New Hampshire Air National Guard KC-135 refuels C-5M on first Arctic overflight to Afghanistan

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Master Sgt. Sam Blackwell, boom operator, flies in a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 157th Air Refueling Wing of the New Hampshire Air National Guard at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., while refueling a C-5M Super Galaxy from Dover Air Force Base, Del., over northern Canada, June 5. The C-5M's mission was to complete the first Arctic overflight from Dover AFB to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The plane successfully landed at Bagram just over 15 hours after take-off, June 6.  

OVER NORTHERN CANADA, AB, CANADA

06.23.2011

Story by Master Sgt. Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Air Mobility Command

OVER NORTHERN CANADA -- A KC-135R Stratotanker from the 157th Air Refueling Wing of the New Hampshire Air National Guard at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., refueled a C-5M Super Galaxy from Dover Air Force Base, Del., over northern Canada, June 5.

The C-5M's mission was to complete the first Arctic overflight from Dover AFB to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The plane successfully landed at Bagram just over 15 hours after take-off, June 6.

The KC-135 is doing exactly what it was built to do. According to its Air Force fact sheet, the KC-135 provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.

"Four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings, power the KC-135 to take-offs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds," the fact sheet states. "Nearly all internal fuel can be pumped through the flying boom, the KC-135's primary fuel transfer method."

Some KC-135 aircraft have been configured with the Multi-point Refueling System, or MPRS. This includes KC-135s deployed to the 376th AEW at the Transit Center at Manas. MPRS-configured aircraft, the fact sheet states, are capable of refueling two receiver aircraft simultaneously from special "pods" mounted on the wingtips.

KC-135s are also capable of hauling cargo. A cargo deck above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of passengers and cargo. Depending on fuel storage configuration, the fact sheet shows the KC-135 can carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo.

• Date Taken: 06.23.2011
• Date Posted: 06.23.2011 13:27
• Story ID: 72611
• Location: OVER NORTHERN CANADA, AB, CA