Annual Boom-Symposium 2013 at Altus AFB, OK

Normally I don't mention the annual Boom Symposium held at Altus AFB every year on here but this year is a special one.....wait for it.....


They will have the KC-46 boom simulator there! I know I know. Pretty boring to most. But I for one am curious how this "up front/no boom pod" jet is going to preform as a former boom operator. I think Boeing laid an egg with this design and took all the dangerous stuff out of the booms direct vision and put it on 3-D cameras. I got to play around with the KC-767 years ago before the scandal that wasted so much time in getting a new tanker to market. It was....interesting. Depth perception used to be a requirement to hold the job and now that's all replaced with a few cameras.

Here's the link if anyone is interested...www.altusboom.org...

So my opinion is there should be a boom pod, regardless of technology. Anyone out there have different thoughts about our new tanker and any thoughts about the KC-Y and KC-Z grabs for the future? (one is rumored to be a stealth concept tanker...).

My thoughts would be that technology as a tool and assist is a wonderful and powerful thing. It's a nightmare and a curse though, when it becomes so integral to the systems that human skill is almost taken out of the equation.

No depth perception required? ....and what if there is an EMP and ..uh oh ... building to the lowest bidder means one section of one circuit group wasn't protected as advertised and paid for. No cameras all of the sudden. Let's be real and assume tanker bases just get a 'side swipe' of EM blast and not crippling to the aircraft or major systems. Just enough to zap things like monitors and cameras?

It's like the fact Annapolis doesn't teach Celestial navigation anymore, as last I heard it. Why bother? we have GPS! Er... Yeah.. systems are never destroyed or negated in war.

I take it this event isn't a public thing? It's not far at all from where I live and my son has had precious few opportunities to see the military in anything but action movies and bad news coverage. I'm always looking for what's affordable and within driving distance? (I see 95% of the schedule is boring to distraction for non-boomer types..but that sim sounds really neat!)

I got the chance to sit (lay) in the boom operator's seat on a KC-135 on a MAC flight to Hawaii. Pretty cool stuff. Must have been a fun job!!

The new design they have planned would be interesting to see in action, hopefully it makes it easier on the operators.

reply to post by boomer135


I personally think they should have both. Cameras and 3D virtual reality goggles fail. What happens if they fail right when a receiver in desperate need of fuel is coming into contact with the boom? They should always have some kind of back up system. Put a pod in, and if you don't use it, great, but if you do need it, you have it.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Im checking on the public thing right now. As far as I know, while the simulator is in Altus, the public can go see it. But dont quote me on that.


And as for easier, I doubt it. There's nothing easier than preforming air refueling in the boom pod. It's like playing a video game without the monitor....wait a minute

Now it will be playing a video game with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax payers money.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by boomer135

 

I personally think they should have both. Cameras and 3D virtual reality goggles fail. What happens if they fail right when a receiver in desperate need of fuel is coming into contact with the boom? They should always have some kind of back up system. Put a pod in, and if you don't use it, great, but if you do need it, you have it.

Quote me if I'm wrong, but i believe that the whole 3D thing came from the original plan of the Air Force leasing jets from Boeing instead of buying them outright. No boom pod means no modification when it came time to give the jets back. But I agree 100%. At least as a backup. However, from what I hear, there's no way for all the cameras to fail. One set has it's own battery supply supposedly. Not sure how the final product will work though.

reply to post by boomer135


Yeah, that's what I heard too.

No way for them to fail, I've heard that before. "Fighters don't need guns anymore, they have missiles." It ranks right up there with that one, and a few other choice ones I've heard through the years. I'll believe it when they can prove beyond any doubt that the cameras will work under any circumstance, and won't fail no matter what you do to them.

One of my personal favorites, was an F-15 pilot on their second attempt after an air abort. He announced he was "going today even if I lose an engine on take off." Needless to say, V1, he does, he aborts. Airplane spent two months getting repaired for a one time flight to the depot.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by boomer135

 

Yeah, that's what I heard too.

No way for them to fail, I've heard that before. "Fighters don't need guns anymore, they have missiles." It ranks right up there with that one, and a few other choice ones I've heard through the years. I'll believe it when they can prove beyond any doubt that the cameras will work under any circumstance, and won't fail no matter what you do to them.

Yeah that will never happen. Just like all the lights in the back will always work

reply to post by boomer135


Oh, and don't forget, "This new electronic fuel monitoring system we're installing will work great, and make it much easier for you to monitor your fuel levels!" Right before it had something like an 80% failure rate.

I wonder if that's the same weekend as the airshow? Altus used to put on a great show, although admitidly I don't have anything else to compair it with lol. My mom got to watch a refueling from a kc out of Altus a few years ago, then she got to lay in the operators seat afterwards for some of the flight. Lucky lady....I'm still jelous.