Here it is, Feb.10, I found myself back at the Nellis Air Force base's parking lot, and getting in a van to go on base and get on a plane. There was 5 of us, one was my editor from Combat Aircraft Magazine, Jaime Hunter, my new friend Ivan Voukadinov, who is one of the best Aviation photographers that I know, and two others.
Ivan and I got on our Boeing KC-135, while Jaime jumped on another. Our plane was being piloted by Captain Alex Duke, Co Pilot Robbi Bethancourt, and Boom Operator Airman Ryan Kemp. They were all attached to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, out of Fairchild AFB, Washington.
We settled into our seats after the safety briefing, and soon we were in the air and climbing high into the sunny blue skies with huge billowy white clouds. We headed north, and I believe we were over Southern Utah, when the first of the fighters started to show up for refueling.
In 3 hours, were refueled fighters from:
The 1st Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter Squadron, F-22As, from Langley AFB, Virginia.
The 20th Fighter Wing, 55th Fighter Squadron, F-16CMs, from Shaw AFB, South Carolina
The 140th Fighter Wing, 120th Fighter Squadron, F-16C, from Buckley AFB, Colorado.
This was my first Air2Air with modern military aircraft, and what a blast it was. I shot through the side windows of the aircraft, and then down though the windows in the tail of the plane where the boom operator is located while refueling is taking place.
After landing, I drove back to San Diego. I was just so happy, that the 5 hour drive felt like only a few. I want to thank the US Air Force, the Base PAO's, and the crew of our tanker flight. Some of the best moments of my life.
