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| how challenging is this aerial military maneuver? |
Air-to-air refueling (AAR) occurs when a tanker plane refuels another plane ("receiving" plane) in the air while both planes are still in the air. Incredibly long flight times and ranges are made possible by these "gas stations in the sky." It is a key factor in the success of any mission. The close proximity of the two planes required for aerial refueling increases the risk involved.
Two B-2 Spirit bombers from the United States Air Force covered almost 12,000 miles round trip in a single mission, with the support of 15 tankers based in five locations across three continents for in-flight refueling. The mission proved to the rest of the world that no place is beyond the reach of the United States military.
The question is, how challenging is this aerial military maneuver? Aerial refueling, put simply, is one of the most challenging and high-stakes tasks pilots face. Anything that can go wrong, will. It might be compared to a number of other activities, such as "threading a needle while riding on top of a speeding car" or "trying to strike a bullseye with a dart in a windstorm." However, analogies fall short of capturing the true level of intricacy and care needed to prevent an air disaster. Aerial refueling is described in detail here.
To begin, refueling in midair necessitates rather close proximity between the two planes involved
Two very different planes, say a massive KC-135 tanker and a nimble F-22 Raptor, would normally have to cautiously fly within 100 feet of each other. Each plane experiences its own unique forces from air turbulence, and the leading tanker adds to the airspace disruption experienced by the plane it is refueling. To fly in the same airspace as another aircraft, all you need to do is keep your heading, airspeed, and altitude consistent. The close proximity of the two planes required for aerial refueling increases the risk involved. The fuel being transported could also spill into the plane's air intake. Obviously, this would have disastrous results.
Also, the drogue is attached to the end of a long, flexible hose in the Probe and Drogue System
With both aircraft in place, the refueling umbilical may be connected. One must remember that there are two distinct refueling methods: the "probe-and-drogue" and the "flying boom."
The probe and drogue system involves a long, flexible hose with a drogue in the shape of a funnel at one end, which is plugged into a retractable probe on the receiving aircraft. Once a safe link has been established, fueling can begin. Maritime forces appreciate these systems due to their versatility and portability; they may be installed or removed from aircraft in a matter of minutes and can support the simultaneous feeding of two aircraft.
A stiff, telescoping tube with a wing-like stabilizer is used to create the flying boom, and this assembly is operated by a single person. The pilot aligns a tiny hole in the plane's canopy with the boom (think a large version of the fuel hose receiver in your car). Fuel may be transferred at a rate of about 6,000 pounds per minute using the flying boom, as opposed to the probe and drogue system's capacity of about 2,000 pounds per minute. Since large planes consume huge amounts of fuel, it's easy to see why the Air Force prefers the probe system.
Also, the probe-and-drogue approach is more adaptable, but both methods need a lot of work. It is possible for the drogue to become unsteady in the air if it collides with the probe too suddenly. Since both planes are traveling at around 300 miles per hour, that makes sense. Also, the drogue might be pushed away by the wave of air coming from the nose of the plane as the receiving pilot approaches it. The operator of a flying boom system must also aim with extreme accuracy, as the system's receptor is only about the size of a disposable coffee cup.
Third, loading each plane can take anything from five to fifteen minutes
After they're joined, the planes must keep flying at a consistent pace so that fuel may be transferred. This is obviously not the same as filling up your car at the gas station and then strolling over to the corner store for some refreshments. It can take anywhere from five to fifteen minutes to load each plane. If either plane suddenly changes altitude or speed, the filling mechanism will release, and you'll have to start the operation over. To reiterate, if something goes wrong during this procedure, the plane that is supposed to receive the fuel will be left without any. Aerial refueling is, without a doubt, a dangerous and even life-threatening operation.
The fourth point is that there are no easy or standard moves
When the receiving plane is full, the pilot shuts power to the aircraft so that it can be securely disconnected from the drogue or boom. Once the tanker is ready to land, all the "tools" must be stowed away to reduce drag. Tankers often store their booms flush with the bottom of the fuselage and their probe-and-drogue systems either below the fuselage or at the tips of the wings.
However, that's not all of it. On longer flights, such as transatlantic ones, pilots need to redo this challenging process numerous times. Even for seasoned pilots, such maneuvers are never simple or conventional. One of the trickiest procedures in flying is refueling while in flight. Many American military actions would not have been successful without it.
