Old Viper Tester Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Refueling F-16XL #2, 75-0747, assigned to the F-16XL Combined Test Force (CTF), 6510th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB. The KC-10A was out of March AFB. This event taking place at dusk over the Sierra Nevada foothills, March 1983. XL-2 in pre-contact position, waiting for clearance from the "boomer". I can still hear the boomer softly singing "Boom Operator" to the tune of "Smooth Operator" during this event. Taking fuel, couldn't see the boom from my position in the boom operator's station. This image was used in the CTF to emphasize the "C" stood for "Combined". The pilots wear the patches of AF Systems Command and Tactical Air Command. Other players in the CTF were AF Operational Test Center, General Dynamics, Pratt & Whitney, and General Electric. Disconnect from the boom as the sun gets lower. Thanks for looking, Sven 23 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 That is one bad-a-- Viper! Thanks for the great images, as always, Keith! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Now that really is something a bit different, excellent stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Great pictures, thanks for sharing | I always loved F-16XL #2 in that colour scheme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Wow, great stuff Sven! Ciao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Were you ever part of the program Sven? Awesome pics, I wouldn't have thought that it's often a fighter jock gets to hang out with the tanker crews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Magic, those aren't the sort of photos you see every day, thanks Keith. A2A refueling, be it boom style or probe & drogue has long struck me as a severely challenging manoeuvre. The fact that guys & girls do it many times a day with very few mishaps is a credit to the training on both ends or the connection Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 My favourite F16 model, two seat arrow wing. Thank you for sharing Sven. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Viper Tester Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share Posted January 16, 2019 16 hours ago, whiskey said: Were you ever part of the program Sven? I worked for the first year and a half of the flight test program as a performance and flying qualities flight test engineer. Most of the time, the two-seater was flown with two pilots in the early days, but I did get about 25 flying hours in the XL-2 RCP before leaving the program for A-10s. Sven 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Fascinating pics Sven, thanks for sharing them with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 (edited) interesting photos Sven, thanks Andy Edited January 16, 2019 by Red Dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Even more fascinating details. Little tidbits of aviation history from the crews that were there are the best stories ever. You're pictures say so much but I'm sure I wouldn't be alone in asking for more stories to read about. Thanks again Sven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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