5 RCAF F-18s diverted to SNN due tanker problem

[MarkD]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1009/shannon.html

Five F-18 fighters of the Canadian air force were forced to land at Shannon Airport just before midday, when their refuelling plane developed a technical problem.

The planes were on their way to Canada from Zaragoza in the north of Spain, when they sought permission to land here.

They will remain at Shannon before departing tomorrow.

more from the Examiner

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/2004/10/09/story170265.html
09/10/2004 - 2:47:03 PM

Canadian fighter planes forced to land at Shannon

Five Canadian Air Force fighter jets have been forced to land at Shannon Airport after experiencing technical problems while refuelling over the Atlantic.

The five F-18s were en route from Saragossa in Spain to an Air Force base in Canada and were due to refuel in mid air from a KC 130 tanker.

However, the refuelling drone on the back of the tanker failed to deploy and was unable to dock with the planes.

All five landed at Shannon shortly before 1pm for refuelling.

It is as yet unclear if they would continue their journey.

This incident comes just days after a Canadian submarine got into difficulties of the coast of Donegal, when one sailor died and two others hospitalised injured following a fire on board the vessel.

[Trumpet_trousers]

...Maybe it's a subtle ruse and their REAL reason for 'diverting' is that they're going to carry out a pre-emptive strike on a certain big steel cigar making facility in Barrow-in-Furness and/or Faslane??

...Just a thought.....:p :p

[ehwatezedoing]

I've been told there is no stupid question in aviation so here's one:

Do you fighter's jockeys have some sort of "ETOP" procedures regarding air refuelling when crossing the pond ?
I mean this kind of problem would have been pretty embarrassing in the middle of the atlantic :p

[BEagle]

Yes indeed. Please re-instate my post, Mr Moderator.

It won't be too long before this old tactical tanker is replaced by the vastly superior CC150T Airbus A310 MRTT on such routes.

ehwatzedoing - one of the basic principals of an AAR trail is that at no time shall a receiver be beyond unrefuelled range of a suitable en-route abort aerodrome. It is up to the receiver aircraft organisation to provide the AAR planner with the relevant data (long before the flight) to ensure that any such AAR-aborted diversion can be made safely.

En-route degrades (partial transfer, trapped fuel, change in abort aerodrome or destination min weather) are currently managed by extremely cautious in-flight techniques; these will be replaced by more accurate methods when the A310 MRTT receives its Mission Compter System next year. But a fighter suffering an en-route engine failure will invariably cause the whole formation to divert. Unless it's a Harrier.......

[rivetjoint]

And even today there is only one single-seat single-engine aircraft which routinely flies alone over the world’s oceans!

[BEagle]

And has been doing so for about 50 years!

[ehwatezedoing]

Doesn't count, at the altitude it goes it's in glide range of any coast :p

Thanks for the answers btw!

[rivetjoint]

So you'd glide a few thousand miles with an engine or cockpit fire, or lack of flight controls? :) Unfortunately I've been there and lost that arguement with a dragon driver :mad:

[BEagle]

Don't think it'd make one side of the Pacific from the other....

Funny lot though. One guy told me he got bored watching Floggers falling out of the sky trying to catch him and just read a paperback instead whilst the autopilot kept the a/c on the right course.

[Boxer42]

I understand that the refuelling aircraft involved was actually a USAF KC-10 not a CC-130.

It diverted into Mildenhall with a drogue problem.

Hope that helps.

[BEagle]

Certainly clears things up.

Multi-hose tankers rule, eh?

My number crunching couldn't work out how a single CC130H(T) could trail 5 CF-18s all that way - thanks for clearing things up.

Hope the CF mates are enjoying the Guinness!

[brit bus driver]

Probably just a ruse to hit the DF shop at Shannon....;)

You're right about that MRTT though!