Refueling, fighter pilots provide umbrella of safety

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  For many it starts early in life, as they conquer their junior high and high school years, and for some it culminates at an elite campus tucked in the Rocky Mountains.

Though it's difficult to put one's thumb squarely on what "it" is, it's clearly a mentality that drives Air Force pilots to flawlessly execute world-class missions in and out of harm's way.

Though not exclusive to pilots, this mentality seems to propel Air Force aviators to greatness at speeds comparative to the mighty thrusts of an afterburner.

One KC-135 pilot and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate attributes his "it" to the satisfaction of, "making the Air Force go around."

That was quite a lofty statement for 351st Aerial Refueling Squadron Pilot Capt. Matthew Greenspan to make ... but, to be fair, he's right.

Without the efforts of the 351st ARS pilots and boom operators, many U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Allied NATO fighter jet missions would be significantly impaired. Not to mention aircrews put their lives on the line each time they perform an aerial refueling.

"Flying airplanes in close proximity is an inherent danger," said Captain Greenspan. "The aerodynamics of each aircraft causes the planes to move as a result of each other. Although you're in control at all times, you have to be ready to take action in the event that something goes wrong and you have to move two airplanes apart in an instance to avoid a mid-air collision."

In an e-mail, a retired F-15 pilot, USAFA graduate, and father of a current USAFA junior described why aerial refueling was integral to the fighter jocks' mission.

"Without aerial refueling, our on-station time was perhaps a maximum of two hours," said retired Lt. Col. Dennis Delaney. "With tankers, it was limited only to how long our butts could stand to be strapped into the plane. Where [without tanker support], it would take days or weeks to deploy a unit, takes only a matter of hours with tankers."

Proceeding Colonel Delaney's glory days behind the controls of the F-15 Eagle and into today, fighter jets remain paramount to keeping America's skies safe.

"Our mission was very simple: kill MIGS," said the colonel. "We trained, studied and flew for the sole purpose of transforming enemy aircraft in flight into flaming masses. We were, and I am confident we still are, the masters of the world in our capabilities to accomplish that mission."

Spilling his fighter-vs.-heavy pilot rivalry out in e-mail, Colonel Delaney said that, "though a fighter jock would not like to admit it, tankers are absolutely indispensable."

The relationship between fighter and heavy missions meld like an umbrella, whose parts may vary in material and structure, but work in harmony to shield adverse conditions from the hand who wields it.

Though a powerful tool, aerial refueling is not easy and takes continual practice, said Colonel Delaney, recalling his first few refueling missions.

"The first few times were probably some of the most memorable and draining experiences I had in my flying career," he said. "God did not make airplanes so they could touch together in flight. The first few attempts at aerial refueling were fairly gripping experiences!"

Capt. Jake Parker, 100th Operations Group pilot, agreed.

"The majority of [our] flights are operational, no-fail missions, so there is no room for error," said Captain Parker. "Having to jump through the obstacles during mission planning to ensure both the receiver and the tanker are on the same page, and then accomplishing the mission at hand is very rewarding."

Captain Greenspan relished in the satisfaction that his unit continually completes a world-impacting mission.

"Tankers allow the Air Force to have bases farther from harm's way, enable the Navy to fly from aircraft carriers into theater, and allow heavy aircraft to continue flying without having to land to get fuel," he said.

It's about dominating the skies.

Tankers keep all air assets airborne longer, said Captain Greenspan. This is a vital enabler during emergencies, and in times of war or peace.

(U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Lauren Delaney contributed to this article)