How boom operators aboard the US Air Force’s flying gas stations keep their cool doing an ‘inherently dangerous’ job

• Business Insider recently interviewed a US Air Force boom operator at a base in England.
• The boom operator is responsible for setting up the midair refueling for a receiving aircraft.
• They shared how they stay mission-focused during what is an “inherently dangerous” job.

Thousands of feet up and racing across the sky at hundreds of miles per hour, US Air Force tankers close to within just 12 feet of fighter jets to refuel them in flight, sometimes as little as 8 feet, closer than a basketball hoop is high.

The job is “inherently dangerous,” an Air Force boom operator responsible for in-flight refueling of other aircraft told Business Insider during a visit to RAF Mildenhall. The airbase north of London hosts the 100th Air Refueling Wing — the only Air Force tanker unit for Europe and Africa — and its Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers.

Authorized to speak only on the condition of anonymity, the boom operator said the job is high-pressure. Mistakes can be catastrophic, and steady hands and keeping calm by focusing on lessons from training are critical.

Long-distance air operations are heavily dependent on tanker aircraft, although these large, four-engine planes receive noticeably less publicity than fighter jets, bombers, or helicopters.

In June, for instance, President Donald Trump revealed that over 50 tankers supported the US military’s Operation Midnight Hammer, the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The aircraft enabled the B-2 Spirit bombers to fly for 36 hours straight.

Without the tankers, which function as mission-critical flying gas stations, the bombers would be forced to land at bases along the way to refuel, complicating the mission and risking its exposure.

How midair refueling works

The KC-135, developed from Boeing’s 367-80 prototype, has served as the backbone of the Air Force’s air refueling capability for over six decades. The heavy $60 million aircraft has a maximum transfer fuel load of 200,000 pounds, helping give US military planes a global reach.

The KC-135’s main fuel transfer system is the flying boom, a hose-like tool through which fuel is pumped to a receiving aircraft. A boom operator controls it during midair refueling from a station in the back of the tanker.

The 100th ARW boom operator told Business Insider they fly two or three times a week, although this can vary based on operational tempo and whether the air wing is participating in an exercise or an active mission.

Once airborne, the KC-135 crew heads to its refueling area, where the boom operator moves to the back of the plane and gets to work, running through a short checklist before lowering the boom that will transfer fuel to another aircraft flying just behind.

As the receiving aircraft moves in, the boom operator radios the pilot and guides them into position just behind the tanker. Once the other aircraft is stabilized and steady, the boom operator guides it in, connects the boom, and starts the flow of fuel.

The distance between the aircraft is usually about 12 feet — shorter than a mid-sized sedan, but they sometimes get even closer. The two planes are often traveling at speeds of 275-300 knots (roughly 315-345 miles per hour) at an altitude between 5,000 and 30,000 feet.

Fighter jets like the American F-35 or F-16 can take on 5,000 pounds of fuel in just a few minutes, the boom operator said, while bigger aircraft could take longer than 30 minutes and some 35,000 pounds of fuel.

In July, Business Insider observed a KC-135 supply a NATO E-3A Sentry, a modified Boeing 707/320 passenger jet, with 40,000 pounds of fuel during a surveillance mission above Eastern Europe. The tanker got so close during refueling that it was possible to see the face of its boom operator from the cockpit of the surveillance plane.

A stressful job

Like all other aircraft, KC-135 tankers are affected by turbulence. The boom operator said it’s possible to refuel in light turbulence, but anything more than that might force them to cancel.

The aerial refueling mission is exceptionally dangerous and requires everyone involved to be at peak performance. As a 2018 midair collision between a tanker and a Super Hornet in the Pacific showed, anything less can be a deadly disaster.

“If the conditions make refueling difficult, it can be stressful,” the boom operator said, adding that an inexperienced receiver pilot — especially one refueling for the first time — can make the job even tougher.

The boom operator said they don’t drink coffee or use any nicotine products, which they acknowledged might be an abnormality, but it’s essential they stay laser-focused on the job. They emphasized the need to stay hydrated, maintain steady hands and sharp eyes, and rely on the extensive training they receive.

“We have a long training pipeline, so you get lots of practice, you get simulators, and months of practicing,” the operator said. “So it kind of comes over time.”

Operating two aircraft at high speeds in proximity is risky. And while that sense of danger never fades, the boom operator said they eventually became more comfortable with it over time.

“You kind of just trust in your abilities that if there’s ever a dangerous situation, you can call for a separation and your pilots will get you out of the sticky situation,” they said.