European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 1, 1963, Darmstadt, Hesse Thirsty bombers get tanked up lowering the Boom by Wallace Beenes a Madrid Bureau while i big Friend gases Boomer Kepi a watch on instruments to male sure planes keep distance. Tanker Crew which has to Star Rived from the states is greeted by Torreon a navigation officer Mai r w Covarrubias. A kc135 refuel a b52 strato forfeit. Jemo Fet refuelling Means a plane on a minion can refuel at operational Speed. Service stations Buck in the state smoke a bid thing out of providing Fust service for their customers but nobody fills pm up faster than the Tanker taskforce of kc135s unsigned to Torrejon air base at m my powerful Jot Tanker versions of the Boeing 707 blast off with up to 200.000 Pound of jp4 Jot fuel when they head for the cold Blue heavens where Thoy Rendez Vous with air com mind bombers. It was a lot different Back when we had to depend upon the old kc97 prop tankers explained navigation officer majr w. Covarr Uhlys. Then it was necessary for the bomber to drop Down find slow up before refuelling could take place. Thekc135s can go up and keep flying the big filling stations is no Job for absent minded types during refuelling. The Pitman arc Only 12 feet apart and univ voting at up to 4.to Miles per hour added it col Ronald i. Kurland. Chief of the Tun Kern. The big Dnn iter it this Point is Clear air turbulence the invisible currents hint strike at any time without had a memorable experience while flying As a Crew member on a bomber Back in the states. The two planes were slammed together and the entire tall Section of the Tanker was twisted around. Both planes made it Back but a Wing fell Oil our bomber whence touched while the tankers spend a lot of lofty Houn feeding the thirsty Birds the Crews also spend quite a bit of time commuting to work. To keep proficiency at a Peak the Crews Fly Over to Spain from their bases for 16-Day periods of temporary plane brings two Complete Crews which alternate one the refuelling duty plus maintenance men and military pus , the big tankers require a Crew of Only four men two pilots a a Tel Gator and one airman who serves Alloa Masler flight Engineer and even takes celestial fixes with the hex Tunt to assist the navigator. Travelling with the tankers u real Uptown transportation a military flights go. The tanks Are All built into the wings and Bellot the plane plus one Section of the tall so the Interior is Roomy for passengers. The Cabin area is pressurized and Well insulated. Once the planes arrive and Are assigned to refuelling duty the Job becomes considerably More intense. A full loaded Tanker weighs up to 300,000 pounds at Takeoff 14-ply tires Are used and if anything goes wrong during Terrll local moments of lilt off there s Likely to be an explosion that can be heard Al the Way Buck to their Home base such As Clinton Sherman fab or Bunker Hill fab. We be and cases Here where Birds fouled out in engine on Takeoff but the planes ride it u a Dum pod their fuel and got Down safely Covarrubias said. Since the High flying bombers can t wait around very Long for a refill extra tankers Are always on in 11 and ready to go when Ever the need arises it stand Covarrubias and four pilots assigned to supervisory Job Sall Fly at least one sortie a month to keep up Boomers who attend a special Tanker school for six months along with the officers hive a Job that involves using More instruments than an entire air plane required not too Many years ago. Lying on his stomach in the Bathtub shaped compartment at the Back of the plane the Boomer is the Only member of the Tanker Crew who can ate what ingoing on during Refu Elln. If amet Hanff goes wrong the two pilots quickly go into the emergency breakaway Man Euver the bomber drops Down and cuts Back its Power White the Tanker pulls up and turns. Since the refuel legs take at Al hours of the Day and night the Boom u routed with a Luminous paint to help the receiver stick his nose into the right spot the bomber is always under maim control during refuelling but the Tanker can be on automatic Pilot. Playing foot Sta Between the two planes Tricky enough but even More frighten ing u the danger of a stranger getting in Volvo. We had a Tanker and a Caravelle miss about 20 feet not too Long Covarrubias s always been cartoons about huge Kim trucks running out of full and such but this in t Likely to happen with the Sac tankers. A kcw5 could stay up some 18 hours if it did t have to share nip with a Friendly bomber. Is photos by Guenter Schuettler wednesday May 1, 1963 the stars and stripes Page 11
