Big Blue Sky
Not Just a Routine Training Mission...
PACK61 and 62 Heavy flight departed the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease shortly after nine o'clock in the morning. The pair of New Hampshire Air National Guard KC-135R tankers were on a training mission, tasked to fly half way across the country to meet a group of thirsty Air Force jets and offload 60,000 pounds of fuel to them. The lead aircraft, PACK61, did the talking on ATC frequencies, PACK 62 trailed close behind. Along the way, PACK62 boom operator SSgt Samantha Yeanish completed some re-currency training with MSgt Alan Beaulieu, and pilot Major Jeff Denton and copilot Major Paulo Morales got a call from their operations facility that their receivers were running exactly on time. The two pilots then discussed with the lead aircraft (which was PACK61) how best to manage their airspeed to allow the jets to arrive at a predetermined point overhead Nebraska at a prearranged time. Aboard Pack62, station keeping with PACK61 involved Major Denton using the aircraft's Traffic Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS) screen and his "Mark 1 eyeball" to maintain the required position of 1/2 mile in-trail and 500 feet above the flight lead, for proper flight alignment. The aircraft were issued a block of altitudes to remain within, ultimately FL310B330, or thirty one thousand through thirty three thousand feet. Slightly more than three hours after liftoff, the pair of tankers received a clearance to descended a few thousand feet and made a course reversal to the right. Now heading eastbound, the formation of seven thirsty F-16C jet fighters slid into view below the two larger jets, and split into two smaller flights to begin their first of two air refueling sessions behind the two PACKs.
It was a routine training mission, except for the fact that the F-16 receivers were none other than the US Air Force Thunderbirds. But then again, it was still routine. The same air to air refueling standards used around the world by the U.S. and its' allies are practiced by the Thunderbirds, who deploy almost weekly from their home base in Nevada during the air show season. The Thunderbirds were enroute to the 2011 Boston Portsmouth Air Show at Pease, and after their first refueling from a Kansas-based tanker overhead Colorado, they'd fly together with the New Hampshire tankers from slightly west of Lincoln Nebraska until their final refueling ended near Phillipsburg Pennsylvania two hours later. Each fighter would receive fuel twice while in the company of the PACK flight. The first refueling took place between FL240B270 (or twenty four thousand through twenty seven thousand feet), the second at the lower block of FL210B240. A noticeable difference in the stability of the receivers "while on the boom" was explained by the other boom operator, MSgt Gary Howard, who confirmed that at lower altitudes the air is denser, and lends to more stable flight. The Thunderbird pilots slipped on and off the boom rapidly, with no more than a few minutes needed to "top off their tanks". On a previous flight, the Navy's Blue Angels stayed attached much longer, and again there was a good explanation: the boom method used by the Air Force jets offloads over 6000 pounds of fuel per minute, while the hose method utilized by the Blue Angels' F/A-18 Hornet only pumps at roughly 1000 pounds of fuel per minute.
In between the time spent refueling on the boom, the Thunderbirds migrated to the top of the flight's block of FL240B270, to conserve fuel. Just south of Detroit, over Lake Erie, the whole flight of nine aircraft descended into a lower block of altitudes and refueling commenced the for final time. During mission planning, the determination to carry 60,000 pounds of off-loadable fuel (the amount that was needed for all seven of the Thunderbirds to reach Pease) on both PACK 61 and 62 was reached, in case of one aircraft became unusable due to maintenance, etc.. As soon as the F-16s got their fill, PACK 61 and 62 requested a higher altitude block on their way back to Pease, and were issued a climb to FL390B410. The plan was to go fast, so that the Thunderbirds' planned arrival maneuvering practice and its resulting Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) would occur after the tankers landed; otherwise a 45 minute airborne hold, clear of the Pease area, could be expected. PACK 62's speed was reduced some 100 miles west of Pease, and the leader, PACK 61 began to pull away for their breakup and individual landings. Ultimately, PACK 62 became number three in the pattern, following a C-5 Galaxy and PACK61 to land. As PACK 62 turned into its parking spot, right on cue, the Thunderbirds streaked overhead the airfield and commenced their familiarization of the airport and surrounding airspace. More than just a routine training mission? In some respects yes, in others, no. Flying with eight other aircraft in formation wasn't a routine event, nor was refueling the Thunderbirds. The in-flight refueling process and the teamwork between the Air Nation Guard and the active Air Force members was certainly a routine event though, one that occurs every day.
A special note of thanks to Wing Commander Paul Hutchinson, PACK 62's crew: Major Jeff Denton, Major Paulo Morales, MSgt Gary Howard, MSgt Alan Beaulieu and SSgt Samantha Yeanish, and Public Affairs Officer Lt Aaron McCarthy for their time and insight into the 157th ARW's mission and the subsequent flight.
Ken Kula
