Originally Posted by
ORAC
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/y...ot-in-cockpit/
KC-46 tanker test puts fuel boom operator, not copilot, in cockpit
The Air Force is moving forward with experiments to test whether a two-person crew could safely fly a KC-46 Pegasus tanker in an emergency.
A solo pilot and a fuel boom operator with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, on Oct. 25 took to the skies for two KC-46 sorties on a military test range, the service said Oct. 28.
Flying tankers without copilots is one idea Air Mobility Command is trying out as it considers the tactics it may need in a possible military conflict with China. The Air Force has stressed that approach would not be the norm.
Launching missions with a skeleton crew could lessen the number of potential American casualties in case of attack, or make the crew more nimble in a crisis. Multiple small crews could swap out in shifts during around-the-clock sorties, another concept the Air Force is fleshing out..
During the flight test, the McConnell airmen completed a simple flight path before adding in refueling tasks, the Air Force said.
“The boom operator was co-located in the cockpit with the pilot, except when performing boom operations, and a second instructor pilot was on board throughout the entire mission to serve as a safety observer,” the Air Force said.
Air Mobility Command called the test successful but did not immediately answer what the boom operator was allowed to do in the cockpit. The service has suggested additional training so airmen can learn the basics of other crew positions.
The Air Force has “thoroughly” considered the risks of removing a tanker’s copilot and how to minimize potential problems, wing commander Col. Nate Vogel said.
“This mission was practiced extensively in flight simulators,” he said in the release. “Each phase of evaluation has been carefully considered, taking into account crew safety, aircraft capabilities and existing federal aviation standards.”
But the idea has raised eyebrows among military watchers who question its motives and safety, particularly as the Air Force’s new aerial refueling platform continues to struggle with major design flaws.
The service has refuted claims that its enduring pilot shortage is what’s driving the concept.…..
For national emergency cases, that seems to be a reasonable option, however, they can also get about 10,000 rated drivers out of the woodwork with a simple phone call, there is no shortage of competent crew that can still assist the squadron guys to get the job done, in a national emergency. Particularly for the 46, as gums says, the work gets done from the receiver guy and the boomer in the airforce, and the guy at the end of the hose is always on his own doing his thing.
For the majority of cargo ops as well, and even much of the EW large frames, this remains an option in an emergency. The US DOD should be looking at all means to achieve max effectiveness in bad times, much of the rest of the world hasn't even woken up to keeping reserve competency up to speed, and cannot surge in the same manner as the US can.