SAC/MAC/AMC: Fifty-eight Years of Passing Gas

Mobility Forum, Sep/Oct 2004 by Simmons, Lisa

Through great leadership and effective utilization and creativity of air power, America has been able to respond to crisis across the world. Strategic Air Command, Military Airlift Command, and Air Mobility Command have provided fifty-eight years of extraordinary dedicated global reach and global power towards the defense of America and its allies. America's ability to obtain the technology and aircraft providing aerial assets to refuel fighter jets, bombers, and transport aircraft responding to peacetime or wartime crisis has contributed to the success of our armed forces. This essay will chart the course that Strategic Air Command, Military Airlift Command, and Air Mobility Command have imparted on achieving global power, global reach through aerial refueling.

1946...

Strategic Air Command

In 1946 after World War II, the United States Army Air Force underwent a drastic transformation. Within this transformation was the birth of the formidable Strategic Air Command (SAC). The bomber and transport aircraft were placed within SAC, with the concept of SAC providing centralized global power. The SAC concept of global power/reach was not a new concept; as a matter of fact, the concept was spoken of by General Carl Spaatz. General Spaatz believed that in order for the U.S. to win wars, we must be able to conduct long-range offensive operations within any part of the world. To accomplish such a vast and critical mission, the majority of the B-29 aircraft used during the war were assigned to SAC under the centralized leadership of General George C. Kenney. Soon after SAC was created a few B-29s were configured with a new technology that would extend the combat range of the B-29s. This technology involved fitting an air refueling drogue system to the B-29s, providing it the ability to refuel during flight operations. This technology was termed in-flight refueling.

KB-29M (Fig. 1) was designated the first tanker used for in-flight refueling. The KB-29M utilized a drogue system developed by the British that dragged behind the tanker. The most famous documented use of this technology was the KB-29M refueling the B-50A "Lucky Lady II". The "Lucky Lady" was completing the first non-stop flight around the world in February 1949.

To increase the refueling time and connection rate with refueling aircraft, some KB-29Ms were fitted with more efficient probe and drogue in-flight refueling systems. The KB-29M unreeled the refueling hose, which had a donut-shaped para-drogue attached to the end. The pilot flew his aircraft's probe into the refueling hose receptacle on the nose or wingtip of the receiving aircraft. Utilizing the new drogue system in May 1952, the KB-29M refueled twelve F-84Es on a bombing mission from Japan to targets in North Korea during the Korean War. The KB-29Ms were assigned to the 19th Air Refueling Wing and 92nd Air Refueling Wing (Fairchild AFB, WA). Boeing developed the flying boom system to improve on the hose and drogue in-flight refueling system. The new system required the operations of a human counterpart (termed "boom operator"). The boom, mounted at the aftmost portion of the KB-29P, allowed the boom operator to maneuver the boom into the refueling receptacle. Due to the success of the KB-29P boom operator system, the new C-97 was retrofitted and became the newest KC-97 in-flight refueler.

In 1950, the KC-97 Stratofreighter (Fig. 2) aerial tanker was introduced using the "flying boom" refueling system, and all subsequent United States Air Force contracts for C-97s were for tankers.1 The KC-97 is accredited with providing SAC with true global reach capability. However, the KC-97 lacked the ability to maintain speed and altitude to refuel fast, high-altitude aircraft. The tanker had to fly downhill to obtain speed for the jet to refuel. This process was called "tobogganing."2 The KC-97 was capable of off-loading 15,000 gallons of fuel. This aircraft was very important to S AC's ability to provide airpower over Southwest Asia. The KC-97 saw action during the Korean War while assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing. At one time, SAC inventory totaled 816 KC-97s. To provide a greater range and increase refueling capability, the new KC-135A began replacing the KC-97s after 1956.

The KC-135A Stratotanker (Fig. 3) entered SAC inventory in 1954. SAC ordered 732 aerial tankers from Boeing Military Airplane Company. The first aircraft flew in August 1956 and was delivered to Castle Air Force Base, California in 1957. The KC-135A primary mission is refueling of strategic long-range bombers. The KC-135A can carry up to 202,800 pounds of JP-4 jet fuel. It is equipped with a flying boom for fuel transfer operated by a boom operator. The boom operator is located in the back of the aircraft and is positioned in a prone position as he/she maneuvers the boom to the refueling aircraft receptacle. To refuel probe-equipped aircraft, a special drogue can be attached to the boom on the ground so it can refuel these aircraft. During air refueling, the large flyable boom attached to the airplane's belly can offload fuel at 6,500 pounds per minute. The KC-135A has been deployed in support of the Vietnam War, Operation DESERT STORM/SHIELD, the Gulf War, Bosnia, etc. It has provided in-flight refueling support to all the military services including our allies. The last KC-135A was delivered to the Air Force in 1965.