D-IFF_ident wrote:
When an AAR event occurs the MSO would operate the AAR systems (Boom or Pods) and control receiver aircraft in formation. The PNF would take over control of mission systems, timings, fuel plans etc.
If the Mission System is properly designed (as it is in the A310MRTT / CC-150T), there would be no need for the PNF to take over control in that way. Offloads are recorded automatically and their effect on the fuel plan can easily be seen on the Mission System fuel vs. time or fuel vs. DTD graphs (updated at 1 Hz). Crew SOP is that the Mission System is updated with receiver fuel on board 15 min before a bracket and the plan amended if necessary. 5 min after the bracket, the system is again updated (this allows time for receiver fuel gauging to settle, receiver fuel issues such as drop tank transfer failure to come to light) and the plan is again amended if required. But actually
during an AAR event, there shouldn't be any need to change anything, for the obvious reason that the effect of the ongoing AAR event cannot be taken fully into account until it is complete.
Normally the ARO/FRS would use a 'fail-safe' plan which caters for single hose failure at any point in the trail, so there is no need to switch to a single hose plan (with revised single hose bracket positions, timings and offloads) until the ongoing AAR event is complete. Having changed to the single hose plan, the ARO/FRS can, in consultation with the Tanker Commander, elect to move brackets to earlier points if required.
The system caters for up to 8 trail receivers, all of which could have different configurations, departure aerodromes, RVIPs, Split Points and destination aerodromes if required - and of course it calculates the receiver fuel required at the Split Point (unless the receiver mission planner has defined a specific fuel state requirement at the Split Point).