vascodegama, what is the point in transferring receiver control to the MSO? I can see it for boom tankers where the boom operator communicates with the receiver he/she's plugging, but for probe and drogue why would a pilot flying a tanker transfer control of receiver formation movement around the aircraft to anyone else? It is bound to increase intercom activity, if only to avoid the scenario I mentioned earlier where one person cleared a receiver for contact and another decided to turn without seemingly being aware of the approaching receiver.
So what is the perceived benefit? Personally I consider that it increases risk.
The push to boom frequency should only be made, in my view, when a receiver confirms visual with the tanker. Once on the boom frequency it should be cleared to join by the PF. When AAR is complete, it should be pushed to the ATC/SOC frequency with the allocated squawk whilst in echelon right, then cleared to leave by the non-flying-pilot, who has probably also advised ATC/SOC that the receivers area about to leave the formation, thus improving the controller's SA as well as that of other receivers inbound to the tanker.
Last edited by BEagle; 25th Jul 2017 at 10:48.