Posted on 07/10/2006 5:35:51 PM PDT by SandRat
7/10/2006 - OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- Whether refueling a fighter, bomber or a cargo aircraft, the KC-135 Stratotanker continues to play a vital role in military air operations and the war on terrorism.
"Everything we do has a direct impact on the war on terror and how the (United States) is viewed elsewhere in the world." said Lt. Col. Dave Cohen, 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron commander.
In one month, tanker crews completed more than 100 sorties, 617 hours of flying time and brought 7 million pounds of fuel to the fight -- a task that is being accomplished with an older Air Force asset that still brings results.
The mission of the 28th EARS at its forward operating base is to support the B-1B Lancer. The B-1 will take off just before the KC-135 launches. A few hours later, the two aircraft meet up so the B-1 can receive its fuel. That fuel gets the bomber to the target.
KC-135 crews at the 40th Air Expeditionary Group are in a unique situation. They are parked just down the runway from the aircraft they support. In this environment, KC-135 crews are able to receive direct feedback from the B-1 crews they are supporting.
"We definitely get a sense of impact from the missions because not only do we get a chance to see them through refueling, but we also get to talk to them when they come back," Colonel Cohen said. "For a tanker crew, closure doesn't always happen. But we certainly get that here. We're able to interact with the bombers, and there is a lot of satisfaction knowing that they were able to go out and get their job done."
The tanker crews are well aware of what they bring to the fight, from the boom operators to the aircraft commanders.
"Every mission has a sense of satisfaction to it," said Capt. Ben Klein, a KC-135 pilot. "Providing the warfighter with the resources it needs to get the job done is our job."
Fill her up please!
DITTO that...
I have a friend who used to fly these. He did many, many missions in the first Gulf war. Big, brass, clanking balls to fly around in a mobile gas station if you axe me, especially with people shooting at you.....he flies for Fed Ex now.
I have flown many a mile in a KC-135 during the VN war refueling B-52s on their way to Viet Nam and fighters over Korea.
Little Rock,
Beale,
Ban U Tpao,
Fairbanks,
Goose Bay,
Guam
with a few stop overs in other far away places.
I have a friend who flys one today....he says it it is the best job.
Go 171st...cant kick ass without tanker gas..
While the KC135 is venerable, it has reached or will reach the end of its useful life (like all things on the planet) and is in need of quick replacement. Perhaps we could get a deal on a bunch of A380's. Probably the best move is to go out in the desert parking lot in Arizona and snag a bunch of used 767's, update them and put those huge bladders inside. A used 767 can be had for 15 million now. Add another 35 million for updates and you have a real nice airborn service station that has great range and great capacity.
I think we tried to do that (at least with new 767s) but John McCainiac went ballistic and had the whole plan shot down.
I love watching those old 707's flying. I have had the pleasure of seeing them in Pittsburgh and now in Milwaukee.
It is astounding they keep them going. But they are a bit on the aged side and I think the idea of geting some 76's is about due.
But God Bless the Refeuling Squadrons!
That was a scam, as much as it pains me to admit that McCainiac was right. In the long run, it was much cheaper to buy the things outright and now that there is no commercial market for the 767, it makes a lot of sense to take some of the newer used 767-200's and convert them to tankers. The founders of Google bought a 767 for 15mm and plan to convert it to a flying palace. The interesting thing is that while a GS5 costs 9500 per hour and the 767 costs around 16000, the 767 was 30 million less before decorating. That comes out to about 5000 flying hours. In addition, the Airforce cost per hour is much cheaper as there is no union for AF Officers and the theoretical cost of maintenance is much less for the AF un-unionized mechanic force. So its time to bury the hatchet and bury Airbust and get those babies busy doing their runs.
I had the opportunity to fly on one of these magnificent aircraft a couple of years ago, and got to watch a refueling operation during the return trip. What a thrill!
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