Tankers help keep fighters flying

By Rob Kauder, KREM.com

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – For more than a decade, the men and women of the 92^nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, nine miles west of Spokane, Wash., have been helping to keep fighter aircraft flying. The 92^nd has participated in every major air campaign conducted by the Air Force in recent years, including Desert Storm against Iraq in 1991, Desert Fox in December 1998, when the United States and Britain conducted four days of punitive airstrikes on Iraq, and and Allied Force in 2000, the air campaign that ultimately drove Serb forces from Kosovo.

After the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., the KC-135 Stratotankers at Fairchild were once again assigned to fly refueling missions in wartime. However, this time some of the tanker crews weren't deploying to far-off bases, such as Anderson Air Force Base on Guam or Incirlik, Turkey. For some aircrews, the frontline of the war on terrorism was not too far from the runways at Fairchild.

On Tuesday night, one such aircrew was preparing for an overnight mission at the Fairchild Operations Center. The objective for the mission was to serve as a flying gas station, refueling fighters flying combat air patrols orbiting over major cities and airports along the West Coast of the United States.

The fighters and the Fairchild-based tankers refueling them are part of Operation Noble Eagle, the defense of American airspace. Pilots and aircrews from Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard fighter squadrons in almost every state of the union have been called to active service since Sept. 11.

They come from places like Great Falls, Mont., home of the 120^th Fighter Wing; Klamath Falls, Ore., home of the 173^rd Fighter Wing, and Portland, Ore., home of the 142^nd Fighter Wing. All members of the Air National Guard, they are flying F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons on patrol over major cities across the western United States.

The pilots flying the combat air patrol mission are keeping a watchful eye for both enemy aircraft as well as airliners in distress. Several times since Sept. 11, fighters have been scrambled to escort airliners in distress, including Monday, when a man with a history of mental instability tried to force his way into the cockpit of an American Airlines jet flying from Los Angeles to Chicago.

To protect civilian lives and property, the military has the option of escorting airliners in distress to safety. Another option is to shoot down the airliner is if it appears to be threatening any U.S. city. After the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, Air Force Maj. Gen. Larry K. Arnold and Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz were given the authority to order aircraft shot down if they presented a threat.

Gen. Arnold, who is stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., would have authority to order the downing of a threatening commercial flight over the 48 contiguous states. Gen. Schwartz, stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, would have authority for Alaska.

During a press conference late last month, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said there are "a lot of safeguards in place" and that new rules of engagement for pilots had been drafted with now-retired Gen. Henry Shelton, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"The rules of engagement are addressed on a continuing basis with a great deal of care and sensitivity," Rumsfeld said. "I can assure that they are under continuous review and given the carefullest consideration."

Back at Fairchild, the aircrew is going through its pre-flight briefing. The crew goes over weather reports and discusses that evening’s mission. The aircraft will be supporting fighters flying combat air patrol somewhere over the West Coast. Due to security restrictions, they aren't allowed to divulge where they'll be flying, what altitude they'll be flying at or how many aircraft they'll be refueling. "Operational Security" is the phrase the military uses for keeping certain elements of the mission classified. Compromise of any information could put Air Force aircraft in the sky - or people down on the ground - at risk.

Once they finish the briefing inside, the crew moves out to the aircraft to continue a physical walk-around and pre-flight of their KC-135. Each member of the crew goes through a checklist, making sure everything from the avionics in the cockpit to the wing flaps and ailerons are in working order.

After the briefing, they head over to the 92^nd Supply Squadron Weapons Vault, where they are issued side arms - something that these air crews had never received, even in wartime. While airline pilots and the Federal Aviation Administration are debating whether civilian flight crews should carry side arms in the cockpit, the Air Force wasted no time in making the decision to arm its aircrews.

Each member of the crew is issued a 9mm Beretta pistol and two 15-round magazines. Each member of the crew approaches a clearing barrel and, on command, locks and loads the pistol. With a round in the chamber and the pistol safety off, they holster their weapons.

Although members of the base security squadron guard the flight line and the tankers on the ground, the crew is taking no chances when it comes to security of the tanker once it’s in the air. The KC-135 can carry up to 200,000 pounds of jet fuel, and if the aircraft fell into the wrong hands, it could be a very potent flying bomb.

"My thought, especially being in the military, is that when we go out to the jet, we need to make sure that area is clear," said Capt. Scot, the KC-135 co-pilot. "The flight line is secure, but … we're the ones that are going to be taking that airplane up, and we want to make sure our lives are in good hands and we have the means to take action if necessary."

The members of this aircrew come from all walks of life. They are led by Capt. Jim, a 10-year Air Force veteran who is the aircraft commander. Jim, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., participated in refueling missions during NATO operations over Kosovo. His co-pilots are Lt. Ed and Capt. Scot, a 4 1/2-year Air Force veteran from Rochester, Minn.

Then there's Dave, 20, the youngest member of the crew, but the one with arguably the most-important role. A senior airman, Dave is not yet old enough to buy alcohol, but in the last 3 1/2 years he's flown more than 1,000 hours and has conducted approximately 1,500 mid-air refuelings, on everything from the giant C-5 Galaxy transport to the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Dave is the boom operator on the KC-135, the one person who is in control of maneuvering the boom from the tanker to the aircraft during in-flight refueling.

When he was 17, Dave got his parents to sign a waiver allowing the Bainbridge, N.Y., native to join the Air Force. Following basic training and a year at boom school, Dave reported to Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, where he has served for the last 2 1/2 years. Recently married, Dave joined the Air Force to get money for college, but has grown to love his important mission of keeping fighters flying.

"Like any job, some days it gets old, but for the most part, yeah, I really do love this job," he said. "It's challenging at times, but it's a lot of fun and you can't beat it."

As he finishes speaking, a member of the flight crew in the cockpit can be heard on the aircraft intercom system. Fighters are inbound, and its time for Dave and the flight crew to go to work.

To conserve fuel while flying in the racetrack holding pattern high above the West Coast, the KC-135 cruises at about 240 knots. When trying to intercept the fighters flying inbound for refueling, the pilots push the throttles open past 400 knots to match the fighters’ speed.

Within minutes, the fighters on patrol come into view, laden with a variety of missiles - the Sidewinder, a short-range, heat-seeking missile; the Sparrow, a radar-guided missile that can strike targets up to 30 miles away; and the AMRAAM, an advanced supersonic, all-weather, radar-guided missile.

"[This mission] … is just basically fighters that are patrolling a certain portion of the sky," Capt. Jim said. "They're there to protect us."

During the course of the evening, a number of fighter aircraft come up to the KC-135's flight pattern to top off their tanks with jet fuel.

"Tonight we're just flying … an oval track, it's called a 'tanker track', and we maintain this orbit as our fighters or other [planes] need gas," Capt. Jim said. "They come over to us, we give 'em gas, then they rejoin the flight behind us until they get all the gas they need from us."

While Capt. Jim and his flight crew are maintaining the tanker's position along the track, Senior Airman Dave is keeping an eye on the inbound aircraft. During the day, the boom operator and the fighter pilots can use visual references in order to keep track of each other. At nighttime, with reduced visibility, the boom operator uses a system of lights on the tanker to help the fighter pilot line up his approach for refueling.

"Basically, with my lights I guide the pilot in down here beneath us," Dave said. "Then I will extend the boom out and make contact with him."

During the delicate ballet the fighter and the tanker dance across the late night sky, Dave is keeping an eye on the fighter's position, making sure the two aircraft don't bump each other. At a distance of only a few meters from each other, safety is always the top priority for the boom operator. If something goes wrong, Dave will call for an emergency "breakaway" to protect both aircraft from a fatal accident.

"’Breakaway’ is an emergency situation where a plane will come up to us and … moves way out of the limit or something else goes wrong. I'll say our call sign and then 'Breakaway' three times," Dave said. "That lets the pilot know up front that there is a problem, and he'll push up the throttles, and the guy down below will know by the flashing lights that he needs to get out of the way and go nice and low for us."

Through the course of the night, Dave refuels a number of fighter aircraft patrolling the sky, all without incident. He's knows that his tanker is playing a critical role in keeping America's skies safe from terrorist threats, but is alert about what's going on.

"Well, first of all, it's a little scary," Dave said. "It's a little scary to know we have to defend our country like this right now. Second of all, it gives a sense of pride to know that we're defending our own home country."