60 year old plane.
Smells like tainted orange juice.
Thank goodness the engines are loud to cover the creaking.
Our husbands work on these machines and I’ve seen mine at least bang on our garbage disposal till it relents and works properly.
The “toilets” are milk crates with toilet seats over holes in the floor.
I’m pretty sure my seat broke before we even taxied out.
The fluctuations in temperature on the actual flight were probably good practice for hot flashes later. (Probably not much later these days, but I digress.)
Man oh man, though, no complaints about the view!
During our preflight briefing, we were told about the mission by the commander. He repeatedly thanked us for all we do for the fight. Now I know that if I want thanks in this world for the good I do, that’s all I’ll ever get, but to hear him say how important what our spouses do on a daily basis truly is, makes our thankless job of keeping the “home fire burning” a little easier. As a sign of his gratitude and appreciation he gave us one of his coins.
WOW! He thanked us the measly spouses for helping to keep these incredible machines in the air.
Oh and believe me, they are incredible machines!
They can transfer enough for fuel in 1 minute to keep the average family car running for more than a year. (According to af.mil)
They can pump more fuel in a minute than a regular gas station pump can running 24 hours straight. (According to my husband. 😁)
To see this incredible machine, refilling another incredible machine at almost 5 miles above the earth going 315 miles per hour, while only being about 15 feet away, is just unbelievable!
As they were waiting to get fuel, they were so close to both each other and our own wing.
Then in the matter of 20-30 minutes all 5 of them were all fueled up and ready to be on their way.
So these fighters without having to land and refuel and take off again, were filled seamlessly and mission ready.
This whole experience was just awesome. I am thankful I had the opportunity to partake in it.
I am so very proud of the wonderful job that my husband and all of his fellow maintainers do to keep this mission up and running. The readiness they provide the fighters, bombers, surveillance, cargo, and rescuers really is invaluable. This may have been a spouse appreciation flight, but I came out of it appreciating my airmen even more than before. (I didn’t know that was possible.)
It really is true. Don’t mind the language, but…..
YOU CAN’T KICK A$&, WITHOUT TANKER GAS!!!!!!
Grizzly Eve Domestic Goddess 