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Irish_Dem

(80,940 posts)

14. Crew of six.

Thu Mar 12, 2026, 08:02 PM

22 hrs ago

Pilot, co-pilot, maybe navigator, boom operator, maybe some medical staff.
RN's or med techs?

IDK.

The plane is lost?

Air Force families know this is a not a good statement from the brass.
It is not good when the USAF loses track of an airplane.

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KC-135 tanker involved in Epic Fury goes down in Iraq: CENTCOM [View all] vanessa_ca 23 hrs ago OP

based on the 707. these ancient craft must be heck to maintain nt msongs 23 hrs ago #1

I know, my Dad was flying them in Viet Nam. Irish_Dem 23 hrs ago #3

They fly out of Seymour Johnston AFB DenaliDemocrat 8 hrs ago #51

I think it is a Boeing 707 frame. Irish_Dem 7 hrs ago #54

I was an AWACS crewmember Puppyjive 21 hrs ago #18

Actually it's based on a dash 80. The KC-135 was about a year ahead of the 707. Angleae 15 hrs ago #44

But no consideration for crew viability? OAITW r.2.0 14 hrs ago #45

None RoseTrellis 8 hrs ago #49

Thank you! KT2000 7 hrs ago #52

Oh no.... Irish_Dem 23 hrs ago #2

Not good. A second KC 135 "landed safely in Israel" vanessa_ca 23 hrs ago #6

Crew of six. Irish_Dem 22 hrs ago #14

There are lots of Iranian drones moving thru that Captain Zero 4 hrs ago #56

When will they realize that it's more humiliating to claim combat losses are accidents vanessa_ca 4 hrs ago #58

In flight refueling has inherent risks. OAITW r.2.0 23 hrs ago #4

It's weird that both affected planes were refuelers Prairie Gates 23 hrs ago #9

That is odd... 2naSalit 22 hrs ago #12

I saw two of the Pegasus tankers very close tonekat 21 hrs ago #24

That's what I saw... 2naSalit 21 hrs ago #25

I didn't know that it involved 2 KC-135 tankers. That's really crazy. I have to believe each tanker has at least OAITW r.2.0 22 hrs ago #13

CENTCOM's only saying two aircraft Prairie Gates 21 hrs ago #20

I would think mid-air refueling tankers are closely watched to avoid this very situation. OAITW r.2.0 21 hrs ago #21

Pic downthread would seem to confirm that both the crashed aircraft and the safely landed one Prairie Gates 18 hrs ago #32

Why would that happen? OAITW r.2.0 18 hrs ago #35

Unlikely... 2naSalit 22 hrs ago #11

I didn't know all the facts when I posted. OAITW r.2.0 22 hrs ago #16

It's a reasonable one but... 2naSalit 21 hrs ago #22

True story....worked at a gas bottling plant in Portland, Maine for 8 months, We bottled from bulk,. OAITW r.2.0 18 hrs ago #37

Not avgas RoseTrellis 9 hrs ago #47

That was after my time... 2naSalit 6 hrs ago #55

I remember when one blew up over Illinois in 1982 Hassin Bin Sober 18 hrs ago #33

Just got a Guardian breaking news banner BumRushDaShow 23 hrs ago #5

I'm going to call this one: add three to the KIA tally Prairie Gates 23 hrs ago #7

I hope not, but I fear you're right -eom vanessa_ca 22 hrs ago #10

Anything approved for news by this administration is suspect CentralMass 23 hrs ago #8

No ejection seats on this aircraft. mn9driver 22 hrs ago #15

Given the danger of this flight requirement....seems like ejection seats for the pilots and the OAITW r.2.0 21 hrs ago #17

Might be a side door... 2naSalit 21 hrs ago #23

Pretty doubtful. Once they are locked into their seat, given their situation...not a lot of time to figure a quick exit OAITW r.2.0 21 hrs ago #26

Hmm... 2naSalit 20 hrs ago #27

Let's say you lose a wing or tail at 35,000 ft, flying at 450mph.. OAITW r.2.0 20 hrs ago #29

They don't even have parachutes anymore vanessa_ca 18 hrs ago #36

So, help me understand. Fighter pilots need ejection support,,,,but tanker pilots don't? OAITW r.2.0 17 hrs ago #38

That's my logical understanding, but I can't add anything vanessa_ca 17 hrs ago #39

While I am a pilot.... OAITW r.2.0 16 hrs ago #41

Compared to 0 hours in no seat of any Cessna (me) lol vanessa_ca 15 hrs ago #43

Not just tankers. RoseTrellis 9 hrs ago #48

mission scope is different, and structure wise its very different DetroitLegalBeagle 7 hrs ago #53

The Epstein Administration will be claiming the media is trying to make it look bad. Marcuse 21 hrs ago #19

Fatigue Maninacan 20 hrs ago #28

Pic of KC-135 after landing in Tel Aviv with nearly half of its vertical stabilizer torn away vanessa_ca 19 hrs ago #30

Mid-air collision between two KC-135s is the claim from CENTCOM, then Prairie Gates 18 hrs ago #31

I know vanessa_ca 18 hrs ago #34

Tankers do not collide on mission. They are totally controlled by AWACs on theater, OAITW r.2.0 16 hrs ago #42

The Stratotanker, however, does not have ejection seats. CENTCOM said "rescue efforts are ongoing." riversedge 16 hrs ago #40

The pilots, the crew, and the planes would all be fine if not for Trump's unneeded war Botany 10 hrs ago #46

Operation Epic Fuckup. milestogo 8 hrs ago #50

The plane was based at Joint Base Andrews. mahatmakanejeeves 4 hrs ago #57