Page 20 - Feb 20 TNT

Airfleet Capital, Inc.
18 • TWIN & TURBINE / February 2020
190th ARW
The 190th Aerial Refueling Wing (ARW) squadron preaches, “flexibility is the key to air power.” This affirma- tion is evident across their overarching mission, daily correspondence, as well as deployed operations. The squadron consists of 12 KC-135R’s capable of re- fueling any aircraft in United States inventory, including F-15’s, F-16’s B-1’s, B-52’s and B-2’s. The group also com- monly completes missions with other militaries from NATO countries (as il- lustrated by the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15C on the cover of this issue).
The ability to adjust and adapt their plans at any time and still complete them successfully is imperative for refueling operators. They face a variety of continually evolving factors such as geography, weather conditions, fuel needs, etc. I witnessed this notion of flexibility after recently spending a day with the 190th ARW, allowing me to experience firsthand how the group supports an evolving and complex mis- sion both overseas and within the U.S.
The Mission
The day began with a pre-f light brief about the 190th ARW. Like all National Guard squadrons, the group encompasses multiple missions and unique capabilities that contribute to the overall Air Force profile. But the squadron’s primary focus, primarily due to its central location within the Continental United States, is “to pro- vide in-f light aerial refueling, airlift, and aeromedical evacuation capabili- ties to the United States and NATO partners during peacetime, training, contingency, and deployed operations, and most importantly indirect strategic nuclear deterrent support to all three legs of the nuclear triad.”
Quickly into the brief did the need for f lexibility become clear. While ini- tially scheduled to meet with a B-52 in New Mexico or Louisiana, this changed to a meetup with a B-1 from Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) in South Dakota. Shortly after this change, another one came in. We were now to intersect a B-2 Stealth Bomber off of Whiteman AFB in Central Missouri and track with it for about 45 minutes. This was set to be enough time for
the pilot flying the bomber, who was on their “dollar bill flight” (first time in the aircraft), to start learning how to hook up to our 35,000-gallon flying service station. On the conducted train- ing flight, we carried around 50,000 pounds of fuel and didn’t offload much of it to the trailing aircraft, as it was more a familiarity mission for the pilot connecting to our 20-foot boom.
The pilots of each aircraft have the important job of finding still air and coordinating straight and level flight (at a predetermined altitude and speed). Most of the work to attach the nozzle into the other aircraft’s receptacle is then completed by the boom operator, who is seated dozens of feet behind the cockpit in the tail of the aircraft. This is a difficult and often stressful job that I learned more about on the ground.
Flying the Boom (Simulation)
To showcase the skills needed to successfully “fly” the boom, which is flanked by an airfoil on each side, the 190th had me hop into their refuel- ing simulator for a test “contact” prior to our f light. The “Boom Operator Simulation System,” or “BOSS,” mim- ics the realism of a refueling mission, much like an aircraft simulator does. The setup inside is almost identical to that of the real boom, including the three “Superman” seats, which are horizontally placed pads that allow the operator to better see the aircraft and make needed adjustments during the refueling process. While in the correct position, the plane is about 45 degrees directly underneath the operator’s eyes, where they can best see the boom extension, receiving pilot and other important reference points.
After taking the noted ergonomic position, I was told that I was going to practice in the same scenario that was to take place in the sky. The sight picture on the high-resolution simula- tor screen was true to what I would later see, with the boom extension and manipulation handles being so intuitive that I was able to “swish” the boom’s nozzle into the B-2s’ receptacle on the first try. Beginners luck? Of course. Plus, I was operating the simu- lated boom on “easy mode” – totally