AV-8B Harrier Refueling Test With Airbus A400M Atlas of German Air Force

[@robstanton9215]

Pretty amazing. It takes a heck of a lot of skill to hold a jet that steady matching the speed and movements of the tanker. Kinda like hitting a bullet with a bullet but from behind. Great video!!!

[@airailimages]

Glad you enjoyed it! In the 1970s, Canada outfitted some Boeing 707-320 jetliners with refueling pods near the wingtips. When they reeled out the hoses, the baskets would describe a circle due to the wingtip vortices. I talked with a Canadian F-5 pilot who said that on a long trip across the Atlantic, at night, fighter pilots quickly learned they had to let the basket hit the nose of the F-5 to slow its rotation long enough to slip back and quickly stab it with the refueling probe before it got up to full oscillation again. For awhile, Canadian F-5s carried dents and scars on their noses from this tactic.

[@robstanton9215]

@@airailimages very interesting!

[@randygravel2057]

Today I cleaned up the garage. Did not involve drogue inter-nation refueling certification

[@boggy8557]

Awesome! More Harrier vids! 🤟

[@airailimages]

Always on the lookout for more... thanks for watching.

[@pakkelly]

Very stressful…for the viewer.😂 The pilot seems as cool as a cucumber. The two camera angles of the same refueling are superb. The drivable boom seems more efficient than the floating basket.

[@fishingwithfilitsa]

-Great video

[@airailimages]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@fishingwithfilitsa]

@@airailimages 🥰

[@CoondawgPD]

Knowing if you go to high that refueling basket gets awful close to being sucked in to those engines. It seemed everywhere I went I was adjacent to a runway long enough to have 3-4 Harriers doing touch and go’s all day long. Dadgum those things were loud.

[@davidrivero7943]

Amazing . Guess he went to the Right, when tank banked Left & trying to get cleaner air . I put my after Dinner Café down, it's so interesting & TY

[@airailimages]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@WFOHara-gt8ku]

Eyeballing the drogue just prior to contact ALWAYS a mistake.

[@barrymccockiner6641]

How much longer are they planning on flying the AV-8B?

[@airailimages]

Knowing the Marines, they will wring as much value out of it as they can. I wonder if this testing also benefits other NATO users of Harriers...

[@AA-xo9uw]

The Marine Corps will retire the AV-8B in mid 2029.