Page 9 - Volume 19 Number 11

uelingfBriefing The Plan“You can’t kick ass without gas” was the refrain I heard a lot while riding onboard.The airplanes are old. The specimen I flew on was built in 1962. Over the years, there have been a number of upgrades, including modern Collins FMS/GPS avionics and new International CFM high-bypass engines to replace the original Boeing 707-style Pratt & Whitney water-injected turbojets. This 59 year-old design, designated KC-135R, now operates in global airspace with RNP 4, FANS, CPLDC, and RNAV approaches. Still, much of the KC-135 is original, including the systems used by the boom operator.Like all training missions, this one began with a thorough briefing. F-16 pilot Major Dan “Tröl” Rissacher lead the discussion of training goals, assets to be deployed, flight plan, weather, allowed maneuvers, acceptable G-forces, emergency procedures, and the general area of operation. He also talked about the combat scenario; who would play the bad guy and how everyone’s score would be tracked. Consistent with aerial dogfighting from all past wars, the winning solution is almost always to get on the enemy’s tail to take the shot. How you get there is another matter. According to Rissacher, “With F-16 against F-16, there’s no aircraft advantage. It’s strictly pilot vs. pilot in a high-speed physically-demanding game of chess where we try to force errors, then exploit them.”NOVEMBER 2015TWIN & TURBINE • 7