Getting Tanked

Did something really freaking cool yesterday.  I aerial refueled for the first time.  It’s one thing to read about this or see pictures, but actually being there was pretty different.  I’ll try to briefly give you an idea what it’s like.  First you start talking to the tanker and pick him up on your radar, run an intercept, and turn in behind him.  Then, if he has other “chicks in tow” you rejoin on his left wing and wait for your turn to get some gas.  As each person goes you just kind of move down the line like you’re waiting at the grocery store (except that it’s way different).  Then you line up behind the tanker (which is a big jet) and he drops the boom (a twenty foot long pole), then you slowly ease in closer.  Our refueling receptacle is back on the left wing so it’s actually behind you, so as you move in you pass the boom about two feet away from your nugget (little freaky), then when you get in the right position (about a 10 foot square container) he plugs you and the boom locks in which shakes your jet pretty good and gives a big clunk (wish somebody would have warned me about that part).  Then you fly in formation for a couple of minutes until you fill up.

It was a pretty cool thing and I’ll be doing it probably every other flight from now on.