Aerial Refuel | del-laughery

Aerial Refueling Photos

I've always admired people who transfer jet fuel from one flying aircraft to another. They see their job as unremarkable, like most military people I believe, but the process astounds me. So here are some of my favorite aerial refueling photos.

Click any photo to see a larger version of it.

Phantoms Need Gas

KC-135, serial 55-3143, refuels F-4E, serial 68-0538 during the early-to-mid 1980s. Also pictured is F-4E, serial 69-0264.

Russian Refuel

IL-78 and a TU-95 performing a refueling demo.

Stratojet AR

B-47 ready to receive fuel from a KC-97.

135 to 135

EC-135J, serial 63-8057, is ready to receive fuel from KC-135A, serial 57-2589, in this photo taken between 1967 (when 8057 was converted from an EC-135B to J-model configuration) and 1983 (when 2589 was converted to E-model configuration). 8057 was sent to the Pima Air and Space Museum in 1993 after a year of storage across the street with PCN CA014, while 2589 was transferred to Lackland AFB, TX, in 2008 for use as a ground instructional trainer.

SJ Tail Code Strike Eagle

View from KC-10 of an F-15E

Strike Eagle

Close-up of F-15E behind a KC-10 during July, 1991.

Refueling in Magazines

1951 Vickers Hydraulics Advertisement

Classic Pairing

KC-135A, serial 55-3127, refuels B-52D, serial 56-0582, during June, 1959.

Fuel Spray!

F-111F, serial 71-0886, during April, 1979.

DEL LAUGHERY

Aerial Refueling Photos

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I've always admired people who transfer jet fuel from one flying aircraft to another. They see their job as unremarkable, like most military people I believe, but the process astounds me. So here are some of my favorite aerial refueling photos. Click any photo to see a larger version of it.

I've always admired people who transfer jet fuel from one flying aircraft to another. They see their job as unremarkable, like most military people I believe, but the process astounds me. So here are some of my favorite aerial refueling photos.

Click any photo to see a larger version of it.