmike37 there is no R/T i work on them for a living. its just KC-135R which is the newer model. the previous model was the KC-135E. i'm certified in both
@stuntmanmike37....yes i'm fucking serious i work on them i should know since i've been through the tech school at Sheppard AFB in wichita falls texas. "look it up" really? I'm certified in two models E and R there is no R/T
@cumminsandcopenhagen You are so wrong. You're saying there is no special designation for a receiver capable R model? There is! It's a KC-135R(RT). Look it up in the 1C-135-5-1. There's specific fuel loads for them.
@stuntmanmike37 i don't give a flying fuck what its called on paper. if you walk up to a pilot spouting that shit they'll look at you like a dumbass. generally we don't even call them R model's we either call them by their specific tail numbers or just 135. oh and don't tell me i don't know something. like i said i've been though the crew chief schooling for them. and don't tell me i don't know something about them when i bet the closest you've been to one is an air show.
@cumminsandcopenhagen I guess you've never done a by the book refuel then because you've never bothered to read a fucking 1C-135-5-1, if you even know what that is. You've probably never heard of a T model either. I was just trying to show you something you probably didn't know, and you responded ignorantly. That figures, being a hick from Iowa. And if you haven't figured it out, I'm a Crew Chief too asshole! What are you, some dumb ass specialist?
@stuntmanmike37 unless you've taken panels off of them or fixed any component of them keep that shit you looked up on wiki pedia or google to your self!
@sanfranciscobay When a connection with the receiver is established by the boom operator, one of the tanker pilots (normally the copilot) turn on hydraulically driven pumps in the forward and/or aft fuel tanks. They can transfer around 6,000 pounds per minute.
@omg101man - It depends on much fuel he needs/wants. The tanker can offload about 6,000 pounds of fuel a minute (895 gallons/minute), so 60,000 pounds = 10 minutes. Another factor is how full his tanks are - as he fills his tanks, the fuel transfer rate decreases and therefore takes longer.
@hoplite46 electronically the boom op can either give a measured amount of fuel in pounds or just monitor the fill level with the receivng aircraft monitoring the tanks level as backup.
@usernameVEVO Because if you want to be a navigator on a C-141 you get to sit in the cockpit. But if you want to be navigator for a B-52 you have to sit in room with no windows that resembles a dark basement.
Look carefully..Is that a Playboy on the dash? A friend of mine (girl) used to do this and she'd tell me she used to get off on this...she said it was "payback".
Great vid. Love how you were able to get the dials in to see the exact position of the boom, would have been that little bit better if you could have got the one telling you the rate of fuel flow was lol. I think its normally about 6,000lbs per minute, or near that. How long in total was that B-52 'On The Boom' for?
This is awesome, I had the honor of being aboard a KC-135 in 1980 during a base deployment from the 92d Bomb Wing. The refueling sergeant called me back and let me lay beside him and watch him refuel 3 F-111 Fighters over the city of San Francisco. It was an awesome sight. The F-111 saluted with a bank to the right, then banked left to depart. I'll never forget the awesome feeling of seeing it first hand, and hearing him talk to the pilots.
It has been awesome being a crewchief on the tanker. Good to see a video from our unit, the 186th ARW, MS ANG. This video makes me proud to be a crewchief, getting to see the fruits of our labor. I know the aircrews do the flying but you know we crewchiefs take pride in what we do. I still say we can fly and maintain the tankers as good as anybody out there!!!
The hard part with large aircraft is the bowwave, you have to strong arm the boom at least on the KC-135. I refueled a C-5 for an hour doing practice hook ups it wore me out. That was in 1975 I retired in 80.
I'm amazed that in these videos I see both receiver and boom operators not wearing their helmet, mask and blast shields during IFR. During the early '80s it was mandatory. Why has that rule changed? Anyone? I remember a bomber coming back to base with the fuel nozzle stuck in it's receptacle. It wouldn't un-toggle and I think it is made to shear off in such a case. Either way it can be very dangerous up there. Stay safe.
@JetMechMA Yes, the head of the nozzle is made of pot-metal and is designed to shear off in case it won't disconnect. I've worked mx on -135's for 13 years and it happens all the time.
@precision40 Thanks, I didn't know the exact design. Interesting. Thanks for you service by the way. Hang in there for your 20 at least. Be ready to hit the ground running when you get out though. It's a different world out here. Much more cut-throat than it used to be. Have yourself covered three different ways...and have those routes covered, each of them, in three different ways. It's brutal.
Just look at that guy wrestle with the controls in the Bomber. Yep, that's the way I remember it when I got to go up on incentive flights in the early '80s. The co-pilot watched the AC very closely and asked him if his arms were getting tired, if he wanted him to take over. They watched each other very closely. One time at night a student pilot got the boom right in front of the center wind screen. The hair stood up on our necks? Instructor pulled the thrust levers back.
What A/C do you have the most difficulty with? Which "waffles" around the most in flight, and maybe possibly gives you a hard time? Were my F-111's ever difficult for you, or where they gone before you did this?
@jonesy97 For the tanker - it's always been most challenging to refuel large aircraft that create a large bow wave. The B-2, C-5, and C-17 really push us around. Fighters have their own challenges - they are always in a hurry, but we can sequence them in pretty quick. I have refuel both US and Australian F-111s and it was an awesome airplane and easy to refuel.
@htmobley We all, I'm sure, appreciate the answers to our questions. A lot of these querrys go unanswered on other vids, so thanks for taking the time! I went on a refueling ride when I was stationed at Cannon, and it was a blast! Keep it up, my friend, and thanks!
@Kopihucky Skydivers are a different breed so it's normal for them to refuel their plane while the engines are running. Stopping the planes engines to refuel is wasting precious time the plane could be hauling jumpers.
@CALanceGokongwei No kidding, if you talk to the Afghan Army guys about calling in an air strike, they don't want the F-15 or the A-10 or a B-1, they want the BUFF! Thing will level a mountain!
@CALanceGokongwei No they don't shake in their boots. They know what we have and believe me after 10 years they know what we can do too. One of the things they see with this is making the US spend 10's of thousands of dollars an hour to operate these aircraft. They have a saying. "You have Timex, we have the time.". They're trying to drive us into insolvency by creating a police state and use of our military. The sad thing is we don't even make Timex watches anymore. I'll bet we sold out.
@CALanceGokongwei This hardware was made to combat the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union. Justify to yourself why we spend thousands of billions of dollars chasing after what amounts to maybe 3 or 4 divisions of light infantry, when holding back 65 armored rifle and heavy mech divisions of the Warsaw Pact cost less. Something is very very wrong. The military has been denied nothing, the president has been denied nothing by the Congress, yet we lose .... Ask yourself why.
@TalksWithDirt I don't know anything about politics....And I'm not talking about it in my comment. I just commented because the B-52 is a masterpiece of warfare in aviation.
@OSCARA320 Basically, Heat Seekers they will drop flares since its obvious that the heatseeker only seeks targets which are hot. Radar Guided on the other hand they drop small metallic objects (aluminum probably) since the metallic objects can also be seen in the radar in all confuses the missile.
The only limiting factor is the crew. Other factors like engine oil. The B-52 can carry extra pilots (no ejection seats) so an extended mission is possible.
B52's use to fly what was called Chrome Dome missions that kept five nuke loaded B52's in the air at all times. It was because of a series of accidents those stopped back in the late 1960's. So, now days, what makes you think there aren't planes always in the air ? ;-)
Turbulence can introduce significant challenges. Minor turbulence is manageable, but if it gets to be too much, either aircraft can initiate a disconnect. If it gets really bad, we initiate breakaway procedures to separate the aircraft very quickly. The last thing we want to do is hit each other. Occasionally though, booms do break. Not a good thing...
Early in my USAF careeer (many years ago!) I saw a picture of a B-52 sitting on the ramp with a refueling boom sticking out of the fuselage just behind the cockpit area... Bet that was an exciting event.
nope. the boom can "fly" and therefore has a range of motion, if there is an exceeding of that range they do a "breakaway" where the receiver goes down and tanker up and left or right (i forget which). I used to crew the KC-135R model.
This was a training refueling sortie and we practiced air refueling procedures. The tanker can offload approximately 6,000 pounds per minute, so refueling time depends on required fuel.
i thought you were suppose to turn the engine off when refueling?
rawimpact 1 day ago
@rawimpact In this case it's safe to keep 'em running...
htmobley 1 day ago
It always impresses me how the pilots of B-52s and B-2s can make such a good contact with the fuelling probe when the intake is outside their field of view and behind them! It must take a lot of skill to get it down right.
Plumbership 6 days ago
@Plumbership I was a receiver pilot for six years, (RC-135), and taught air refueling to other pilots. FYI - the receiver pilot flies his plane into the contact envelope, guided by visual signal lights from the boom operator. Once in the envelope, the boom operator flies the boom into position, extends the boom and makes the contact. It is then up to the receiver pilot to remain within that envelope while in contact. If he gets close to a limit a disconnect is initiated. Training is key.
htmobley 6 days ago
I don't know about all you arguing ppl, but this is just awesome flight porn to me. How many hours per mission would you guys stay up there for tasking? 10-16 hours? Or is that unrealistic? I'm just a dumb flight sim junky, so I don't know.
risk3715 1 week ago
@risk3715 I've flown long missions and short missions. They all depend on how much gas you need to offload to the receivers. The higher the offload, the shorter the flight. I've taken off and started refueling within 20 minutes, given almost all my fuel to the receivers and gone back to land. The tanker can fly upwards of 20 hours without offloads. Makes for a LONG day.
htmobley 1 week ago
It boggles the mind to think of how many times this Buff must've refueled over its lifetime.
TV843 1 week ago
@TV843 Just ran some numbers for fun - most B-52H models were built in 1962, and assuming that they were flown and air refueled an average of once a week (which is a significant lowball estimate, considering that when they were off nuclear alert, they would have flown several times a week), that would total approximately 2444 times. That's a lot of trips to the boom.
htmobley 1 week ago
@htmobley NIce! If you think about it, it's cool in this "throw-away" society we live in to get to see actual antiques flying around--not for show, but real workhorses like the B-52. It makes you wonder with all of it's high maintenance & crazy coatings how long we're really going to see B-2s flying around. In 50 years, will they even be all that "modern" or will they be obsolete bomb-haulers? I just can't imagine the B-2 being around in 50 years like the Buff. Cool stuff to think about.
TV843 1 week ago
if you look real close at about 1 minute you can see my house
mackey087 2 weeks ago
Using the tail number and call sign of the receiver, we fill out paperwork after the flight that bills the unit/squadron for the fuel that we passed to them inflight. Funds are then transferred from their unit to our unit to reimburse for the fuel. We, the crew, don't see any of the funds, but it would be nice to get a tip occasionally...
htmobley 4 weeks ago 2
@htmobley Thanks so much! I really enjoy watching these, and the technical comments back to users feed my addiction to military aviation.
cdpetty81 3 weeks ago
how do the other plane pey for it s ful?
tttc 4 weeks ago
how much fuel can that tanker carry? and how much fuel does it take to fuel up that b52?
nguyentuan1990 1 month ago
@nguyentuan1990 The tanker can carry about 200,000 pounds of gas, which divided by its specific gravity weight per gallon of 6.7 is about 30,000 gallons. The fuel needs of the B-52 vary depending on the mission. Not sure what the fuel in tanks capacity of the B-52 is. I could look it up, but may someone else has the figure handy.
htmobley 4 weeks ago
Receiver pilots are trained and given key reference points on the tanker with which to visually place themselves in the air refueling envelope. They are also aided by the boom operator. He/she can flash a forward light on the underbelly of the tanker to guide the receiver in to about 12 feet, so they (boom operators) can fly the boom into position and make the contact.
htmobley 1 month ago
How does the pilot line up with the probe if the docking point , is behind him , i.e. no view to line... do they use video cameras or something ?
neilcharlton 1 month ago
"It's been rumored among high-ranking western leaders that the Soviets have been..."
modelleg 1 month ago
Near the end you can clearly see that B-52 uses interceptors instead of ailerons for roll control.)
saashaNar 1 month ago
@saashaNar What's an interceptor? Do you mean spoiler?
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
@stuntmanmike37yeah, spoilers locatend near the wingtip and used for roll control are named interceptors.)
saashaNar 1 month ago
@saashaNar Never heard that term.
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
"As Seen On: ساحات الطيران العربي " :| oh no... The terrorists have got us!
pacrat90 1 month ago
so its pretty much 8 jet engines on it???
ShelbyGT500TT 1 month ago
@ShelbyGT500TT Yes, it has 8 engines on it mounted within the 4 pods.
htmobley 1 month ago
@htmobley u know that they could use two GE 90-115 b's on that and it will still fly??? they tested it out on a 747 and that ONE engine could fly the 747 by itself. dam powerful engines!!!! lol :D
ShelbyGT500TT 1 month ago
How long does it takes?
pantanalcg 1 month ago
@pantanalcg It depends on much fuel he needs/wants. The tanker can offload about 6,000 pounds of fuel a minute (895 gallons/minute), so 60,000 pounds = 10 minutes. Another factor is how full his tanks are - as he fills his tanks, the fuel transfer rate decreases and therefore takes longer.
htmobley 1 month ago 4
@htmobley Oh, I'm sory, I haven't seen that top coment. But 895 gallons/minute Oo
that's awsome, and great video anyway. Thanks
pantanalcg 1 month ago
both of these planes are probably older than me!
w5jda 1 month ago
Wow, Modern Marvels Widen my vision. that was why U.S air force so rampant. LOL 很好！
diamond7303 1 month ago
Shows how much fuel these things need lol
Tabby266 1 month ago
186th? where are yall from? shout out from the 185th ARW
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
Love me a BUFF. 60 year old bird with 60 more years of life... that's a bad ass bird.
TheUnNerved 1 month ago
Dude, no matter what I would be scared, bad side or not. On the ground it looks "DAMN"
FTFFWarFoxLoD 1 month ago
I got all excited, until I realized your boom only had two ruddervators ( :P )
Still, nice footage!
AquaticRapture 1 month ago
Three thing I never want to see with the bomb doors open a B1B, a B2, and a B52
FTFFWarFoxLoD 2 months ago
@FTFFWarFoxLoD Depends on where you're sitting and what side you're on.
kmcmanus 1 month ago
what if you had turbluince
TheAwesomeNess110 2 months ago
@TheAwesomeNess110 Turbulence is always a concern and if it becomes moderate or severe we knock off the refueling. It is possible to refuel in light turbulence and if necessary in moderate, but the risk has to be evaluated. Certainly don't want a boom nozzle going through a fighter's canopy or a windshield.
htmobley 2 months ago
Does the person flying the refueling boom have a seatbelt system so he stays put in case of turbulence?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay yep. They lay down prone and have a harness.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
There's no one in the cockpit?
Chuck Norris must be flying the plane.
Nelrockz1 2 months ago
Next time you refuel, have the guys put a Playboy and a Penthouse magazine on their dashboards, then zoom in on them, then zoom back out on the plane. I think that would be hilarious.
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
What's the difference between the Air Force refueling method of using a boom, versus the Navy method of using the drogue parachute? Why the lack of uniformity with refueling methods between the two branches?
What method does the Army use?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay The Navy has a lot more support aircraft like helicopters and they use a long boom coming from the helicopter that connects to a dragging drogue and hose. They adapted the aircraft fighters to use the same system for convenience. The army? TMK they don't stay in the air long enough to worry about refueling.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@Billthesheepdog Is the boom more efficient, safer and preferred over the drogue?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay I think so. Its hard to control a hose. The boom is a flying boom and is "flown" and manually controlled by the boom op. The boom can flow a lot of fuel based on the aircraft and tanks of where its going also. At almost 900 gallons a minute full flow it is fairly quick.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay When air refueling systems were initially developed, the Air Force chose to go with a fixed boom/receptacle system. The Navy chose the probe and drogue system to suit their needs and systems. The Army has no air refueling platforms or aircraft that need refueling.
htmobley 2 months ago
Does the tanker take off with a full load of fuel, or does it take off with a partial load and then refuels while airborne?
If the tanker had a full load of fuel, how long could it stay flying?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay I don't know about KC-10's but the KC-135 tanker does not have access to the payload fuel it carries for others. It also cannot be air refueled itself. The average mission of a tanker aircraft can be anywhere from a couple of hours to over 24 hours in the air. It is basically a Boeing 707 type airframe.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@Billthesheepdog Out of curiosity, if it was able to use all the fuel in it's own tanks and the tanks it uses to refuel other planes, how long could it stay in the air and could it?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
@Billthesheepdog The KC-135 can carry approximately 200,000 pounds of fuel. It burns approximately 10,000/hour, so if it burned fuel until the engines flamed out, it could stay aloft about 20 hours. If it was careful with the fuel burn and performed a step climb to the most efficient altitude and speed, it could fly for several more hours. Then KC-135 can give away all the fuel on board or use it to stay aloft. A number of USAF tankers that are air refuelable and can take gas from other tankers.
htmobley 2 months ago
@htmobley I was not on the KC aircrew. MY dad was for 20 years as left seat. I reference only what he told me as an interested kid. If modifications were made after he stopped flying the KC in 1968 or to the KC-10 He and I wouldn't know of them. He left the 135 to fly C123's in Nam where he earned various medals including a silver star and purple heart for saving many lives. He retired in Major in 1971 in Montgomery Alabama at the air war college.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@Billthesheepdog Sounds like your dad had a great career in the AF. My congratulations and thanks for his service to our country. I have flown various models of the -135 as a navigator, copilot and Aircraft Commander, over a 31 year period starting in 1980. Again, I salute your dad for his service.
htmobley 2 months ago
@htmobley and I thank you for yours sir. I remember a story he told me once of his boomer calling him to say he had a UFO pull up for fuel. It was the first time he ever had met up with an SR-71. I still remember when he left to disperse the aircraft around the country during the Cuban missile crisis. Mom cried a lot but I didn't get it till later. Families also serve.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@Billthesheepdog Yep, the SR was an amazing machine. I got to see a preflight and launch up close and personal. And I agree wholeheartedly - families serve also. The military couldn't function without the support of every family member.
htmobley 2 months ago
@Billthesheepdog not true there are 8 KC-135's that can receive fuel from other tankers
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
@cumminsandcopenhagen Yes I heard from a tanker pilot. In my day there were none. My dad flew them for 20 years. He said then they couldn't refuel and they couldn't use the fuel they carried for others. I always thought that strange. Happy New Year.
Billthesheepdog 1 month ago
@cumminsandcopenhagen KC-135R/T :-)
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
@stuntmanmike37 there is no R/T i work on them for a living. its just KC-135R which is the newer model. the previous model was the KC-135E. i'm certified in both
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
@cumminsandcopenhagen Are you serious? Look it up. The 8 receiver capable tankers flown by McConnell are designated KC-135R/T.
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
@stuntmanmike37....yes i'm fucking serious i work on them i should know since i've been through the tech school at Sheppard AFB in wichita falls texas. "look it up" really? I'm certified in two models E and R there is no R/T
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
@stuntmanmike37..oh and i have three friends that work at McConnell AFB they are R model
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
@cumminsandcopenhagen You are so wrong. You're saying there is no special designation for a receiver capable R model? There is! It's a KC-135R(RT). Look it up in the 1C-135-5-1. There's specific fuel loads for them.
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
@stuntmanmike37 i don't give a flying fuck what its called on paper. if you walk up to a pilot spouting that shit they'll look at you like a dumbass. generally we don't even call them R model's we either call them by their specific tail numbers or just 135. oh and don't tell me i don't know something. like i said i've been though the crew chief schooling for them. and don't tell me i don't know something about them when i bet the closest you've been to one is an air show.
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
@cumminsandcopenhagen I guess you've never done a by the book refuel then because you've never bothered to read a fucking 1C-135-5-1, if you even know what that is. You've probably never heard of a T model either. I was just trying to show you something you probably didn't know, and you responded ignorantly. That figures, being a hick from Iowa. And if you haven't figured it out, I'm a Crew Chief too asshole! What are you, some dumb ass specialist?
stuntmanmike37 1 month ago
@stuntmanmike37 unless you've taken panels off of them or fixed any component of them keep that shit you looked up on wiki pedia or google to your self!
cumminsandcopenhagen 1 month ago
Does fuel drain from the tanker by gravity or is it pumped out by pumps to speed up the process?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay it is pumped by the boom operator.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@sanfranciscobay When a connection with the receiver is established by the boom operator, one of the tanker pilots (normally the copilot) turn on hydraulically driven pumps in the forward and/or aft fuel tanks. They can transfer around 6,000 pounds per minute.
htmobley 2 months ago
nice bird
coIvoIkov 2 months ago
Superb footage!
cashman156 4 months ago
whats an ARW
tjohnzvamm 4 months ago
@tjohnzvamm Air Refueling Wing
htmobley 4 months ago
Is this how more b52s are made
mcbain434444 5 months ago 17
@mcbain434444
This thing his how A-10's are made
but soon they will mature to the b-52.
GameReviewer1987 2 months ago
@GameReviewer1987 Haha nice. A-10s are slick too.
mcbain434444 2 months ago
@mcbain434444
Yeah, A-10's are awesome, I'm just saying this because the B-52 is FUCKING GIGANTIC.
GameReviewer1987 2 months ago
how long does it take to refuel something like that
omg101man 5 months ago
@omg101man - It depends on much fuel he needs/wants. The tanker can offload about 6,000 pounds of fuel a minute (895 gallons/minute), so 60,000 pounds = 10 minutes. Another factor is how full his tanks are - as he fills his tanks, the fuel transfer rate decreases and therefore takes longer.
htmobley 5 months ago 13
@htmobley 10 minutes? I bet thats feels like a long time for the pilot
toshikoga 3 months ago
@htmobley how does he know its full!!!!
hoplite46 2 months ago
@hoplite46 electronically the boom op can either give a measured amount of fuel in pounds or just monitor the fill level with the receivng aircraft monitoring the tanks level as backup.
Billthesheepdog 2 months ago
@hoplite46 The pilot tells the tanker how many pounds of fuel he wants and is given a designated amount.
Kopihucky 2 months ago
@htmobley Typically, what is the amount of time they spend refueling, how much weight, how many gallons and what is the shortest and longest?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
Damn that bird is thirsty!!!
fiverats1 7 months ago
@usernameVEVO Because if you want to be a navigator on a C-141 you get to sit in the cockpit. But if you want to be navigator for a B-52 you have to sit in room with no windows that resembles a dark basement.
Anonymous1226 8 months ago
Look carefully..Is that a Playboy on the dash? A friend of mine (girl) used to do this and she'd tell me she used to get off on this...she said it was "payback".
fernfeyes 8 months ago
B-52s suck if you're a navigator.
Anonymous1226 8 months ago
got skillz?
raykupal 8 months ago
i swear it looked as thought that window was open
Barricade360 9 months ago
Brings back great memorries' as a former buff pilot and 30 year vet
tippersteffi1 1 year ago
Great vid. Love how you were able to get the dials in to see the exact position of the boom, would have been that little bit better if you could have got the one telling you the rate of fuel flow was lol. I think its normally about 6,000lbs per minute, or near that. How long in total was that B-52 'On The Boom' for?
whitewingsrich 1 year ago
This is awesome, I had the honor of being aboard a KC-135 in 1980 during a base deployment from the 92d Bomb Wing. The refueling sergeant called me back and let me lay beside him and watch him refuel 3 F-111 Fighters over the city of San Francisco. It was an awesome sight. The F-111 saluted with a bank to the right, then banked left to depart. I'll never forget the awesome feeling of seeing it first hand, and hearing him talk to the pilots.
rubbing2000 1 year ago
Wow, very cool. Thanks for sharing with us.
TalksWithDirt 1 year ago
its tottaly realy u think its fake because you dont know about f18 jets etc
bmanal2001 1 year ago
Thats one ugly plane.
VIPBaller 1 year ago
@VIPBaller hey dont talk the b-52 like that jut cause it can kick ur ass doesnt mean u can make fun of with love from barksdale
ryannewman4life1 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Fake.
jonnibiscuit 1 year ago
@jonnibiscuit Not.
htmobley 1 year ago
@jonnibiscuit how could this be fake what a idiot
ACE16589 1 year ago
@jonnibiscuit how the fuck is this fake?
xELITE381 1 year ago
:''''''''''''''''''''''-(
fibbrokkio 1 year ago
It has been awesome being a crewchief on the tanker. Good to see a video from our unit, the 186th ARW, MS ANG. This video makes me proud to be a crewchief, getting to see the fruits of our labor. I know the aircrews do the flying but you know we crewchiefs take pride in what we do. I still say we can fly and maintain the tankers as good as anybody out there!!!
pwhfirefighter 1 year ago
I thought I was on the C-5 video the B-52 is a peice of cake did hundreds of them.
mrboomop1 1 year ago
The hard part with large aircraft is the bowwave, you have to strong arm the boom at least on the KC-135. I refueled a C-5 for an hour doing practice hook ups it wore me out. That was in 1975 I retired in 80.
mrboomop1 1 year ago
thats one big thirsty bird!!!!!
lonelywolf1966 1 year ago
man that's such a cool view
intertr0ns 1 year ago
whats that black thing at 3:33
1700tc 1 year ago 9
@1700tc hmmmm,,, if you are referring to the black area in the top left - that is part of our airplane as viewed through the sighting window.
htmobley 1 year ago
@htmobley the thing on the right next to engine
1700tc 1 year ago
@1700tc That is a wingtip fuel tank
htmobley 1 year ago
@htmobley Think he means the little black dot under the BUFF's first engine.
SR71ace 1 year ago
@SR71ace I think that must have been a little speck on the boom's sighting window. Just dirty I guess.
htmobley 1 year ago
@htmobley Nawww. It's just a UFO. Very common those things.
CSAdnub1117 10 months ago
@htmobley IT IS A UFO
leangle1988 5 months ago
@htmobley yeah its a drip from condensation or something you can see the light refracting in it as the camera angle changes
bratonabike 5 months ago
@htmobley
I think he's referring to that little black dot inbetween the 2 engine clusters, 2:23 to around 3:36.
PacSgt 1 year ago
@1700tc what is that black thing your talking about the little black dote right
xbse1 1 year ago
@1700tc escorts
arbitar222 10 months ago
@1700tc it can be a bird
spiderweb33 9 months ago
Comment removed
SakuraOfTheSea 5 months ago
Comment removed
SakuraOfTheSea 5 months ago
I think it's a drop of condensation on the windshield. You can kinda see the trail it made as it slid down the window at about 3:40.
SakuraOfTheSea 5 months ago
@1700tc An alien.
thekkl 2 months ago
I'm amazed that in these videos I see both receiver and boom operators not wearing their helmet, mask and blast shields during IFR. During the early '80s it was mandatory. Why has that rule changed? Anyone? I remember a bomber coming back to base with the fuel nozzle stuck in it's receptacle. It wouldn't un-toggle and I think it is made to shear off in such a case. Either way it can be very dangerous up there. Stay safe.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
@JetMechMA Yes, the head of the nozzle is made of pot-metal and is designed to shear off in case it won't disconnect. I've worked mx on -135's for 13 years and it happens all the time.
precision40 1 year ago
@precision40 Thanks, I didn't know the exact design. Interesting. Thanks for you service by the way. Hang in there for your 20 at least. Be ready to hit the ground running when you get out though. It's a different world out here. Much more cut-throat than it used to be. Have yourself covered three different ways...and have those routes covered, each of them, in three different ways. It's brutal.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
The mission I remember riding along on, the bomber call sign was Pride 22. Tanker was Dumb 01.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
Just look at that guy wrestle with the controls in the Bomber. Yep, that's the way I remember it when I got to go up on incentive flights in the early '80s. The co-pilot watched the AC very closely and asked him if his arms were getting tired, if he wanted him to take over. They watched each other very closely. One time at night a student pilot got the boom right in front of the center wind screen. The hair stood up on our necks? Instructor pulled the thrust levers back.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
Hey, what Refueler are you in???
pilot588 1 year ago
@pilot588 The historic KC-135
htmobley 1 year ago
Totally cool! Can I catch a ride? lol
NanaLippmann 1 year ago
What A/C do you have the most difficulty with? Which "waffles" around the most in flight, and maybe possibly gives you a hard time? Were my F-111's ever difficult for you, or where they gone before you did this?
jonesy97 1 year ago
@jonesy97 For the tanker - it's always been most challenging to refuel large aircraft that create a large bow wave. The B-2, C-5, and C-17 really push us around. Fighters have their own challenges - they are always in a hurry, but we can sequence them in pretty quick. I have refuel both US and Australian F-111s and it was an awesome airplane and easy to refuel.
htmobley 1 year ago
@htmobley We all, I'm sure, appreciate the answers to our questions. A lot of these querrys go unanswered on other vids, so thanks for taking the time! I went on a refueling ride when I was stationed at Cannon, and it was a blast! Keep it up, my friend, and thanks!
jonesy97 1 year ago
@jonesy97 You are most welcome.
htmobley 1 year ago
@htmobley What's the typical refueling speeds and alittudes?
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
hasn't he herd never to leave the engine on while refuling lolololol these guys are some badasses
yourdrmckuku 2 years ago
we refuel skydive aircraft while they are running
Kopihucky 2 years ago
@Kopihucky In the Air Force we called that a "Hot Pit Refuel." However, I think AV gas is more volitile and more dangerous. Be carefull out there.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
@Kopihucky Skydivers are a different breed so it's normal for them to refuel their plane while the engines are running. Stopping the planes engines to refuel is wasting precious time the plane could be hauling jumpers.
sanfranciscobay 2 months ago
I swear man, if the taliban or Al-Qaeda see this in the sky they immediately hide in bunkers or caves.
The aircraft is really good with "Fear Factor" rating.
CALanceGokongwei 2 years ago 23
@CALanceGokongwei No kidding, if you talk to the Afghan Army guys about calling in an air strike, they don't want the F-15 or the A-10 or a B-1, they want the BUFF! Thing will level a mountain!
TheTomyossarian 2 years ago
@CALanceGokongwei Well of course they will they dont have any thing to fight back with
USMANchampNO1 1 year ago
@CALanceGokongwei
They won't hide from a b-52 . I doubt they know what is a plane XD
spanish111japan 1 year ago
@CALanceGokongwei No they don't shake in their boots. They know what we have and believe me after 10 years they know what we can do too. One of the things they see with this is making the US spend 10's of thousands of dollars an hour to operate these aircraft. They have a saying. "You have Timex, we have the time.". They're trying to drive us into insolvency by creating a police state and use of our military. The sad thing is we don't even make Timex watches anymore. I'll bet we sold out.
TalksWithDirt 1 year ago
@CALanceGokongwei This hardware was made to combat the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union. Justify to yourself why we spend thousands of billions of dollars chasing after what amounts to maybe 3 or 4 divisions of light infantry, when holding back 65 armored rifle and heavy mech divisions of the Warsaw Pact cost less. Something is very very wrong. The military has been denied nothing, the president has been denied nothing by the Congress, yet we lose .... Ask yourself why.
TalksWithDirt 1 year ago
@TalksWithDirt I don't know anything about politics....And I'm not talking about it in my comment. I just commented because the B-52 is a masterpiece of warfare in aviation.
CALanceGokongwei 1 year ago
@CALanceGokongwei but I suppose that a bird as big as this one in the sky its like a sitting duck for the taliban no? dont get mad just asking...
OSCARA320 6 months ago
@OSCARA320 Well that's why they invented Missile Counter-Measures.
CALanceGokongwei 6 months ago
@CALanceGokongwei how does that work? never heard of it
OSCARA320 6 months ago
@OSCARA320 Basically, Heat Seekers they will drop flares since its obvious that the heatseeker only seeks targets which are hot. Radar Guided on the other hand they drop small metallic objects (aluminum probably) since the metallic objects can also be seen in the radar in all confuses the missile.
CALanceGokongwei 6 months ago
Death from above...
BONGO52G 2 years ago
How many refuelings can be made in series? Is it possible that with several refueling b-52 remains in air for more than 48 hours?
anisocoro 2 years ago
about 2
xXStarkeyXx 2 years ago
The only limiting factor is the crew. Other factors like engine oil. The B-52 can carry extra pilots (no ejection seats) so an extended mission is possible.
wc8056 2 years ago
I think it woul be very good to have an "always flying aircraft" in case of crisis.
anisocoro 2 years ago
i thunk that theres one um.. try looking up Boeing E-4B
86Timewarp 2 years ago 2
B52's use to fly what was called Chrome Dome missions that kept five nuke loaded B52's in the air at all times. It was because of a series of accidents those stopped back in the late 1960's. So, now days, what makes you think there aren't planes always in the air ? ;-)
IC2720 2 years ago
What happens if there is turbulence while refueling
Does the boom snap in half?
argonne5 3 years ago
Turbulence can introduce significant challenges. Minor turbulence is manageable, but if it gets to be too much, either aircraft can initiate a disconnect. If it gets really bad, we initiate breakaway procedures to separate the aircraft very quickly. The last thing we want to do is hit each other. Occasionally though, booms do break. Not a good thing...
htmobley 3 years ago
before the boom breaks or can break the nozzle will break, it's meant to. Crews practice breakaway procedures all the time.
DJacksonStratoArt 2 years ago
Early in my USAF careeer (many years ago!) I saw a picture of a B-52 sitting on the ramp with a refueling boom sticking out of the fuselage just behind the cockpit area... Bet that was an exciting event.
Spectator1959 2 years ago
There's also some video out there somewhere that was taken of a boom coming through a cockpit window.
IC2720 2 years ago
Comment removed
DJacksonStratoArt 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
nope. the boom can "fly" and therefore has a range of motion, if there is an exceeding of that range they do a "breakaway" where the receiver goes down and tanker up and left or right (i forget which). I used to crew the KC-135R model.
DJacksonStratoArt 2 years ago
How long did it take to refuel?
QuincyGD4456 3 years ago
This was a training refueling sortie and we practiced air refueling procedures. The tanker can offload approximately 6,000 pounds per minute, so refueling time depends on required fuel.
htmobley 3 years ago