KC-135 Boom
A KC-135's boom is lowered and extended for maintenance.
This is a nice picture that shows a closeup of the KC-135’s boom. In this picture the boom is not fully extended and still has approximately 6′ before it reaches full extension. The colorful marking on the boom give the receiver crew a visual indication of the extension of the boom. During night operations the markings are illuminated by ultraviolet lamps that causes them to fluoresce.
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Daniel P.3 Comments »
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Access my entire collection from the OneDrive link below:
I have amassed a very large collection (over 1,000) of air to air refueling pictures and want to share them on this website. My collection includes many rare pictures (ever see an A-10 refuel from a KC-97?) of over 120 different receiver types. Whenever possible I will try to provide a link to the source(s), but I have been collecting the pictures for years on my hard drive and it may be very difficult to track down the original source.
If you find any errors on this site or have additional information about the topic please let me know and I will update the page.
Every great picture has a great story to go along. I have many great pictures, unfortunately I don’t have all of the stories. If anyone has additional information on any of the pictures featured on this site I would love for you to share your story. I am especially interested in documenting the old piston powered tankers, their stories are slowly fading away. This site is all about documenting the nitty-gritty details, so if the more specifics you have the better (quirks, ect…). Likewise, if anybody has unique air refueling pictures I would love to see them. You can send info to the address below:
Please use the comments section below the images as a place to discuss the picture and leave further information for others to read. Your discussion adds greatly to the historic value of this site and to the legacy of air refueling crew members.
Below is a brief list of things I am looking for, but any info is welcomed.
- Photographs and information about
Boeing 747 tankers.I would especially like pictures of the boom operator’s compartment, instruments, and panel. Please get in contact with me via the email address above if you have any information about the 747 tanker. - High resolution pictures of the KB-29P/KB-50/KC-97 Boom Operator’s Station and Panel
- KB-29/KB-50/KC-97 Flight Manuals
- F-86
F-104F-16XL in contact (boom pod or external view)- S-3 Viking on
BDA/MPRS/WARP/KC-10 CLD V-22 on KC-135 BDA (I know this picture exists)YC-15- X-32
- Any unique or rare air refueling picture
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How is the probe controlled to extend or retract, and to keep up with motion of a receiving aircraft during fuel transfer? Is it pushed and pulled in and out by an actuation system, by the receiving aircraft, or something else?
The boom is extended and retracted hydraulically by means of a hydraulic motor and a chain and cable loop. Once the nozzle is locked in the receiver’s receptacle the boom is free (after overcoming hydraulic relief valves) to telescope in and out to follow the receiver’s forward and aft motion.
do you know what the technical name of those boom markings? I was a crew chief on these aircraft, and just called them PDL boom markings as they are used in conjunction with the PDL system.