The Amazing People in our Military

I had the incredible privilege of going on a flight with the 109th Kansas Air National Guard Refueling Wing as we flew from Topeka, Kansas to Louisiana for a rendezvous with the Blue Angles. We then provided escort to California before flying back to Topeka.

We had unrestricted access to the plane and personnel and I managed to shoot over 100 stills and 2.5 hours of footage. Mostly 4k with my GH4 but they let me stick my GoPros in the boom operator's pod and cockpit.

This is a 2 minute timelapse of three F/A-18's piloted by the Blue Angels squadron being refueled (took 18 minutes).


Timelapse Video

I'll be editing the footage for Stock all weekend.

The amazing folks of the Kansas Air National Guard not only fly refueling missions, but they also provide supplies and support where ever it's needed, be it the folks in our own community (Greensburg, Kansas after the tornado) or other communities like the flood victims in Utah and Colorado. Or even in other countries. It was an honor to meet them and hear their stories.

Enough advertising...
Pond5 should charge you or them. :D

that's awesome! Love the footage!

Great footage!
I thought this was an "Inspiration" page. Which is what he's doing patuwe.

Great to have the world's most capable fighter aircraft and refueling capability. I've done hundreds of these from the F-4 Phantom II. The USAF uses a fixed boom instead of a basket on the end of a flexible tube like the Navy. I once was refueled over 10 times from the west coast of USA to Egypt. Tiring but the worldwide capability is incredible.

The Kansas Air National Guard is Air Force, so the KC-135 has a fixed boom. They have an "adapter" for the basket since they were helping out some "Navy buddies"... :)

too bad even our military can't standardize air refueling. It would be sad to lose an aircraft and crew because they were low on fuel and couldn't refuel from any service tanker.

Jake,

I am just joking. !!
Hey, I would love them too if they let me film them !!! Ha Ha !!
Well, I probably get air-sick from above, better not...

Ok, sorry.