At one time, I was on the media list at McGuire AFB and I was invited to go on one of these flights. I was on a KC-10 and the mission was to refuel the Thunderbirds coming from Colorado to McGuire. We met them over Nebraska and I was allowed to go into the boom operators station to watch the refueling. Got photos of the pilots looking up at me from their cockpits. An amazing experience.
Excellent vid! Showing not only the Thunderbirds but skills of all that make this happen! I’m a retired 28 year AF SMSgt…been able to experience not only riding up front on a tanker, been in the back to refuel a Bone…and take a flight in a WolfPack F-16…best time in my life…sure do miss my uniform and all my brother and sisters whom I had the pleasure to serve with! Thank you for bringing back great memories….Fly, fight and win! Still bleed AF blue!
Ex 350 ARS Boomer - came over from the 384 ARS Square Patchers back in the day when they were still at McConnell. 95-01. I see they’ve upgraded Pacer Crag since the time of the initial conversion. No more round dial engine instruments. Good times! Great video.
Beautiful!!! Love those guys and planes. That was my dream Job being the boom operator on a KC -135. Had a childhood bone disease that keep me out of the military.
A lot has changed since I retired. PAX bottles in green bags are now oxygen generating smoke masks. Crew chiefs used RainX on the windscreen to allow the water to bead off during take-off roll, and crews were required to have sleeves down and wear nomex gloves during critical phases of flight. Things that remain are plywood cargo bins, moisture on sighting window after a watery take-off, napping on the observers bench, and "precision contacts so you don't scratch the paint on the T-Birds". And sadly, this was the best plane Boeing built. When the last KC-46 heads to Davis Monthan, like the last KC-10 did just recently, KC-135's will still be off-loading fuel around the world. Retired IBO. 407th ARS, 43rd ARS, 93rd ARS, 615th AMOS, 815th AMOS (TALCE MST)
Mike you did some fantastic video there I loved it and it those how what the fuel rig looks like when it goes into the fuselage of at F16 that was great video thank you for showing this .
In the early 1990's I arraigned an orientation flight with some fellow county commissioners to take a KC 135E flight from Topeka KS to S New Mexico to refuel 2 B1 Bombers. This was just after the "stand down" from the Iraq war. I got to be in the cockpit on take off and we all got to lay next to the boomer and watch them refuel the Bombers. What an amazing flight that was. Gen. Phil Finley helped me arrange this golden opportunity. One of my highlights of my life!
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is my favorite aircraft of all time, and I’ve seen a few before, from both the 161st ARW at Goldwater ANGB, and one from the 92nd ARW at Fairchild AFB. Hopefully if I can join the Air Force, I can work on them,fly on them, or become a pilot for one. This video was amazing and I love the Thunderbirds more than the Blue Angels. Good job ✈️
The flight deck of a KC-135R has changed a lot since I last worked on one. 1995 was the last time I was on one. Finished my maintenace career on B-1B and C-130H models.
My brother was in the 99th Air Refueling Wing in the Vietnam War. Way before GPS he was a navigator on the KC-135. I attribute my love of all things aviation to him. Sadly he passed away from cancer and I have wondered when he said you could always smell the fuel in the confined atmosphere if it played any role. Thanks for sharing the video.
Seems most Boeing wipers sound like that. ;( What a great video otherwise. I miss formation flying, refueling, and low level flying and I miss the 25 years spent with the sound of those wipers! (humming)Nothing can stop the US Air Force.
Been there, done that have, the T-shirt. I’ve been up in the KC-135J doing an air refueling mission at Grand Forks. I was ground radio maintenance at McConnell and had to give the CC of the Thunderbirds a tour of the public address system in my POV by taking him up and down the flightline and showing him how everything was set up and what it sounded like. I’ve seen a decent majority of the demonstration teams fly at different points in my career. I got to see the SR 71 up fairly close because I worked in supply delivering parts at Reese Air Force Base for a few years.
I was at RAF Mildenhall during the air war so I saw almost everything NATO owned just going to work every day, and then we along with the RAF did the public address system for their area, which was huge.
That was one of the best benefits of being in the military working around all of this is I got to see all the coolest equipment up close : ). The little boy and me always came out, and I would get excited when the air shows were around and I could see all the equipment. Even my 30s I was still like yay airplanes. : )
I was ground support staff, so I didn’t work on the air frames, but occasionally due to circumstances, I would work on their communications equipment like the eight Air Force Commander or a B1 when we were in Oman.
Sometimes they would fall out of the sky, and I would provide communication support at the accident. We had a UH 60 fly overhead and point us to the capsule of an F-111that crashed, that everyone was looking for because we weren’t sure if it had classified material so they’ll let us to it, but we were on the ground running after them with a radio pack :)
They are travel pods. Basically, very OLD converted napalm cannisters that have a door cut into the side to store bags, tools, small parts and other items.
Awesome photography! May I feature a part of this refueling sequence in one of my next episodes? Of course with your watermark and a link back to your original video. All the best to you!
Oh man, they're still using the old plywood cargo boxes we used when deploying to Mildenhall and Yokota back in the 80s/90s. I guess when you find something that works, you stick with it.
Interesting the way the Captain is constantly hanging on the yoke even though the FO is the flying pilot. And the FO is two-handing the yoke all throughout the roll. Wonder if that is SOP.
@@halaasen3416 First Officer is Pilot Flying. Even if hot microphone/interphone switch is spring loaded neutral (i.e. must be pressed to talk) it sure appears AC is not lightly pressing PTT when necessary, it appears AC is riding the yoke. BAD form. Only one pilot flying the airplane at a time, thank you.
Read the story in Forbes here - www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2024/11/06/kc-135-battles-stormsicing-to-refuel-thunderbirds-f-16s-in-midair/
At one time, I was on the media list at McGuire AFB and I was invited to go on one of these flights. I was on a KC-10 and the mission was to refuel the Thunderbirds coming from Colorado to McGuire. We met them over Nebraska and I was allowed to go into the boom operators station to watch the refueling. Got photos of the pilots looking up at me from their cockpits. An amazing experience.
Excellent vid! Showing not only the Thunderbirds but skills of all that make this happen! I’m a retired 28 year AF SMSgt…been able to experience not only riding up front on a tanker, been in the back to refuel a Bone…and take a flight in a WolfPack F-16…best time in my life…sure do miss my uniform and all my brother and sisters whom I had the pleasure to serve with! Thank you for bringing back great memories….Fly, fight and win! Still bleed AF blue!
From 1 Royal Air Force brother,thank you for your service,
@ I was stationed at RAF Greenham Common in the 80s …and again in Iraq in 2004! Much respect to the RAF family! Thank for you support!
One of your all time best shoots, Mike! Awesome!
This is the best photography of the thunderbirds I've ever seen
Really well done. Riding along with a Ohio Air Guard KC-135 every day for a week was one of the best highlights of my career.
Ex 350 ARS Boomer - came over from the 384 ARS Square Patchers back in the day when they were still at McConnell. 95-01. I see they’ve upgraded Pacer Crag since the time of the initial conversion. No more round dial engine instruments.
Good times! Great video.
Would have love to see the start where the aircraft has to get fuel on and where it's all stored.
Gorgeous photography, Mike!!
Beautiful!!! Love those guys and planes. That was my dream Job being the boom operator on a KC -135. Had a childhood bone disease that keep me out of the military.
Mega mega mega. What an incredible experience. Great capture of the Thunderbirds. A real treat.
Great video and what a awesome job to have well done.
That cloud cover was beautiful...
A lot has changed since I retired. PAX bottles in green bags are now oxygen generating smoke masks. Crew chiefs used RainX on the windscreen to allow the water to bead off during take-off roll, and crews were required to have sleeves down and wear nomex gloves during critical phases of flight. Things that remain are plywood cargo bins, moisture on sighting window after a watery take-off, napping on the observers bench, and "precision contacts so you don't scratch the paint on the T-Birds". And sadly, this was the best plane Boeing built. When the last KC-46 heads to Davis Monthan, like the last KC-10 did just recently, KC-135's will still be off-loading fuel around the world.
Retired IBO. 407th ARS, 43rd ARS, 93rd ARS, 615th AMOS, 815th AMOS (TALCE MST)
Mike you did some fantastic video there I loved it and it those how what the fuel rig looks like when it goes into the fuselage of at F16 that was great video thank you for showing this .
In the early 1990's I arraigned an orientation flight with some fellow county commissioners to take a KC 135E flight from Topeka KS to S New Mexico to refuel 2 B1 Bombers. This was just after the "stand down" from the Iraq war. I got to be in the cockpit on take off and we all got to lay next to the boomer and watch them refuel the Bombers. What an amazing flight that was. Gen. Phil Finley helped me arrange this golden opportunity. One of my highlights of my life!
Really, really cool video. Thanks for posting!
loved it. love the Air Force and the Thunderbirds. wish i had one of those tanker jobs. great views of the clouds.
Nice catch!
Next level video footage. Thanks!!
5:30 Dudes chilling in the back haha
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is my favorite aircraft of all time, and I’ve seen a few before, from both the 161st ARW at Goldwater ANGB, and one from the 92nd ARW at Fairchild AFB. Hopefully if I can join the Air Force, I can work on them,fly on them, or become a pilot for one. This video was amazing and I love the Thunderbirds more than the Blue Angels. Good job ✈️
Amazing experience. Thank you for sharing.
Always good to see the hometown boys!
The flight deck of a KC-135R has changed a lot since I last worked on one. 1995 was the last time I was on one. Finished my maintenace career on B-1B and C-130H models.
Cool! Very, very cool! What a great opportunity for you.
Outstanding video!!
My brother was in the 99th Air Refueling Wing in the Vietnam War. Way before GPS he was a navigator on the KC-135. I attribute my love of all things aviation to him. Sadly he passed away from cancer and I have wondered when he said you could always smell the fuel in the confined atmosphere if it played any role. Thanks for sharing the video.
That was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great to see the other side of things. Excellent footage.
Thanks Mike
GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU
Grew up in Wichita and went to many airshows there before joining the Navy and serving on aircraft carriers
Wow noise complaint for those windshield wipers 🤣
Seems most Boeing wipers sound like that. ;( What a great video otherwise. I miss formation flying, refueling, and low level flying and I miss the 25 years spent with the sound of those wipers! (humming)Nothing can stop the US Air Force.
Been there, done that have, the T-shirt. I’ve been up in the KC-135J doing an air refueling mission at Grand Forks. I was ground radio maintenance at McConnell and had to give the CC of the Thunderbirds a tour of the public address system in my POV by taking him up and down the flightline and showing him how everything was set up and what it sounded like. I’ve seen a decent majority of the demonstration teams fly at different points in my career. I got to see the SR 71 up fairly close because I worked in supply delivering parts at Reese Air Force Base for a few years.
I was at RAF Mildenhall during the air war so I saw almost everything NATO owned just going to work every day, and then we along with the RAF did the public address system for their area, which was huge.
That was one of the best benefits of being in the military working around all of this is I got to see all the coolest equipment up close : ). The little boy and me always came out, and I would get excited when the air shows were around and I could see all the equipment. Even my 30s I was still like yay airplanes. : )
I was ground support staff, so I didn’t work on the air frames, but occasionally due to circumstances, I would work on their communications equipment like the eight Air Force Commander or a B1 when we were in Oman.
Sometimes they would fall out of the sky, and I would provide communication support at the accident. We had a UH 60 fly overhead and point us to the capsule of an F-111that crashed, that everyone was looking for because we weren’t sure if it had classified material so they’ll let us to it, but we were on the ground running after them with a radio pack :)
Led
Those are some sexy looking F-16s. I had no idea the thunderbird 2-seaters had their own painted external tanks.
They are travel pods. Basically, very OLD converted napalm cannisters that have a door cut into the side to store bags, tools, small parts and other items.
Those F16's are always nice birds in the air.
Awesome
Those wipers on the tanker remind me of my old nash rambler
Awesome photography! May I feature a part of this refueling sequence in one of my next episodes? Of course with your watermark and a link back to your original video. All the best to you!
Now that's COOL!!!
Very impressive!!!
Oh man, they're still using the old plywood cargo boxes we used when deploying to Mildenhall and Yokota back in the 80s/90s. I guess when you find something that works, you stick with it.
This is so amazing!!!!
Thanks to all aboard the Tanker for your service and the support team
Nice to see that McConnell still doesn't keep their sighting windows clean. LOL
384th ARS 2005-2011
The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys! Fly high and safe!
never knew big jets put crosswind inputs too lol
Interesting the way the Captain is constantly hanging on the yoke even though the FO is the flying pilot. And the FO is two-handing the yoke all throughout the roll. Wonder if that is SOP.
@@goldstandardaviation1667 lot of weather we almost didn’t takeoff at all.
Military thing…it has nothing to do with the wx. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’ve just noticed this from flying with military pilots.
Got a private air show.
If right seater is PIC, why does the left seater need to have his hand on the yoke?
Mic switch
@@halaasen3416 First Officer is Pilot Flying. Even if hot microphone/interphone switch is spring loaded neutral (i.e. must be pressed to talk) it sure appears AC is not lightly pressing PTT when necessary, it appears AC is riding the yoke. BAD form. Only one pilot flying the airplane at a time, thank you.
what altitude?
That’s what I don’t mind paying taxes
*Nice Video*
#WorldsOkayestFarmer
Good gravy.. get your mitts off the control so your FO can fly.
“FO” ???
@ copilot
RED FALCONS!!!
🙋.....🇨🇵 🛸 🇺🇸......🐔 ✈️ 🦅
👽 - 🤙 -
Pentagon: No taxpayer dollar left unwasted
I love America,my dream country to live oneday I will be in America ❤❤❤god bless America ❤❤❤❤from Nasir Khan
boring. I'll go watch Russian pilot's for excitement.