Air to Air refueling communications explained

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Courtesy TONKS for the following.

AIR TO AIR REFUELLING COMMS

If you ever catch some AAR going on while listening to you scanner you may wonder what some of the comms are about... here is a rough guide to tanking (nb; this is based on RAF tanking, there are a few differences to what the USAF do, even though we all use the same book)

On arrival at the AARA (Air-to-Air Refuelling Area) the tanker will be asked what levels they require... most tanking is done at FL200 (ie 20000’) and a block 2000’ below to 1000’ above is the norm. It would be requested like this:

“Request airspace FL180 Block 210”

ATC may also ask what trade the tanker is expecting; if working with Boulmer or other Fighter Controller they will usually know as they are given the same sheet of paper we have (it is called a DOT Sheet and is Details of Tasking or Dream of Today!!)... if they have that they may say something like “Confirm working Change 3” so we know what version we all have. A fighter controller may also ask for a tanker joining message which would sound something like 42, 3, 4, 1 which details fuel available, hose configuration, captains receiver qualifications (ie what the captain is qualified to take fuel from, and whether the ac has radio relay.

When the receivers turn up they will check in with ATC... once that is complete the Tanker pilot will give a joining message, eg:

“Blazer 1, Tartan 21 for RV A, My FL 200, your FL 190 set Tacan Channel 58”

The receiver will acknowledge this. It means:

RV “A” is a rendezvous controlled by ATC in which ATC will get the receiver 1nm astern the tanker 1000’ below...

My FL 200... Tanker is at 20000’ on 1013 Altimeter setting

Your FL 190... you should join at 19000’ on 1013 for deconfliction

Set Tacan Channel 58... the receiver sets his Tacan nav aid to channel 58 and will get a range readout to the tanker.

Once the receiver is visual he will say:

“Tartan 21, Blazer visual”

The tanker will reply “Clear join”

The receiver will join forward of the left wing of the tanker in a position called “Observation Left” (it is effectively Echelon, but we don’t call it that anymore... don’t ask me why not!)

Once stable the receivers will be sent to a hose... if there are two receivers and the tanker is a VC10 it would go something like this...

“Blazer 1 clear astern right, Blazer 2 clear astern left”

Both Blazers will read back that clearance and move astern the hoses. Once there they will say:

“Blazer 1 astern the right” and he will be cleared contact... “Blazer 1 clear contact right”.

Blazer 2 cannot contact until 1 is steady and my well be told to “Maintain astern” if he calls there.

They will stay in contact until they have had their fuel... they can disconnect together eg:

“Blazer 1 and Blazer 2, Disconnect”... which they will acknowledge and then call astern when out of contact.

They will then be told to go to the echelon right position (called reform) and how much fuel they had, eg

“Blazer 1 and 2 go Reform Right, Blazer 1 3500kgs, Blazer 2 3200kgs”... again they will read back.

Once in reform they will be cleared to leave by the tanker.

The tanker is always the formation lead and has full control of the formation.

All this can be done in full R/R silent, though you will often here the tanker crew say “Clear astern the right, continue on the lights” which means just the AAR is done silent to keep the chat down. This is also useful if there are two tankers in Cell, ie one tanker 1000’ above and 1nm behind (500’ and ½ mile in good weather), working as a team.

There will sometimes be talk of a “boom freq”. Even though we don’t have booms in the RAF we use the term to denote a quiet frequency for use during AAR.

I will leave it there for the time being, and add to it over the next week or so...

Next bit then... a brief look at how we find each other (or RVs)

There are several ways of getting the tanker and the receiver together and they are known as RVs. The normal way is the one mentioned above, an RA Alpha. An RV A is a procedure controlled by an agency providing a radar service such as air traffic (such as London or Scottish Military) or a fighter controller (such as Boulmer on the ground or Magic on board an AWACS). They will vector the receiver (and if required, the tanker) such that the receiver can become visual and effect their own join... if necessary they will put the receiver 1nm behind and 1000' below the tanker. From that position the receiver can call visual and be cleared to join.

Another common RV is the RV Delta, and this is often used to get two tankers together. The receiver will fly along a pre-briefed line between to geographic points (or along an airway). He flies at a set speed (usually 300kias (knots, indicated air speed)) and the tanker will fly 1000' above on an opposite track, offset by a calculated distance (dependent on factors such as height and drift) and will start a turn in front of the receiver at a calculated distance. The tanker will roll out 1000' above and 1nm in front of the receiver (and very satisfying that is to watch happen!!)

If you want to get together and do it silently an RV E is used.... this is all based on a pre-briefed towline and set times through an anchor point... that way the receiver can work out where the tanker will be at any time... again very cool to see the whole thing done and not a word spoken.

If the tanker and the fast jet (FJ from now on) receiver are at the same base we will do a visual circuit based RV where the FJs and tanker taxy together and the FJs get airborne first and fly a visual circuit. As they carry out their take-off the tanker will line up and wait for a down-wind call from the FJs. At this point the tanker will start its take-off and the FJ will keep it in sight and join as soon as the tanker has cleaned up. The advantage of this is that is guarantees that the FJs are airborne before the tanker... if the tanker was to take off first and then a FJ go u/s it could require the tanker to dump fuel and land... expensive and not very green!!! This is usually used on a trail.

The final one I will cover for now is the Snake Climb. Many of you will have seen this, when two VC10s get airborne very close together at Brize. It is a way of getting to heavies airborne and joined is quick order, even if there is cloud for most of the climb. The lead tanker will roll and the No2 will time 45 secs and then start his take off. After that the lead will call every turn he does and No2 will follow that 45 secs later. As the two ac come out of cloud the No2 will call visual and join. No radar is required, just accurate flying. If there is no cloud we will take-off 30 secs apart!! Great fun as well as very useful.

A couple more bits and bobs...

A few calls you may hear...

Bootleg: Spare fuel. A tanker will often offer up Bootleg or be asked for Bootleg available and a time; ie how much spare gas and when is it available (you may have 10t spare, but you need time to give it away). If you stay beyond the tasked time, you also have to take into account the fuel burnt by the tanker, so, if you have 10 tonnes and stay 10 mins you can give about 9t... stay 20 and it will be 7 or so....

Hayrack... a range from the tanker to the receiver taken from the TACAN.

Judy: An Air Defence fighter will call that when they have the tanker on radar and are happy to continue the join without ATC help.

Breakaway: If the tanker needs to get the receiver out of contact in a hurry they will call for a breakaway and the receiver will close the throttles and move out of the way. Reasons for this... tanker emergency.