The network discusses the night refueling of an F / A-18 fighter-bomber in a thunderstorm

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One of the questions that readers have on the topic of refueling combat aircraft aviation in the air, deals with the theme of a thunderstorm. Can aircraft refueling in the air during a thunderstorm be carried out with numerous discharges of atmospheric electricity - lightning?

This kind of refueling is not a frequent phenomenon, but the air forces of different countries do not refuse it - in cases of emergency. Thus, in the United States, during a night thunderstorm, the F / A-18 tanks were refilled with fuel using the KC-130 air tanker.



The corresponding video was posted on Instagram on the Combat_Learjet page. Such refueling is actively discussed on the net.

In the American information sources, during the discussion, it is assumed that refueling a carrier-based fighter-bomber in such conditions was a necessary measure. The planes were in the air and tried to bypass the thunderstorm front, but in the end the bad weather overtook the aviation facilities during that very refueling.

In fact, the planes could be at a completely safe distance from the storm front.

What do domestic standards say about this?

For example, the Manual on the Technical Operation and Repair of Aviation Equipment in Civil Aviation of Russia (order of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation of 1994) prescribes:

5.1.10. Open refueling of an aircraft during rain and strong wind with dust, during a thunderstorm (during atmospheric electricity discharges) and closed refueling during lightning discharges is prohibited.


Western regulations: "When observing a thunderstorm front and flashes from atmospheric electrical discharges within a radius of 10 miles (about 16 km) from the immediate place of refueling, the refueling procedure must be stopped."

However, all these are "airfield" standards, and for civil aircraft and precisely for refueling. The conditions for the operation of combat aircraft are different. Although it is quite obvious that refueling in the air during a thunderstorm and discharges of atmospheric electricity is an extremely dangerous action that can lead to negative consequences for both sides - the fuel donor and the acceptor.

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    1. -23
      7 September 2020 06: 52
      The network discusses the night refueling of an F / A-18 fighter-bomber in a thunderstorm
      Well yes. The diapers have been tested for 5. What to discuss? request
      1. +15
        7 September 2020 07: 20
        And how much did you use them?
        1. +15
          7 September 2020 16: 32
          Air refueling for NATO pilots is, in general, a fairly common event. Even helicopter pilots in medium and heavy vehicles do this more often than the entire aerospace forces in general. Time of day and weather conditions are just a nuance of varying degrees of significance. hi
      2. +1
        7 September 2020 08: 52
        Quote: Mavrikiy
        Well, yes.

        Thunderstorm below and far away, what to discuss?
    2. +13
      7 September 2020 07: 07
      Worthy of respect. If the circumstances were so, then the pilots masterfully coped with the task.
      1. +2
        7 September 2020 23: 58
        Our pilots need to increase the flight hours - and they will be no worse able to cope with such tasks.
        According to Vicki, the Indians have a very good touch.
        If ours were given up to 250 hours a year, then such operations would not be a wonder for them.
    3. +3
      7 September 2020 07: 13
      The network is discussing overnight refueling ....

      What to discuss? If refueling was carried out, then there were no other options.
      Surely, the crews made this procedure as safe as possible. We walked above the thunderstorms, at a safe distance from them. (usually more than 500 meters)
      At night, visually, lightning strikes are perceived "more effectively" than during the day, the distance to them is "reduced", the feeling that they are very close. Which is shown in this video. Crews determine the distance to thunderstorms not visually, but instrumentally, using radio location systems.
    4. +3
      7 September 2020 07: 14
      "If you want to live, you will not be so hot ..."
    5. -5
      7 September 2020 07: 22
      There can be no question of flying in a thunderstorm.
      What other means of aviation, which were overtaken by bad weather? In social networks and, they will not tell that.
      1. +4
        7 September 2020 07: 38
        Quote: bober1982
        There can be no question of flying in a thunderstorm.
        What other means of aviation, which were overtaken by bad weather? In social networks and, they will not tell that.

        Do you think that modern airplanes cannot fly in a thunderstorm?
        1. -1
          7 September 2020 07: 41
          Quote: Sidor Amenpodestovich
          Do you think that modern airplanes cannot fly in a thunderstorm?

          Everyone can fly in a thunderstorm, not even modern ones.
          Watch the movie "I'm going into a thunderstorm"
          1. +3
            7 September 2020 07: 48
            Then this your comment
            There can be no question of flying in a thunderstorm.

            what does it refer to?
            1. -4
              7 September 2020 08: 06
              Quote: Sidor Amenpodestovich
              what does it refer to?

              The point here is that everyone can fly in a thunderstorm, it is problematic to fly out of a thunderstorm.
              1. +2
                7 September 2020 08: 17
                Quote: bober1982
                everyone can fly in a thunderstorm, it is problematic to fly out of a thunderstorm

                What exactly is the problem of flying out of a thunderstorm if you can fly in a thunderstorm itself?
                1. -6
                  7 September 2020 08: 18
                  Quote: Sidor Amenpodestovich
                  What exactly is the problem of flying out of a thunderstorm,

                  Head over heels fly out of a thunderstorm, that's the problem.
                  1. +4
                    7 September 2020 08: 22
                    Clear.
                    Judging by your comments, you have nothing to do with aviation.
                    1. -1
                      7 September 2020 08: 36
                      Quote: Sidor Amenpodestovich
                      Clear

                      It is clear that they flew in a thunderstorm.
                      What type of modern aircraft? Interested.
                      1. 0
                        7 September 2020 18: 04
                        I flew! it was B737-300. Moscow-Sochi. Business Class. Whiskey was poured, food was served, and this greatly smoothed the impression of the flight. But I declare responsibly! You can fly in a thunderstorm !!!
                        1. 0
                          7 September 2020 18: 57
                          Quote: Maximilian37
                          Whiskey poured

                          Quote: Maximilian37
                          You can fly in a thunderstorm !!!

                          Quote: Maximilian37
                          I flew!

                          Key words - whiskey was poured! To Pearl Harbor!
          2. +1
            7 September 2020 07: 52
            If you propose to study science on the basis of an artistic (very good film) "I'm going into a thunderstorm", then why is your proposal better than those figures who offered to study history according to the graphomaniac (you cannot call artistic) "gulag archipelago"?
            1. -2
              7 September 2020 08: 07
              Quote: Wwk7260
              to study history according to the graphomaniac (you cannot call it artistic) "gulag archipelago"?

              And, even in this topic, one cannot do without Isayevich.
      2. +1
        7 September 2020 07: 55
        Quote: bober1982
        There can be no question of flying in a thunderstorm.

        Yes, flying in a thunderstorm is a form of suicide.
        Well, what to do if you came to the airfield, above the airfield
        thunderstorm, there is not enough fuel for a spare? Or leave the plane
        or diving under a thunderstorm in the hope of a normal landing.
        1. -4
          7 September 2020 08: 03
          Quote: Bez 310
          Or leave the plane
          or diving under a thunderstorm in the hope of a normal landing.

          Report to Flight Director immediately!
          In response, a shrill command will follow - Get off the plane!
          1. 0
            7 September 2020 08: 07
            Quote: bober1982
            Report to Flight Director immediately!
            In response, a shrill command will follow - Get off the plane!

            Hopefully this is a joke ...
            1. +1
              7 September 2020 08: 15
              Quote: Volodin
              Hopefully this is a joke ...

              As you know, every joke contains some truth.
              To fly into a thunderstorm means you have to be a woodpecker, where you yourself (and) looked, where ground services looked, etc.
              To come to your own airfield - you do not have fuel to go to an alternate airfield (see above), it only adds who prepared for the flight, who controlled, etc.
          2. +3
            7 September 2020 08: 08
            Did you supervise the flights?
            Don't talk about "shrill" commands.
            Make a quick decision in this case -
            it's a complicated matter, and not everyone can do it. In general, do not
            be smart!
    6. -3
      7 September 2020 07: 38
      The Americans have worked on the mistakes.
      Stoned, they stopped flying for refueling, as it was a year and a half ago with the same F-18, when they demolished their own refueling tanker along with the crew.
    7. +2
      7 September 2020 07: 44
      it is clear that the refueling was forced, but the pilots are great
    8. 0
      7 September 2020 08: 49
      There was a tragic incident associated with a thunderstorm. The crash of Tu-154M (Pulkovo) in 2006, which over Donetsk decided to cross the thunderstorm front on horseback. As a result of the crew's careless actions, the plane fell into a flat spin from a height of 12 thousand meters. So they killed 160 people.
      1. +1
        7 September 2020 08: 56
        Quote: askort154
        As a result of the crew's negligent actions,

        Quote: askort154
        So they killed 160 people.

        In my opinion, one cannot say that. Otherwise, the entire flight and ground personnel can be recorded as killers. Moreover, the crew tried to rectify the situation until the moment of collision with the ground, fought to the end.
        1. 0
          7 September 2020 10: 23
          bober1982 ...In my opinion, you cannot say that. Otherwise, the entire flight and ground personnel can be recorded as killers. Moreover, the crew tried to rectify the situation until the moment of collision with the ground, fought to the end.

          There is no need to wear "the entire flight" staff. I spoke about a specific crew.
          And his criminal negligence was as follows:
          - neglect of the technology of training the crew for this flight.
          (did not study the meteorological situation along the flight route)
          The Anapa - Pulkovo route was crossed by a cold front with active thunderstorm activity. (frontal thunderstorm). When flying to Anapa, they calmly passed it at an echelon of 10200 m. Departing from Anapa, they did not bother to clarify the position of this front, considering it not "serious", since they were already easily crossing it.
          This arrogance of theirs became a "trap" for them. Until the very last moment they believed that they would calmly pass it on horseback at 10800. They caught themselves just before crossing it, when they determined its height by the radar, which reached
          more than 12000 m. That is, the front during this time, sharply "developed". They recklessly, nevertheless, decided to go through it on horseback, because it was already too late to bypass it. They had already "driven" into it and again recklessly began to gain altitude, trying to cross it on horseback, pulling the plane into a set at extremely low speed, seeing that they were no longer in time. As a result, the plane hitting strong turbulence and downdrafts fell into a flat spin.
          At an altitude of about 6000m, they fell out of the clouds, realizing that they were already in a "flat spin", from which Tu-154 was very reluctant to come out, or not at all.
          All their attempts to withdraw were unsuccessful. As a result - "The Earth accepted them."
          The crew violated everything that could be violated during this flight. hi
          1. +1
            7 September 2020 10: 46
            Quote: askort154
            The crew violated everything that can be violated on this flight

            One mistake can lead to a whole chain of errors, and then everything that is possible is violated.
            And, my respect for you.
            1. +1
              7 September 2020 11: 08
              bober1982 .... One mistake can lead to a whole chain of errors, and then everything that is possible is violated.

              Exactly ! There are no trifles in aviation. hi
    9. 0
      8 September 2020 01: 46
      Quote: bober1982

      Key words - whiskey was poured! To Pearl Harbor!


      How does the whiskey poured into me cancel your application?

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