Chapter 2 Aerial Refueling Flashcards
Tactical Air-to-Air Refueling.
Normally, these missions are conducted under the tactical control of a Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) or the Tactical Air Operations Center (TAOC). Tactical missions are defensive or offensive in nature.
Strategic Air-to-Air Refueling.
Missions providing en route refueling for a long range movement of tactical aircraft without viable diverts. A viable divert is considered less than 1 hour for receiver aircraft from the planned route, but can be waived to 2 hours at the commanding officer’s discretion.
Push Method
The push method entails launching and recovering tanker aircraft on a planned schedule.
useful when the AAR track is relatively far from the launch/recovery airfield. Shortfalls to this method include the requirement for many KC-130s and the potential for gaps in AAR coverage during surges in receiver fuel requirements.
Pull Method
The pull method seeks to maximize the efficiency of limited KC-130 assets by launching aircraft in time to relieve off-going aircraft without creating a gap in AAR availability.
limited to use on AAR tracks that are close to the tankers’ departure airfield.
Stages of Air-to-Air Refueling.
rendezvous, join-up, contact/fuel transfer, and post refueling.
Defensive refueling
Defensive refueling missions are normally conducted within the protective boundaries of an integrated air defense system, using a static AAR track. Tanker launches and recoveries are controlled via the MACCS/TAOC using the push or pull method.
Offensive Refueling
Tanking in support of offensive operations such as deep air strikes or Of-fensive Anti-Air Warfare (OAAW) strikes. The longer distances involved in these missions means the tanker may have to venture away from the friendly air defenses and therefore may have to defend itself from an air or surface attack.
Covert switch selected
When “COVERT” is selected, the bottom anti-collision light and leading edge lights are disabled. Also the NAVIGATION LIGHTS DIM/BRIGHT switch is disabled, and the COVERT/FORMATION knob is used to dim covert wingtip and fuselage navigation lights, formation lights, tail lights, and the top anticollision light.
Fixed Wing Rendezvous
RV Alpha: The RV Alpha (Anchor) procedure is an RV carried out under the control of a radar station on the ground, in the air or on-board ship. The RV Alpha is normally used to vector receivers to tankers operating on an AARA/anchor area
• RV Bravo: A head on offset, where the tanker will utilize a teardrop maneuver to join on the re-ceiver aircraft.
Rv Charlie: The RV Charlie is a heading based procedure (similar to the RV Bravo) that allows receivers with an AI radar to control the RV once positive AI radar contact is established.
• RV Delta: Point Parallel is a procedure that requires the receiver to maintain an agreed upon track and the tanker to maintain a reciprocal track.
RV Echo (Timing). This procedure is intended for use in support of a combat air patrol (CAP); particularly during periods of EMCON constraints; details are at Chapter 2.
f. RV Foxtrot (Sequenced). This procedure is normally used when the tanker and receiver operate from the same base; details of the accompanied/buddy climb and tailchase departure are at Chapter 2.
g. RV Golf (En route). This procedure facilitates join-up on a common track at a scheduled time. The receivers may have departed either from the same or different bases. There are a number of en route RVs; details are at Chapter 2.
HAAR Timing Contract at ARCP
Both receivers and tankers should plan to arrive at the ARCP on time; however, if a deviation is required, receivers should arrive at the ARCP early (no more than 1 min) and tankers should arrive at the ARCP late (no more than 1 min).
HAAR Low Join v. High
Low: receiver 300 low
High: receiver 200 high
HAAR Rendezvouz
RV Delta: Head-on Offset. The tanker and receiver are offset laterally, converging, and the tanker joins on the receiver.
• RV Echo: Tanker Orbit: The tanker establishes an orbit and the receiver joins on the tanker.
• RV Golf: En Route/Overtaking: The tanker joins on the receiver at a planned time and place of the receivers planned route of flight.
• RV Hotel: The random rendezvous is a visual maneuver that does not make use of a pattern or procedure.
HAAR Remdezvous
At 240 Knots Indicated Airspeed (KIAS) and approximately 1.2 DME in-trail of the lead receiver, reduce power to flight idle and configure the aircraft on speed to flaps 70 percent. The hoses will not be extended until airspeed is below 120 KIAS for normal operation. Never exceed 130 KIAS with low speed drogues extended and receivers engaged. The power reduction to flight idle distance, normally 1.2 DME, has to be increased approximately 0.1 DME for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet MSL due to the air density decreasing. Rendezvous 500 high, receiver 300 low
Drought Speeds
High-speed drogue operations 185 - 250
Low-speeddroguewhileextending/retracting/engaging 105 - 120
TAAR Rendezvous
RV Delta: Head on offset. The tanker and receiver are offset laterally, converging, and the tanker joins on the receiver.
• RV Echo: Tanker Orbit. The tanker establishes an orbit and the receiver joins on the tanker.
RV Foxtrot: Sequenced, conducted from an airfield, where the tanker and receivers depart a few minutes of each other to proceed, on course as a formation.
• RV Golf: En Route/Overtaking: The tanker joins on the receiver at a planned time and place of the receiver’s planned route of flight.
• RV Hotel: Random. The random rendezvous is a visual maneuver that does not make use of a pattern or procedure.
