Fill 'er up

I stopped and got gas today.  And then I watched a B-2 Stealth Bomber get its tank topped off at 26,000 feet above the ground and at about 400 mph.  Here's the proof:  (click to enlarge)

It all started last year when my nephew, Sgt. Mike Money of the Kansas Air National Guard asked me if I would like to join him in his "office" one day.  His office is a KC-135 refueling tanker that belongs to his unit, the 190th Air Refueling Wing or the Kansas Coyotes, as they are commonly called.

So today, I joined a dozen other civilians at Forbes Field in Topeka, Kansas and we had a truly unique experience.  Mike took good care of me.  He made sure I had the jump seat right behind the pilots during takeoff.

We took off and charted a course for southwest Kansas toward Dodge City.  Then we turned around to begin the trip back toward Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to make the appointed rendezvous with the B-2 and give her some gas.

Mike's job is that of boom operator.  He has been doing it for quite some time now and is now an instructor as well.  The fuel boom is in the back of the plane.  Mike actually lies face down in the back of the plane and controls the boom.  He actually has to fly the boom and dock it with the target plane that needs fuel.  The boom has its own set of wings.

When we met up with the B-2, each of us had the opportunity to lie down in the back and watch Mike work his magic.  Meanwhile, the pilots in both the refueling tanker we were in and those in the B-2 have to fly in tight formation.  The two planes are less than 20 feet apart when the fueling occurs.  It was an impressive performance by all the crew.

We landed a little over three hours after we took off.  I enjoyed every minute of it and hope some of you have the opportunity to do it some day.  Mike and his colleagues do more than just refuel planes.  They fly all over the world shipping cargo to military bases in addition to their refueling activities.  They are also very active in the Topeka area volunteering their time to help on various civic activities.  And of course as part of the National Guard, they are always there in times of natural disasters. 

And they have a great cause program.  It's called Kansas STARBASE and it focuses on helping children in fourth, fifth and sixth grades learn more about science and math.  Thousands of Kansas schoolchildren have already attended Starbase camps in the past several years.  It's primarily funded through the U.S. government right now, but it seems like a natural for the right corporation to take on as their cause. 

Thanks Mike for a great day and I will get you to that Jayhawk basketball game for sure next year.  It's not quite an even trade, but it's the best I can do. 

                                                                                    

Comments

[Swede Swenson]

Great Story!!! Two Mike's just doing their job.

[Becky]

Truly amazing. What an experience. I'm jealous.