Australian Super Hornet refuels over Iraq

ABC (Australia) ^ | 10/5/2014 | ADF: Sgt Hamish Paterson

[Ready4Freddy]

Great pic, but begs some questions.

Doesn't this look a bit too close for comfort, or is it not as close as it appears?

Who would be flying that close to a refueling op, and why?

The cockpit frame visible in the lower righthand corner suggests that it's not the other Aussie 18E/F that has flown thus far.

[TalonDJ]

The USMC also uses a lot of KC-130s. They do plenty of refueling jets. Many jets, particularly loitering attack aircraft or jammers, might not be at 40,000 feet when the need a drink. It does not make sense to climb up there when you are low on gas.

Oh course the picture could be from almost any plane with wing mounted drogue pods.

[MHalblaub]

The angle doesn't fit for a KC-130. Draw a line from the outboard missile tip over the F/A-18's cockpit.


http://azaerophoto.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2533.0;attach=10391;image (bigger)

Also KC-130's tailplane should be clearly visible.

The KC-10 has just a center drogue. So just a KC-135 with wing pods or an A330MRTT is possible. Just these two types of aircraft have the advantage of refueling all aircraft types with boom or probe.

On the other side a hose is flexible so the F/A-18 could be far more to the right of the refueling aircraft than in the picture above...

[MHalblaub]

According to the following article it was an Australian KC-30A:
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/the-raaf-in-iraq-on-the-ground-in-the-air-and-on-task-20141107-11i8g5.html