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DetroitLegalBeagle

(2,497 posts)
53. mission scope is different, and structure wise its very different
Fri Mar 13, 2026, 10:26 AM
Yesterday

Fighters and bombers are expected to have to spend a lot of time in contested airspace and operate under conditions where any emergency turns catastrophic basically instantly. Cargo planes and tankers rarely fly in contested airspace and if they do, they usually are under escort. For their normal missions, emergencies aren't usually catastrophic immediately, they are usually emergencies that happen over minutes and allow them to try to handle it while still in the air. The actual plane designs themselves is the other issue.Cargo planes can have multiple decks with personnel on each. Some have crew moving around a lot. They would need a different escape method. Having a single one, like simply bailing out, simplifies things. Ejection seats means the entire structure needs to be designed around it, its not something that can easily be retrofitted into existing designs. And the weight of the systems is the other issue, which is kind of important for cargo and tankers. Every pound of weight tied to ejection systems is less cargo and fuel they can carry every trip. And for planes that are expected to have a very low need for such systems, the trade off isnt worth it. Everything with the military has compromises between efficiency, safety, mission effectiveness, and cost. And mission effectiveness usually takes priority.

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based on the 707. these ancient craft must be heck to maintain nt msongs Thursday #1
I know, my Dad was flying them in Viet Nam. Irish_Dem Thursday #3
They fly out of Seymour Johnston AFB DenaliDemocrat Yesterday #51
I think it is a Boeing 707 frame. Irish_Dem Yesterday #54
I was an AWACS crewmember Puppyjive Thursday #18
Actually it's based on a dash 80. The KC-135 was about a year ahead of the 707. Angleae Yesterday #44
But no consideration for crew viability? OAITW r.2.0 Yesterday #45
None RoseTrellis Yesterday #49
Thank you! KT2000 Yesterday #52
Oh no.... Irish_Dem Thursday #2
Not good. A second KC 135 "landed safely in Israel" vanessa_ca Thursday #6
Crew of six. Irish_Dem Thursday #14
There are lots of Iranian drones moving thru that Captain Zero 22 hrs ago #56
When will they realize that it's more humiliating to claim combat losses are accidents vanessa_ca 21 hrs ago #58
In flight refueling has inherent risks. OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #4
It's weird that both affected planes were refuelers Prairie Gates Thursday #9
That is odd... 2naSalit Thursday #12
I saw two of the Pegasus tankers very close tonekat Thursday #24
That's what I saw... 2naSalit Thursday #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 Thursday #13
CENTCOM's only saying two aircraft Prairie Gates Thursday #20
I would think mid-air refueling tankers are closely watched to avoid this very situation. OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #21
Pic downthread would seem to confirm that both the crashed aircraft and the safely landed one Prairie Gates Thursday #32
Why would that happen? OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #35
Unlikely... 2naSalit Thursday #11
I didn't know all the facts when I posted. OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #16
It's a reasonable one but... 2naSalit Thursday #22
True story....worked at a gas bottling plant in Portland, Maine for 8 months, We bottled from bulk,. OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #37
Not avgas RoseTrellis Yesterday #47
That was after my time... 2naSalit Yesterday #55
I remember when one blew up over Illinois in 1982 Hassin Bin Sober Thursday #33
Just got a Guardian breaking news banner BumRushDaShow Thursday #5
I'm going to call this one: add three to the KIA tally Prairie Gates Thursday #7
I hope not, but I fear you're right -eom vanessa_ca Thursday #10
Anything approved for news by this administration is suspect CentralMass Thursday #8
No ejection seats on this aircraft. mn9driver Thursday #15
Given the danger of this flight requirement....seems like ejection seats for the pilots and the OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #17
Might be a side door... 2naSalit Thursday #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 Thursday #26
Hmm... 2naSalit Thursday #27
Let's say you lose a wing or tail at 35,000 ft, flying at 450mph.. OAITW r.2.0 Thursday #29
They don't even have parachutes anymore vanessa_ca Thursday #36
So, help me understand. Fighter pilots need ejection support,,,,but tanker pilots don't? OAITW r.2.0 Yesterday #38
That's my logical understanding, but I can't add anything vanessa_ca Yesterday #39
While I am a pilot.... OAITW r.2.0 Yesterday #41
Compared to 0 hours in no seat of any Cessna (me) lol vanessa_ca Yesterday #43
Not just tankers. RoseTrellis Yesterday #48
mission scope is different, and structure wise its very different DetroitLegalBeagle Yesterday #53
The Epstein Administration will be claiming the media is trying to make it look bad. Marcuse Thursday #19
Fatigue Maninacan Thursday #28
Pic of KC-135 after landing in Tel Aviv with nearly half of its vertical stabilizer torn away vanessa_ca Thursday #30
Mid-air collision between two KC-135s is the claim from CENTCOM, then Prairie Gates Thursday #31
I know vanessa_ca Thursday #34
Tankers do not collide on mission. They are totally controlled by AWACs on theater, OAITW r.2.0 Yesterday #42
The Stratotanker, however, does not have ejection seats. CENTCOM said "rescue efforts are ongoing." riversedge Yesterday #40
The pilots, the crew, and the planes would all be fine if not for Trump's unneeded war Botany Yesterday #46
Operation Epic Fuckup. milestogo Yesterday #50
The plane was based at Joint Base Andrews. mahatmakanejeeves 22 hrs ago #57
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