-AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHER-
-U.S. SUBMARINE SERVICE VETERAN-
DEL LAUGHERY
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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 photos taken of, or from, aerial refueling aircraft.
Click any photo to see a larger version of it.
KC-135E, serial 59-1493, at Mojave, CA, for PACER CRAG update. This modification eliminated the Navigator position.
KC-135A, serial 57-1443, from the Maine ANG in formation with four NY tail-coded A-10s and a NY ANG (Niagra Falls) F-4C, serial 64-0659, during June 1983. Photo courtesy of David Brown.
This is what you see when looking out the right rear window of a KC-97, in this case over Morocco during December 1953.
20th FW Viper Demo F-16C, serial 91-0395.
Wisconsin Air Guard KC-97L, serial 52-0905, during July, 1973, performing at the Royal Air Forces Association, South Eastern Area, Air Tattoo at RAF Greenham Common, UK. Note the height above the ground of the extended refueling probe tip.
Early-model B-52 with gear down to slow the aircraft behind a KC-97.
May, 1970, photo of a KC-135 topping off an F-4.
May, 1963, photo of P&W-powered RF-101C, serial 56-0079 on her way to SE Asia as seen from the right seat of a P&W-powered KC-135A. She would be attached to the 363rd Tactical Recon Wing once in country. The F-101 would be written off two years later after suffering battle damage to her rudder controls during a recon mission over North Vietnam and an emergency landing at RTAFB Ubon, Thailand, which caused further damage. Fortunately, the pilot, LtCol Ray Lowery, escaped with minor injuries.
The view from a C-5A of a KC-135A during the early 1970s.