RAAF tanker pushes the envelope to rescue crippled US Hornet over Iraq

news.com.au ^ | 30th October 2015

[naturalman1975]

AN Australian air force tanker jet has come to the rescue of a US F/A-18 Hornet experiencing difficulties over northern Iraq.

The RAAF KC-30A tanker was diverted to refuel the United States Marine Corps fighter after it experienced engine troubles during a combat mission against the Islamic State.

Australia has deployed six of its own Hornets along with the tanker and an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft to Iraq and Syria as part of an international coalition against the Islamic State.

Mechanical failure forced the US F/A-18 Hornet pilot to shut down one of its two engines..

This placed greater strain on its remaining engine — causing it to burn up more fuel than expected for its long journey home.

Refuelling the crippled aircraft posed a challenge.

“A challenging feat at the best of times, air-to-air refuelling with an engine-out Hornet had only ever been conducted in flight testing scenarios and never before from the RAAF aircraft over a war-zone,” a Department of Defense statement reads.

[naturalman1975]

And this is why you train and you TRAIN and you TRAIN and you TRAIN and you TRAIN

[yarddog]

Also why it is nice to be good at your job.

[skeeter]

That marine owes the tanker crew a cold one.

The prospect of hoofing it through ISIS occupied real estate is not a pleasant one.

[MARKUSPRIME]

Thanks Aussies, we got your back and you got ours, appreciate it.

[Dartman]

If we hadn't been able to assist, he would have certainly have had to make a less than ideal landing in Iraq.

Only an Aussie could say that with a straight face. :)

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Thank God our pilot wasn’t in an F-35.. He might be in an ISIS video by now.

[CrazyIvan]

Good on ya, mates!

[PLMerite]

KC-30:

[SnuffaBolshevik]

Thanks mate.

Cold ones all around to those who helped.

[Gunslingr3]

A more optimistic view is that an F-35 pilot won’t have to deal with the difficulties of refueling after shutting down an engine.

[Vic S]

Thank God our pilot wasn’t in an F-35.. He might be in an ISIS video by now.

---

Yeah, how do you spend 100s of billions of dollars on a new fighter and end up with a dual purpose (Air Force/Navy) plane with ONE engine?

[Greysard]

A more optimistic view is that an F-35 pilot won't have to deal with the difficulties of refueling after shutting down an engine.

Not being an airplane mechanic, I had to check Wikipedia to confirm what I suspected:

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters

[exit82]

We can always rely on the folks Down Under.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty ping.

[Forty-Niner]

On Marine bases, the band plays “Waltzing Matilda” on its way to the flagpole for the morning flag raising ceremony. Since WWII there has been a close bond between Australians and US Marines.

[laplata]

That marine owes the tanker crew a cold one.

The prospect of hoofing it through ISIS occupied real estate is not a pleasant one.

---

For sure on both points.

[Gay State Conservative]

That Marine owes the tanker crew a cold one.

You've got *that* right.But the Marine should be aware that only *Americans* drink Foster's.Those Aussies will settle for nothing less than Victoria Bitter! ;-)

[PAR35]

Mechanical failure forced the US F/A-18 Hornet pilot to shut down one of its two engines.

If he had been upgraded to the F-35, he wouldn't have ever been put in a positions where he would have to shut down one of two engines.

[Moonman62]

Based on the A330.

[TangoLimaSierra]

Thanks Aussies, we got your back and you got ours, appreciate it.

When obammy finds out he'll find a way to dis the Aussies.