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Botany

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46. The pilots, the crew, and the planes would all be fine if not for Trump's unneeded war

Reply to vanessa_ca (Original post)

Fri Mar 13, 2026, 07:52 AM

3 hrs ago

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KC-135 tanker involved in Epic Fury goes down in Iraq: CENTCOM [View all] vanessa_ca 16 hrs ago OP

based on the 707. these ancient craft must be heck to maintain nt msongs 16 hrs ago #1

I know, my Dad was flying them in Viet Nam. Irish_Dem 16 hrs ago #3

They fly out of Seymour Johnston AFB DenaliDemocrat 1 hr ago #51

I think it is a Boeing 707 frame. Irish_Dem 22 min ago #54

I was an AWACS crewmember Puppyjive 14 hrs ago #18

Actually it's based on a dash 80. The KC-135 was about a year ahead of the 707. Angleae 8 hrs ago #44

But no consideration for crew viability? OAITW r.2.0 7 hrs ago #45

None RoseTrellis 1 hr ago #49

Thank you! KT2000 47 min ago #52

Oh no.... Irish_Dem 16 hrs ago #2

Not good. A second KC 135 "landed safely in Israel" vanessa_ca 16 hrs ago #6

Crew of six. Irish_Dem 15 hrs ago #14

In flight refueling has inherent risks. OAITW r.2.0 16 hrs ago #4

It's weird that both affected planes were refuelers Prairie Gates 16 hrs ago #9

That is odd... 2naSalit 15 hrs ago #12

I saw two of the Pegasus tankers very close tonekat 14 hrs ago #24

That's what I saw... 2naSalit 14 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 15 hrs ago #13

CENTCOM's only saying two aircraft Prairie Gates 14 hrs ago #20

I would think mid-air refueling tankers are closely watched to avoid this very situation. OAITW r.2.0 14 hrs ago #21

Pic downthread would seem to confirm that both the crashed aircraft and the safely landed one Prairie Gates 11 hrs ago #32

Why would that happen? OAITW r.2.0 11 hrs ago #35

Unlikely... 2naSalit 15 hrs ago #11

I didn't know all the facts when I posted. OAITW r.2.0 15 hrs ago #16

It's a reasonable one but... 2naSalit 14 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 11 hrs ago #37

Not avgas RoseTrellis 2 hrs ago #47

I remember when one blew up over Illinois in 1982 Hassin Bin Sober 11 hrs ago #33

Just got a Guardian breaking news banner BumRushDaShow 16 hrs ago #5

I'm going to call this one: add three to the KIA tally Prairie Gates 16 hrs ago #7

I hope not, but I fear you're right -eom vanessa_ca 15 hrs ago #10

Anything approved for news by this administration is suspect CentralMass 16 hrs ago #8

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

Given the danger of this flight requirement....seems like ejection seats for the pilots and the OAITW r.2.0 14 hrs ago #17

Might be a side door... 2naSalit 14 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 14 hrs ago #26

Hmm... 2naSalit 13 hrs ago #27

Let's say you lose a wing or tail at 35,000 ft, flying at 450mph.. OAITW r.2.0 13 hrs ago #29

They don't even have parachutes anymore vanessa_ca 11 hrs ago #36

So, help me understand. Fighter pilots need ejection support,,,,but tanker pilots don't? OAITW r.2.0 10 hrs ago #38

That's my logical understanding, but I can't add anything vanessa_ca 10 hrs ago #39

While I am a pilot.... OAITW r.2.0 9 hrs ago #41

Compared to 0 hours in no seat of any Cessna (me) lol vanessa_ca 8 hrs ago #43

Not just tankers. RoseTrellis 2 hrs ago #48

mission scope is different, and structure wise its very different DetroitLegalBeagle 44 min ago #53

The Epstein Administration will be claiming the media is trying to make it look bad. Marcuse 14 hrs ago #19

Fatigue Maninacan 13 hrs ago #28

Pic of KC-135 after landing in Tel Aviv with nearly half of its vertical stabilizer torn away vanessa_ca 12 hrs ago #30

Mid-air collision between two KC-135s is the claim from CENTCOM, then Prairie Gates 11 hrs ago #31

I know vanessa_ca 11 hrs ago #34

Tankers do not collide on mission. They are totally controlled by AWACs on theater, OAITW r.2.0 9 hrs ago #42

The Stratotanker, however, does not have ejection seats. CENTCOM said "rescue efforts are ongoing." riversedge 9 hrs ago #40

The pilots, the crew, and the planes would all be fine if not for Trump's unneeded war Botany 3 hrs ago #46

Operation Epic Fuckup. milestogo 1 hr ago #50