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I've been enlisted aircrew in the air force since 2010 (KC-135 Boom Operator, ~3500 flight hours) so while not a pilot, very familiar with it as we work hand in hand as a crew to get the job done, whatever that may be (Air refueling, cargo, aeromedical evacuation, etc). I got a ASEL private pilot certificate October of last year as well, and took a few 135 pilots out flying for a change which is nice. All C-172 time, 92 hours so far. I'm currently trying to commission as a pilot and getting onboarded with the Civil Air Patrol to do some flying with them.
Here's a pic of the business end of the KC-135. Views are second to none.
I'm a former Navy guy, but I've always thought that F-15 was the best! I still do.
I've been enlisted aircrew in the air force since 2010 (KC-135 Boom Operator, ~3500 flight hours) so while not a pilot, very familiar with it as we work hand in hand as a crew to get the job done, whatever that may be (Air refueling, cargo, aeromedical evacuation, etc). I got a ASEL private pilot certificate October of last year as well, and took a few 135 pilots out flying for a change which is nice. All C-172 time, 92 hours so far. I'm currently trying to commission as a pilot and getting onboarded with the Civil Air Patrol to do some flying with them.
Here's a pic of the business end of the KC-135. Views are second to none.
I remember all the times I tanked off KC=135s and KC-10s. One of the KC-135 times over Santa Rosa Island, I was having a heck of a time flying the probe into the basket. I then noticed the flying fins on the boom were moving all over the place! The boom operator was flying the hose too! With the 2 of us battling each other, nothing was working. I transmitted a request for the boom to be at rest and I could then fly my plane into the basket. That is the big difference between the AF and Navy. The AF has the booms flown into position while the Navy guys fly the plane to the basket. Because my basket is on a crooked pipe at the 2 o'clock position, any wing movement makes the probe move in a circular path. You flew in behind, set position, and moved forward. The bow wave would move the basket right into the probe. Bingo!
The KC=10 had a much, much longer hose on their basket. If you hit it too hard, the sine wave would go all the way to the plane and back again snapping off your probe. If you did hit to hard and set up the sine wave, you had to back out before it boomeranged and ripped the probe off. Never happened to me of course!!
The Eagle is a great fighter. Fought them a lot in Red Flag (along with the Lawn Dart F-16) and any other opportunity I could find. Tough to match at high altitude. F-4 were easy pickings.
Great pics, will see if I can find some with the 135 too! Stby.
I too am thinking about the CAP. Good for you getting your hours as a pilot. I think when this Covid blows over (historically with pandemics it is 2-3 years) and the airline flying picks up again, you will have some great opportunities. For me airline flying was the best non-military career in the world. I still can't believe I was paid to do what I did.
I flew from Calif. to DC once with the National Guard on a KC135 and I got to lay down in the back and see that ^ view, although there was no aircraft being refueled. Cool trip.
ps. Doing spins in a Citabria is the Mother of all roller coaster rides!
I remember all the times I tanked off KC=135s and KC-10s. One of the KC-135 times over Santa Rosa Island, I was having a heck of a time flying the probe into the basket. I then noticed the flying fins on the boom were moving all over the place! The boom operator was flying the hose too! With the 2 of us battling each other, nothing was working. I transmitted a request for the boom to be at rest and I could then fly my plane into the basket. That is the big difference between the AF and Navy. The AF has the booms flown into position while the Navy guys fly the plane to the basket. Because my basket is on a crooked pipe at the 2 o'clock position, any wing movement makes the probe move in a circular path. You flew in behind, set position, and moved forward. The bow wave would move the basket right into the probe. Bingo!
The KC=10 had a much, much longer hose on their basket. If you hit it too hard, the sine wave would go all the way to the plane and back again snapping off your probe. If you did hit to hard and set up the sine wave, you had to back out before it boomeranged and ripped the probe off. Never happened to me of course!!
The Eagle is a great fighter. Fought them a lot in Red Flag (along with the Lawn Dart F-16) and any other opportunity I could find. Tough to match at high altitude. F-4 were easy pickings.
Great pics, will see if I can find some with the 135 too! Stby.
I too am thinking about the CAP. Good for you getting your hours as a pilot. I think when this Covid blows over (historically with pandemics it is 2-3 years) and the airline flying picks up again, you will have some great opportunities. For me airline flying was the best non-military career in the world. I still can't believe I was paid to do what I did.
Nice! I've seen your posts in the past and figured that you were a navy pilot in the past. It seems navy pilots tremble in the presence of the iron maiden! I've had a lot of navy pilots also request for me to "lock the boom", which isn't really a thing. I just fly it as still as I can except to prevent the hose or boom from contacting the receiver aircraft.
Thanks for the awesome pics! Here's one over the same area, the south china sea dragging F-18s to Thailand, circa 2019, colorized
Compared to most of the posts here, I am humbled. I got my private license in 1966 in a Cherokee 140, then Uncle Sam decided to make me an officer and a gentleman and sent me to Ft. Wolters, TX, where I trained in the TH-55 and then on to Ft. Rucker. AL, where I took instrument training in the TH-13. After that, I trained in the UH-1. In Vietnam, I flew Huey B, D, and H models. After I left the service, I bought a Cherokee 140, and traded up to a Cessna 177 then a C177 RG. During that time, I also got checked out in an Enstrom F-20C. Hung up my wings in 2007 when the Cardinal was sold. One Air Medal and one gear-up landing sums up my flying careerl However, being able to fly fulfilled a life-long desire since I was about 6 years old.
Here is the poor Cardinal after the gear failed to extend:
Oh, I forgot. Thanks to my next-door neighbor, got an hour in the C-5M simulator, where he instructed. That was way cool.
Last edited by jukngene; Jan 10, 2021 at 03:47 PM.
Compared to most of the posts here, I am humbled. I got my private license in 1966 in a Cherokee 140, then Uncle Sam decided to make me an officer and a gentleman and sent me to Ft. Wolters, TX, where I trained in the TH-55 and then on to Ft. Rucker. AL, where I took instrument training in the TH-13. After that, I trained in the UH-1. In Vietnam, I flew Huey B, D, and H models. After I left the service, I bought a Cherokee 140, and traded up to a Cessna 177 then a C177 RG. During that time, I also got checked out in an Enstrom F-20C. Hung up my wings in 2007 when the Cardinal was sold. One Air Medal and one gear-up landing sums up my flying careerl However, being able to fly fulfilled a life-long desire since I was about 6 years old.
Here is the poor Cardinal after the gear failed to extend:
Oh, I forgot. Thanks to my next-door neighbor, got an hour in the C-5M simulator, where he instructed. That was way cool.
Love to buy you a beer! Humbled indeed! You know how unforgiving aviation can be as much as I do! You survived all your adventures. I especially like how you summed up flying in a combat zone called Vietnam in one short sentence. My hat is off to you sir!
Very very impressive stuff guys. Thank you for your service.
My single greatest regret in life is that I never learned to fly. The closest I have come to the experience is on about 6 bush flights into very wild country in the far north on canoe trips. Here is a video of the flight we took into the Wind/Peel River trip from Mayo Yukon to the small lake near the put in on the Wind River in the Werneke Mountains.
