"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.….."
My bulls**t meter is pegged! I am ashamed, but not surprised, at how disingenuous AMC is over this. In aviation it is wise to evaluate something not only when all goes well, but also how it stand up under the stress of the non-normal. Of course, how often does "non-normal" happen in warfare?
In my many years in the USAF, the time spent in the right seat was preparation for upgrade to the left seat. The shared experience, the mentoring, the learning that occurred in both seats over hundreds and thousands of hours paid off in those "few moments" of sheer terror.
Of course this couldn't happen in a better airplane.