Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Serenity on December 23, 2009, 02:10:49 AM

Title: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Serenity on December 23, 2009, 02:10:49 AM
My CAP squad was fortunate enough the other day to be invited on board a KC-135 during refueling drills. Only a select few of us (8 total) were permitted on the flight, but it was an amazing show! Attached are some pictures and links to videos I took during the flight. We were given free reign throughout the aircraft during flight, so we could roam up into the cockpit or back into the boom pit as we chose, which resulted in some very nice photo-ops. There were two KC-135s and two F-15As involved, all of which were from the Hawaii Air National Guard. Altitude during refueling was 25,800ft according to the altimeter over the navigator's table.

The lead tanker:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/101_0844.jpg)



Over the wing:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/101_0837.jpg)



Lead tanker refueling lead Eagle:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/101_0854.jpg)



My favorite pic, our tanker fueling an eagle:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/101_0849.jpg)



VIDEOS:

The F-15 approaching our tanker:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/th_Hookup.jpg) (http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/?action=view&current=Hookup.flv)

http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/?action=view&current=Hookup.flv



The F-15 Refueling, along with myself, and C/Capt Ramil, for proof that I did, in fact, take these shots:

(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/th_DuringRefueling.jpg) (http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/?action=view&current=DuringRefueling.flv)

http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/KC-135%20Flight/?action=view&current=DuringRefueling.flv



Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: oakranger on December 23, 2009, 02:48:43 AM
Great pic.  I see the KC-135 everyday flying over my house in Wichita , ks.   every-once in a while i will see a Boeing E-3 Sentry
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: nirvana on December 23, 2009, 04:51:42 AM
Great pics, glad you enjoyed it.  Gotta love those F15s.
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Jayhawk on December 23, 2009, 05:12:45 AM
Cool! What an awesome experience.  I've been in a few of those KC-135s up here at Forbes Field but never been up like that.  :aok
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: DaCoon on December 23, 2009, 06:12:49 AM
Awesome pics. I got the opportunity to fly in one when I was on summer encampment at Barksdale AFB during my cadet days. Only difference was we got to watch A-10s cycle on and off.    :salute
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Reschke on December 23, 2009, 08:08:00 AM
One of my good friends son's is a boom operator on a KC-135. They recently refueled Air Force One on the way to one of the summits/meetings that our President has been going to lately.
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Serenity on December 23, 2009, 01:53:29 PM
Great pic.  I see the KC-135 everyday flying over my house in Wichita , ks.   every-once in a while i will see a Boeing E-3 Sentry

We have 8 KC-135s stationed here, plus many more that transition through along with KC-10s. Also have I believe 8 C-17s locally, and by my count, 16 F-15As. We get C-5s, F-22s, F/A-18s, F-16s, and the occasional B-52 transitioning through as well. Gonna have a VC-25A here in a day or two unfortunately... pissing off everyone in the state with the TFR...
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: FiLtH on December 23, 2009, 02:32:50 PM
  We had 135s at Dyess back in the 80s. Hated being anywhere near the flightline when they took off. Loudest thing we had.
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: LCCajun on December 23, 2009, 02:59:41 PM
Very nice pics. One question though I thought they were decommissioning the F-15
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Serenity on December 23, 2009, 03:16:02 PM
Very nice pics. One question though I thought they were decommissioning the F-15

No, not for years. The F-15 is supposed to work alongside the 22 throughout the 22's career. The Alphas we use are going though. The ANG has the oldest models closest to retirement IIRC.
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Rich46yo on December 23, 2009, 03:30:13 PM
KCs are the loudest aircraft I have ever heard. Taking off with a full load they would shake an entire airbase.
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: RufusLeaking on December 23, 2009, 03:38:14 PM
KCs are the loudest aircraft I have ever heard. Taking off with a full load they would shake an entire airbase.
Must have been the old KC-135A with water injected J-57s.  Most if not all should be KC-135Rs with CFM-56s.  The new engine is much quieter and "thrustier."

The tankers in the picture are KC-135R models.

 
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: tassos on December 23, 2009, 03:58:26 PM
You are Realy Crazy
Very Nice Pic!
I was scared to death when I saw the Vid and you guys looked so cool
Big WTG 
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: MachFly on December 23, 2009, 08:04:04 PM
lucky! lol  great pics  :aok

did they allow you to pilot the aircraft for some time?
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Serenity on December 23, 2009, 08:24:33 PM
lucky! lol  great pics  :aok

did they allow you to pilot the aircraft for some time?

Not the aircraft, but Capt Ramil and I got to "fly" the boom :)
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Curlew on December 24, 2009, 04:44:22 AM
found me a new desktop photo, thanks :aok
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Serenity on December 24, 2009, 06:28:34 AM
found me a new desktop photo, thanks :aok

If you want the full-size of any of those, drop me a PM with your e-mail. The forums shrink them unfortunately.
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Denholm on December 24, 2009, 12:05:59 PM
lucky! lol  great pics  :aok

did they allow you to pilot the aircraft for some time?
If he were able to, I wouldn't be surprised if the first words out of his mouth were, "What's the hobbs time?" :D
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Serenity on December 24, 2009, 01:50:58 PM
If he were able to, I wouldn't be surprised if the first words out of his mouth were, "What's the hobbs time?" :D

lol! When I first looked at the serial numbers on the tail and saw the first two numbers were 57 and 63...
Title: Re: KC-135 Flight
Post by: Selino631 on December 24, 2009, 10:42:28 PM
i'm jelous :headscratch: