ive tanked ill bet ovr 100 times…on the ship, with A7 tankers, one night we slid in behind, eased up and we hit the basket ‘dead center ‘w/ 5 kts ovrtake…the inertial take up didnt react…first thing we saw was a sine wave going up the hose, then the A7 wing vibrated and a frkin anaconda hose came back at us…snapped the hose off at my probe, fuel going down our right intake..tho J79 coughed and kept running…landed 30 min later w/ basket and probe extended…air refueling is not easy, don’t let anyone tell you different
Not as difficult as everyone is making out. Just concentrate on formating with the tanker and don’t look directly at the basket. Your peripheral vision will enable you to stabilise the basket, then move gently forward. I know because I used to teach air to air refuelling on the Harrier with No 1 Squadron in 1970.
Dust Devils! VX-31 still rocking Harriers! Wonder if they flew cross country for this event or sent a pilot to fly a east coast bird? Great to see them still flying!
Called training both airworthy and simulator. That’s way they already do AI on some planes…They’re just trying to figure out which program to use. Both work.
But way more so because there just aren't enough fighter planes to go around. If there were, there'd be way more motive to redesign refuelling in a more automated, easier, and safer way. But given how few airworthy planes exist at any one moment, and legacy systems and training - it doesn't make much sense to do it yet.
would it be possible to build little moveable fins to the fuel basket to steer the basket actively to the planes refuling trunk more actively so the plane dont have to adjust to much instead the basket helps to hit
There is a system that does exactly that: The Boom System :) The reason we also use drogue system is because it is simple and light enough to be carried not only by dedicated tanker flights but also used as "buddy" system by a jet itself. Any addons you speak of would significantly complicate the array.
Having tanked many times in a Lightning (we were always desperately short of fuel) I can assure you that it is like taking a running f... at a rolling doughnut!
On ACE COMBAT 7 I got this in the first shot! Awesome Video! My dad is retired F-105D Pilot he flew out of Moody AFB Ga (355th TFW from 1967-1970) in that time he was stationed at Takhli RTAB 67-69 came back to Georgia and then was able to join the Massachusetts Air National Guard 104th FW full/time AGR and Flew F-86 and F-100 and then A-10A until April 1996 (retired O-6 with 28 years)..good luck on your Awesome Career 🎉!
That's just awesome to see in flight refueling from a pilots perspective, working the throttles and joystick all at the same time to meet up with the hose👍🏿....I've done done in flight refueling on flight stimulator and it's difficult for me i can just imagine the difficultly doing it for real🤦🏿♂️
VX-31 means the pilot is a graduate of Test Pilot School and is highly skilled. Top of his game. He is likely evaluating the dynamics of refueling the type from the A400.
The probe and drogue is ridiculous. The flying boom is MUCH better, In the time it takes a pilot to fish around....to hunt around ....to flail around for that dang drogue a flying boom could have refueled TWO aircraft. Safely !
@@rael5469 yes, but if it’s only about fighters it doesn’t matter which one you use. Because while the Boom is twice as fast, there are multiple drogues per plane. And yes, it’s a great system, but if you have a smaller Air Force the drogue is more flexible. Because you can just remove the pods and use the plane as a normal transporter
@@rael5469yeah, but there are Air Forces that are too small to have a dedicated fleet of KC-46 or A330MRTT. And for these a flexible system like a demountable drogue pod is much better
Actually it is a harrier. What looks like an engine is actually just the air condition air intake scoop. Looks similar in shape to an engine but it is right behind the cockpit.
A-10s also do not have the squiggly line on the canopy. It looks like a defroster but honestly I could be way off on that. Anyways, look at any Harrier, you will see that on every canopy. VERY distinctive!
I’m glad the airframe is still in use .fantastic machine .
Ready precontact
Ready precontact
Ready precontact
Ready precontact
Ready precontact
Ready precontact
Me: Switching to guns!
Found the DCS player xD
Tanker suddenly turns without warning.
Me: Switching to guns!
Although this looks really difficult to do - in reality it's actually really, really f'ing difficult to do.
To put it mildly...
I think my eyes would bulging out 😮 working really hard.😅
Even more difficult to do in DCS.
I found it quite nerve recking. It reminded me of my motorbike riding learner days....but when you master it, it becomes second nature.
That’s an understatement
ive tanked ill bet ovr 100 times…on the ship, with A7 tankers, one night we slid in behind, eased up and we hit the basket ‘dead center ‘w/ 5 kts ovrtake…the inertial take up didnt react…first thing we saw was a sine wave going up the hose, then the A7 wing vibrated and a frkin anaconda hose came back at us…snapped the hose off at my probe, fuel going down our right intake..tho J79 coughed and kept running…landed 30 min later w/ basket and probe extended…air refueling is not easy, don’t let anyone tell you different
Phantom?
yep
yep…you the A7 DRIVER/?
@@johnbrewer1893 No sir!
Reminded me on my honeymoon!
Not as difficult as everyone is making out. Just concentrate on formating with the tanker and don’t look directly at the basket. Your peripheral vision will enable you to stabilise the basket, then move gently forward. I know because I used to teach air to air refuelling on the Harrier with No 1 Squadron in 1970.
Now THAT is a maneuver that requires skill and experience, and patience...
Great video!
Good comment tks.
Major Alec Rackish USMC
Pappy Boyington is smiling from above.
Beautiful control. And controllability!
Hats off for these professionals and skills they demonstrated
Dust Devils! VX-31 still rocking Harriers! Wonder if they flew cross country for this event or sent a pilot to fly a east coast bird? Great to see them still flying!
Growler Jams does excellent commentary on his vlogs. The hows/whys.
That's like trying to thread a needle in a 50mph wind !
🇬🇧I have to remember to breathe whilst watching this 🇬🇧.
This is one of the reasons why only a very very small portion of the world population is fighter pilots.
Called training both airworthy and simulator. That’s way they already do AI on some planes…They’re just trying to figure out which program to use. Both work.
But way more so because there just aren't enough fighter planes to go around. If there were, there'd be way more motive to redesign refuelling in a more automated, easier, and safer way. But given how few airworthy planes exist at any one moment, and legacy systems and training - it doesn't make much sense to do it yet.
Talk about multitasking! Even more so at night 😗
I’ve all respect to our flyers!
would it be possible to build little moveable fins to the fuel basket to steer the basket actively to the planes refuling trunk more actively so the plane dont have to adjust to much instead the basket helps to hit
There is a system that does exactly that: The Boom System :)
The reason we also use drogue system is because it is simple and light enough to be carried not only by dedicated tanker flights but also used as "buddy" system by a jet itself. Any addons you speak of would significantly complicate the array.
pressure wave in front of aircraft trying to plug into the basket makes the basket wander about.
The drogue folds into the refueling nacelle for stowage like an umbrella so any fins might hang up.
So, kids, never forget to protect yourselves.
Having tanked many times in a Lightning (we were always desperately short of fuel) I can assure you that it is like taking a running f... at a rolling doughnut!
Unless you've done both we demand proof!!! No, no it's OK! I believe you!
(Respect & sorry, not sorry - couldn't resist!)
😄@@richardstewart6900
Amazing skill and ability. Almost as hard to get this probe into the hole as it is for a lad on a Friday night first date.
LOL
Great to see the Harrier still flying! Sad to think about NATO's Harrier fleet approaching the end of its life cycle...
Is it possible to "simply" but some remote little wings on the the tank thingy to be able to stir it?
what is that pod in the rear? don't see that on Harrier's usually.
On ACE COMBAT 7 I got this in the first shot! Awesome Video! My dad is retired F-105D Pilot he flew out of Moody AFB Ga (355th TFW from 1967-1970) in that time he was stationed at Takhli RTAB 67-69 came back to Georgia and then was able to join the Massachusetts Air National Guard 104th FW full/time AGR and Flew F-86 and F-100 and then A-10A until April 1996 (retired O-6 with 28 years)..good luck on your Awesome Career 🎉!
The Throttle Control Must Be Hell Doing This.
You can hear it in the whine of the engine…AWESOME.
Bet nobody in 1944 saw this one coming
That's just awesome to see in flight refueling from a pilots perspective, working the throttles and joystick all at the same time to meet up with the hose👍🏿....I've done done in flight refueling on flight stimulator and it's difficult for me i can just imagine the difficultly doing it for real🤦🏿♂️
imagine hanging onto that cable rope when flying
Let's have a drink...
VX-31 means the pilot is a graduate of Test Pilot School and is highly skilled. Top of his game. He is likely evaluating the dynamics of refueling the type from the A400.
why don't they have flyable drogues?
There are supposedly drones being tested to provide fuelling.
Don"t Pull my lanyard? Pucker Factor 12...
Is it me or is his chinstrap loose?
he then smokes a cigarettes
👊🏻🇺🇸 🇩🇪
As if tanking isn’t hard enough they put the probe behind the pilot so he has to look over his shoulder to get the probe in.
Oh look, dcs is realistic. The second your in formation the tanker starts a left hand turn 😂. Nice 🤣
The probe and drogue is ridiculous. The flying boom is MUCH better, In the time it takes a pilot to fish around....to hunt around ....to flail around for that dang drogue a flying boom could have refueled TWO aircraft. Safely !
yes, but you can only have one boom per plane while you can have multiple drogues. so you get the same outcome in the end
@@MrSchwabentier It works for the Air Force. ?
@@rael5469 yes, but if it’s only about fighters it doesn’t matter which one you use. Because while the Boom is twice as fast, there are multiple drogues per plane.
And yes, it’s a great system, but if you have a smaller Air Force the drogue is more flexible. Because you can just remove the pods and use the plane as a normal transporter
@@MrSchwabentier I think the Navy uses the drogue just because they can't fit a KC767 on a ship.
@@rael5469yeah, but there are Air Forces that are too small to have a dedicated fleet of KC-46 or A330MRTT. And for these a flexible system like a demountable drogue pod is much better
Didn’t look like any Harrier I’ve ever seen. Looked like an A10 with an aft right engine visible.
Actually it is a harrier. What looks like an engine is actually just the air condition air intake scoop. Looks similar in shape to an engine but it is right behind the cockpit.
A-10s also do not have the squiggly line on the canopy. It looks like a defroster but honestly I could be way off on that. Anyways, look at any Harrier, you will see that on every canopy. VERY distinctive!
@@jollyrogerhobbies2386that line in the canopy is an explosive charge used to remove the canopy during ejection.
The A10's refuling receptacle is in front of the cockpit, and requires a boom.
@@ifly135 awesome! Did not know that. Thank you!
A10
Negative, not even close. Two very quick and obvious differences are the destruction cord in the canopy, and the retractable refuling receptacle.
Pff the A10 has the refueling system in the nose of the aircraft not on the left.
@@ifly135 Also: Word #2 in video title.