Rodeo 2000: Refueling missions boil down to precision timing
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (USTCNS) --- Those who teach precision flying to KC-135 pilots are showing Rodeo aircrews how it's done.
With an arrival score time within two seconds of the actual landing slot, instructors from the KC-135 Combat Employment School, Fairchild AFB, Wash., say their goal here is to practice what they preach.
"A lot of what we teach is combat precision and discipline, and Rodeo is a perfect place to demonstrate that," said Capt. Scott Rizer, assistant team chief. "We don't have a maintenance crew nor do we own our own aircraft -- we're using one from the 92nd Wing at Fairchild. But that's not going to keep us from doing our primary mission."
Even though they're small in number, they're big in leadership -- starting off the day waking up at 2 a.m. for a 3 a.m. pre-brief, so they could be the first aircraft off the ground Monday. The takeoff was on time, or "on the hack."
"Much of the competition will boil down to a matter of seconds," said aircraft commander Maj. Pete Hill. "We were a couple of seconds off today, but we fly again Wednesday, so I'm pretty sure we'll have a perfect showing."
The flight plan covers a route from point A to point B with a specific orbit designed to have the refueler meet up with a receiving aircraft. The crew makes the first loop around the orbit and reaches the aircraft refueling control point. Then they make a second loop, a little further out, and meet up with the receiving aircraft, in this case a KC-10 from Travis AFB, Calif.
"It's a bit more difficult because our scores are based on times and not so much on distance flown," said Hill. "However, we're flying with the upgraded navigational system called Pacer CRAG and that helps a lot. We also double check the timings manually with what we call a whiz wheel."
The aircrew team, also comprised of Maj. Glenn Richard, co-pilot, and Staff Sgt. Alicia Judd, boom operator, say being the first one out of the shoot Monday morning puts some extra pressure on them with "eyes watching them."
"I just try not to think about it (everyone watching)," said Judd. "My goal is to make contact as the boom extends. The only thing we can't do in Rodeo is talk to the pilot on the receiving end. So, sometimes that gets a little tricky as you have stay connected for 24 minutes. Sometimes the aircraft are swaying to the left or right, and you have to extend the boom at a certain rate to connect. It all has to work together."
Maj. Tony Gurney, team chief, said the scenario of a KC-135 refueling a KC-10 is an example of Air Mobility Command's force extension capability.
"That's what happened in Kosovo-you may have a refueler ready to go home and they off-load onto another one. That gives you a warehouse of fuel in the air that proves to be very valuable," he said.
While everyone at Rodeo can do the (flight) mission, the team from the KC-135 CES say they do it more precise. In "0" seconds, to be exact. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
With an arrival score time within two seconds of the actual landing slot, instructors from the KC-135 Combat Employment School, Fairchild AFB, Wash., say their goal here is to practice what they preach.
"A lot of what we teach is combat precision and discipline, and Rodeo is a perfect place to demonstrate that," said Capt. Scott Rizer, assistant team chief. "We don't have a maintenance crew nor do we own our own aircraft -- we're using one from the 92nd Wing at Fairchild. But that's not going to keep us from doing our primary mission."
Even though they're small in number, they're big in leadership -- starting off the day waking up at 2 a.m. for a 3 a.m. pre-brief, so they could be the first aircraft off the ground Monday. The takeoff was on time, or "on the hack."
"Much of the competition will boil down to a matter of seconds," said aircraft commander Maj. Pete Hill. "We were a couple of seconds off today, but we fly again Wednesday, so I'm pretty sure we'll have a perfect showing."
The flight plan covers a route from point A to point B with a specific orbit designed to have the refueler meet up with a receiving aircraft. The crew makes the first loop around the orbit and reaches the aircraft refueling control point. Then they make a second loop, a little further out, and meet up with the receiving aircraft, in this case a KC-10 from Travis AFB, Calif.
"It's a bit more difficult because our scores are based on times and not so much on distance flown," said Hill. "However, we're flying with the upgraded navigational system called Pacer CRAG and that helps a lot. We also double check the timings manually with what we call a whiz wheel."
The aircrew team, also comprised of Maj. Glenn Richard, co-pilot, and Staff Sgt. Alicia Judd, boom operator, say being the first one out of the shoot Monday morning puts some extra pressure on them with "eyes watching them."
"I just try not to think about it (everyone watching)," said Judd. "My goal is to make contact as the boom extends. The only thing we can't do in Rodeo is talk to the pilot on the receiving end. So, sometimes that gets a little tricky as you have stay connected for 24 minutes. Sometimes the aircraft are swaying to the left or right, and you have to extend the boom at a certain rate to connect. It all has to work together."
Maj. Tony Gurney, team chief, said the scenario of a KC-135 refueling a KC-10 is an example of Air Mobility Command's force extension capability.
"That's what happened in Kosovo-you may have a refueler ready to go home and they off-load onto another one. That gives you a warehouse of fuel in the air that proves to be very valuable," he said.
While everyone at Rodeo can do the (flight) mission, the team from the KC-135 CES say they do it more precise. In "0" seconds, to be exact. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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