{"id":53901,"date":"2020-03-16T13:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T20:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/?p=53901"},"modified":"2020-03-14T21:03:03","modified_gmt":"2020-03-15T04:03:03","slug":"kc-135-thanks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/kc-135-thanks\/","title":{"rendered":"KC-135 Thanks"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

“Radio” on Boomer Pallet
captured by Z6 \/<\/p><\/div>\n

OK, so I put the boom through the canopy of an F-35, otherwise, it was a fantastic time. I’ll get back to that in a moment. What got me to this opportunity is really the point of this post. I received the nicest email some months back from “Radio.” Radio is a very talented photographer who also is an MSGT at Fairchild AFB, head instructor at the Weapons School. He has over 1500 hours operating a Boom on a KC-135. He reached out to me simply to say thanks for the years of my photographic encouragement and an offer to spend time with him on the base. As you’ll read, neither I nor the Air Force will ever be the same again!<\/p>\n

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“Radio & Moose
Right Seat \/ Left Seat KC-135<\/p><\/div>\n

Back to my putting that boom in the canopy of an F-35 (I meant well). “Radio” invited me to spend time with the KC-135, an aircraft I have sooooo wanted to work with. Its mission is just so simplistic (refueling aircraft) and yet so complicated (do it in the air, at night at times). This 50+-year-old aircraft is still the backbone of air refueling so I jumped at the first opportunity to spend time with “Radio” and his passion. We started off in the Cym for Boom operators. The Cym is just an amazing toy<\/del> tool where the student gets in the tail of a KC-135, lay on the Pallet and operates the virtual boom delivering fuel to virtual aircraft. As you might have guessed by now, “Radio” put me on the Pallet and the boom I put through the window of an F-35 was virtual. But it seemed all too real to me. After an hour of instruction (“Radio” is a really good teacher!), by my fourth refueling, he said, “You did fine and aren’t even as bad as some of the brand new “trained” booms I have instructed (true story).”<\/p>\n

\"\"

KC-135s on the Flight Line
captured by Z6 \/ Z24-70f2.8<\/p><\/div>\n

I then got a tour of the Weapon School which was really cool. Honestly, I didn’t mean to fire off that rocket launcher indoors! I’m told they can patch the hole, thank goodness. Yeah, you shouldn’t let me around them virtual toy<\/del> tool I guess. The Boss still shook my hand afterward and welcomed me back anytime so I guess that tour went OK (it was really cool!). After that hour, we then spent another three really cool hours inside a 93rd Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 on the flight line. No, I didn’t get in the skies on a KC-135, yet! It is a remarkable aircraft and “Radio” did one helluva job bringing it to life for me with all his stories, on the ground, and in the air! It was an afternoon I won’t soon forget. <\/p>\n

And why was I there? Photography has many rewards, the best are those you don’t even see coming. In this case, someone was just paying it forward with a very special thanks. “Radio” is a very special person who services our country (thank God he’s on our side) and reaches out to say thanks to many. I’m glad I don’t have to pay for any virtual damages but man, what a day in a world that up until this afternoon, I could only imagine. Thanks “Radio,” I can’t wait until we meet on the flight line again!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OK, so I put the boom through the canopy of an F-35, otherwise, it was a fantastic time. I’ll get back to that in a moment. What got me to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","sync_status":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"KC-135 Thanks https:\/\/wp.me\/p6YJx-e1n so I put the boom through canopy of an F-35! @BedfordCamera @NikonUSA #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #nikonlove","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-53901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-whats-new"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BMP9069.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Podcast.jpg?fit=1500%2C1500&quality=100&ssl=1","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/www.audible.com\/pd\/Podcast\/B08JJQC1GR?ref=a_pd_item-n_c0_bc&pf_rd_p=1da7ab30-c785-4a0e-a160-4a7e7077b353&pf_rd_r=EEDMYHQM3DZ05FPRTHMJ","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2fRA9VaVfSdQMKf1ipxr0tipxr0t","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/moose-podcast\/id1107405746","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/moose-podcast","embedCode":"

KC-135 Thanks<\/a><\/blockquote>