Bucc Tanking a Tristar
Chief Bottle Washer
On the subject of multiple refuelling: I wonder what the HMMWV's get from the transfer 
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Rumour was this was used by the medical branch:
Proof, if it were required that the military actually DID employ both FJ and truckie pilots who were suffering from Alzheimers . . .
Proof, if it were required that the military actually DID employ both FJ and truckie pilots who were suffering from Alzheimers . . .
I can remember transferring fifty tonnes to a tristar from a VC10, we could definitely feel its bow wave, and watching the number two engine intake "sunset" as the fuel transferred was impressive, all done at 280kts. Happy days!
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That's funny P, because I was given a bollocking one afternoon are coming back from said ARA.
We refuelled a VC10 which was a nice shade of green on my screen.
One of our Flight Commanders, newly promoted and a trifle keen said ' what kind of VC10 was it, to which I answered 'ours'.
He said we didn't have the authority to refuel the (first) VC10 Mk1K, as it was not cleared in the RtoS. To which I replied, I presume the VC10 skipper knew that. The nice Mr Ted H got a bollocking too, but rather difficult to blame us I thought.
I mean, it was silent procedures and this aircraft approached from underneath, never coming up alongside. We gave it about 75k and popped off back to BZZ - it was Friday, so a good move.
As you say, happy days.
Was the Bucc a wet contact? If so it probably managed to pass enough juice to run the APU for half an hour ;o)
We refuelled a VC10 which was a nice shade of green on my screen.
One of our Flight Commanders, newly promoted and a trifle keen said ' what kind of VC10 was it, to which I answered 'ours'.
He said we didn't have the authority to refuel the (first) VC10 Mk1K, as it was not cleared in the RtoS. To which I replied, I presume the VC10 skipper knew that. The nice Mr Ted H got a bollocking too, but rather difficult to blame us I thought.
I mean, it was silent procedures and this aircraft approached from underneath, never coming up alongside. We gave it about 75k and popped off back to BZZ - it was Friday, so a good move.
As you say, happy days.
Was the Bucc a wet contact? If so it probably managed to pass enough juice to run the APU for half an hour ;o)
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Was the Bucc a wet contact? If so it probably managed to pass enough juice to run the APU for half an hour ;o)
The RtoS thing could sometimes be used to one's advantage....
Way back, we were having rather a dull day in the old RA7 in a nice 'pre-owned' VC10K3 watching with interest whilst some golden-gloved Boscombe TP did various test points of a K3-to-K3 AAR trial. Then up popped a Boscombe Bucc.
"Could you give him some fuel?" enquired the Boscombe TP....
"Well now. This, as you know, is a K3. Whilst the K2 is indeed cleared for the Bucc, regrettably the paperwork clearing the K3 is still languishing in a certain trials organisation's out-tray. So, awfully sorry, but we'll have to say no!"
Shortly afterwards, as if by magic, the VC10K3 RtoS was amended to include the Bucc!
Mind you, back during my brief time on the F-4, we had our annual joust against the KC-135. But on the day in question, a KC-10 was sent instead - it was quite a new beast in those days. So we all prodded the thing and found it remarkably easy - much easier than the awful KC-135 BDA and easier than the Victor. During lunch, the Boss popped into the crewroom looking rather amused. "Chaps, someone important has just found out that the F-4 RtoS doesn't include receiving from the KC-10. He said no-one else is to prod it, but was rather cross when I told him that we'd all had a go and the first blokes are just off to have another go!"
"Are you - or we - in the dwang, Boss?"
"No, fortunately. I've been told I have to go and give Boscombe an account of our unofficial prodding trial though. But OC Ops has been given a right bollocking for not knowing that the RtoS didn't include the KC-10! Poor old Forbes, what a pisser!"
Way back, we were having rather a dull day in the old RA7 in a nice 'pre-owned' VC10K3 watching with interest whilst some golden-gloved Boscombe TP did various test points of a K3-to-K3 AAR trial. Then up popped a Boscombe Bucc.
"Could you give him some fuel?" enquired the Boscombe TP....
"Well now. This, as you know, is a K3. Whilst the K2 is indeed cleared for the Bucc, regrettably the paperwork clearing the K3 is still languishing in a certain trials organisation's out-tray. So, awfully sorry, but we'll have to say no!"
Shortly afterwards, as if by magic, the VC10K3 RtoS was amended to include the Bucc!
Mind you, back during my brief time on the F-4, we had our annual joust against the KC-135. But on the day in question, a KC-10 was sent instead - it was quite a new beast in those days. So we all prodded the thing and found it remarkably easy - much easier than the awful KC-135 BDA and easier than the Victor. During lunch, the Boss popped into the crewroom looking rather amused. "Chaps, someone important has just found out that the F-4 RtoS doesn't include receiving from the KC-10. He said no-one else is to prod it, but was rather cross when I told him that we'd all had a go and the first blokes are just off to have another go!"
"Are you - or we - in the dwang, Boss?"
"No, fortunately. I've been told I have to go and give Boscombe an account of our unofficial prodding trial though. But OC Ops has been given a right bollocking for not knowing that the RtoS didn't include the KC-10! Poor old Forbes, what a pisser!"
''But perhaps there were specific tanks for the receiver's fuel - as (I think) in the KC-135Q used to refuel the SR-71A?''
You are correct. Completely separate tanks for the JP7 the SR71 used. The KC135Q's J57s wouldn't run on it.
I once participated in a very unofficial and very un-cleared prod against a Bucc from a Victor. We were in the friday afternoon ''lets get rid of it ASAP to get to happy hour'' bootleg mode when a Bucc agreed to take 2K. He then offered it back. A quick look rearwards courtesy of the wing mirrors showed he was trailing a hose. We just had to do it - but it wasn't easy!
You are correct. Completely separate tanks for the JP7 the SR71 used. The KC135Q's J57s wouldn't run on it.
I once participated in a very unofficial and very un-cleared prod against a Bucc from a Victor. We were in the friday afternoon ''lets get rid of it ASAP to get to happy hour'' bootleg mode when a Bucc agreed to take 2K. He then offered it back. A quick look rearwards courtesy of the wing mirrors showed he was trailing a hose. We just had to do it - but it wasn't easy!
