Training will be a major control in managing the main operational hazard of "deviation from intended safe flight path".
Indeed - because deviation from the originally intended flight path is often an
essential requirement for a good AAR crew! If you suddenly need to snap 120 left to set up an RV for an 'on-call' (we used to call it 'bootleg', Arters) receiver who is close to bingo, best you know instinctively how to do that without going head-down to spend 5 minutes re-programming the FMS....
In one wide-body tanker, it's a case of go to HDG/SEL and turn towards the chick. Get him onto frequency, give him the A/A TAC and DF frequencies, then decide whether you'll go for Bravo or a Charlie...or trust ATC to manage an Alfa, all whilst head-to-head at 14 miles per minute. Control the RV, call the turn when the receiver calls 'visual', lead him back to the AAR anchor - use NAV or HDG/SEL mode as required - but get him in contact rather than fart about refining the magenta line to the nth degree! Stick his details into the mission system scratchpad if you're pressed for time, otherwise add him to the receiver list and regenerate the plan to obtain an accurate spare fuel update.
Quite simple for anyone flexible enough to want to learn and professionally rewarding when done efficiently. 'Children of the magenta God' might find this more difficult to assimilate than some 'clockwork dinosaur' who just needs to become accustomed to PFD/ND/ECAM methodology. And, as has been said, that's pretty straightforward these days.
However, as DW and other ex-mil airliner-drivers have indicated, Ts & Cs would have to be pretty good to tempt people to abandon their airliner flight decks. Not forgetting that anyone who hasn't been in the military in the last 10 years would have the faintest idea what becoming a 'sponsored reservist' would mean. Finally, I would suggest that anyone considering such a post should check their life assurance policy carefully. All of which I flagged up over 10 years ago.....
