Landing A USAF Stratotanker At Night • Cockpit View

A U.S. Air Force crew brings a KC-135 Stratotanker in for a landing at night at an undisclosed location. Filmed on November 28, 2013 as part of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing.
Film Credits: SrA Joshua Crawley
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[@bravopilot7919]

Nice job. Yes you have to move yoke a lot. It's a big truck.

[@TheBigun69]

I got to sit in the cockpit of a KC-135 landing at Altus AFB...I was amazed at ALL the stuff the pilots do. Flipping switches, throttle up/down, and the crazy amount of stick movement that goes on. We were coming back from Gen Looney's Order of the Sword ceremony in San Antonio. Got to fly on: C-130, KC-135, C-17 and a T-38 (incentive flight) during my 22 yr USAF career.

[@saltyassassin]

Without you guys, the rest of us would fall out of the sky!! There’s nothing more reassuring than a KC-135 silhouette when your running on fumes!! Flying Texaco!!

[@unitedstatesdale]

This is Amazing. Think about it. As a passenger, I had NO idea of the complexity involved in getting us from point A to point B. Thanks !

[@unitedstatesdale]

Thank You to ALL the people who are smart enough and courageous enough to Design, Build, Maintain and Fly these machines. Our freedom depends on You !

[@flywayne9362]

Greased it in . Nicely done

[@td7shelton]

Great job guys!

[@PFDChaseVids]

Awesome video! ✈️

[@CrossfireAmbush]

Hey, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing! Good job.

[@thatmfslimsam]

They sure make it look easy

[@unitedstatesdale]

Thanks for your service

[@tadeuszlufik]

Look at the comments towards the bottom from those who actually flew the -135 to get a better understanding. This Copilot did a great job. I remember minimizing throttle jockeying esp with the outboards because they were sensitive and easy to make asymmetric with the slightest adjustment - an adjustment to the inboards as required to maintain glidepath with said hand on the ready for a go-around of course.

[@soccerguy2433]

i doubt you know what you're taking about dude... ;-)

[@TheBanjoFlyBoy]

With several thousand hours in the KC135 and E3 in the Air Force, and B737, B757 and B767 in the airlines, the approach and landing looked fine to me. As stated the flight control technology in the B707 (KC135 and E3) is old. Bell cranks and pulleys with trim tabs have some lag time and delay that takes some getting used to. As an IP I would have suggested the copilot keep his left hand on the throttle and right hand on the yoke most of the time, but he got the job done in a safe and efficient manner. I like that new instrument panel and cockpit layout!

[@tadeuszlufik]

I hope people made it down this far in the postings to read the truth. 135 and E3! Nice!

[@clayyosten2833]

Where are all of the Block 45's? This was 2 years ago but I thought most of them were converted by then..

[@tamphex]

I want to press all the buttons!

[@germandavidurdaneta4034]

same

[@phatone911]

yessssssssss........

[@meechydarko8738]

Lol u gonna blow it up like that bro

[@installer759]

Good video!

[@frankmcdaniel2352]

that was intense!!!! #goUSAF

[@SarahSmith-pk9qw]

good airmanship

[@heidiholiday1879]

They are FLYING that bucket!!

[@WopActual]

That constant battle with the stick, is it by feeling the aircraft's resistance or is it by observing the instruments and keeping the attitude steady on screen?

[@dyce189]

Both

[@CJ-jh9ri]

Wop Actual It's a combo of the aircraft control weight and forces, the environmental disturbances like wind and turbulence, the visual glidepath indicator next to the runway and the airplane trends. The yoke is always in motion.

[@TechnikMeister2]

The KC135 is still an adapted 707. You have to fly it actively.

[@martin.B777]

That's the beauty of flying a classic jetliner...

[@johnopal316]

His constant turning to the right suggested a right to left cross wind.

[@kennethanderson8880]

SAC KC-135 Crewchief from 1974 till 1994. I worked on KC-135A, KC-135Q and KC-135R Model Aircraft. Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, Kadena AB, Japan and Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota

[@youreale]

well done!

[@ptroinks]

Greased it!

[@TheHawkdriver55]

I am exhausted just watching all of that over controlling on the yoke. Dang son!!!! little inputs! Back in the 90's American Eagle Airlines did their interview checkrides in a Boeing 707/KC135 simulator because it was the least used and the interviews didn't effect the regular training schedule that way. I had been flying cargo in C404s and when they walked me onto that flight deck my head just about exploded with overload. Nice video, It brought back memories.

[@andrewkyle2540]

It is 70 year old tech, Cables & Pulleys... There is no instant reaction to the flight control surfaces from anything modern....all manual labor.

[@TheFloridaRocker]

Damn he was up on that yoke. Lotta input going on there. i don't know what the wind conditions were, but that guy was grinding aileron & elevator like crazy.

[@janaaj1an889]

It always seems like an absurd amount of yoke adjustment until you watch yourself driving your car (if you can do this without running off the road). It's better than it used to be (rear-wheel-drive cars), but more than you think it is.

[@Midlanflyguy]

Good analogy.

[@firemission7777]

That is one long ass runway. Nice job.

[@Glideslopes]

Nice.

[@tinynoggin]

as someone who has not flown a plane ever, the excessive steering to the right means the plane pulls to the left. they need to take the plane to Midas and get the wheels aligned.

[@functionalcontractions1469]

Skills🎯

[@cscook69]

Hey, any cockpit shots from a C5?

[@larrywiggins672]

Well I've never been up in one of throes reminds me of an old Chevy with worn out king pins lo

[@DesertDigger1]

Looked like the co-po was in control.

[@thefurse]

sweet

[@kentscoffey]

Man, that's a lot of input by the pilot for a heavy plane.

[@Navet63]

I'm surprised the interior lights weren't dimmed.

[@vikings844]

Looks like he has to fight with the stick alot! Must be windy

[@samvelsimonyan7375]

Красота !!! Красное тепло кабины = аж на душе тепло !!! Молодцы - настоящие профессионалы !!!...

[@h8losing997]

Are there no reverse thrusts on the kc-135?

[@teleguy5699]

Not anymore. The E-models used to have them.

[@Saucierauto16]

I think the KC-46 Pegasus doesn’t have reverse thrust either

[@barryallen23]

it's so RED

[@UrduAnalyst]

no riversers?

[@cockpitchatter1]

One hand on the thrust levers during approach boy.

[@user-kl8bq3gu6f]

^hasn't flown a 135 yet, obviously.

[@cockpitchatter1]

@@user-kl8bq3gu6f 15.000 plus hrs on jets boy. Below 1500 AGL is advisable to keep a hand in the thrust levers.

[@germandavidurdaneta4034]

Damn that pilot/co-pilot (I mean the one we see, I don't know what it is) looks cute asf

[@gcm747]

Given the extensive and seemingly severe control inputs, the jet barely moves. Is this a sim?

[@DarkSideMaceWindu]

It isn't anywhere near as severe as you think it is

[@Kenny-en7wb]

No reversers?

[@jefftd202]

There must have been a lot of wind

[@JH-nf4xd]

Pretty intense yolk manipulation. Looked like quite the workout.

[@JohnSmith-ed1sr]

looking awful busy on the controls....

[@ultrasom]

Huge deadzone on that flying stick it seems...

[@smaze1782]

Yea, dude's wrestling with the yoke with what appears to be very little actual movement of the aircraft.

[@cogman62]

You would feel it in the seat of your pants as you fly. Videos don't capture that.

[@unitedstatesdale]

Jeff Coghill EXACTLY 100% correct

[@coriscotupi]

Not stick deadzone - the airplane is configured for landing and flying at low airspeed. Controls do get sluggish then. What I do find amusing is the zero rudder pedal work. He flew all the way in controlling with only elevator and aileron control inputs.

[@steveofly85]

corisco tupi generally don't touch the rudder pedals until the flare in that jet.

[@jacobtherobertson]

why are there two steering wheels...

[@cherifbar]

Ok, I am missing something here; the pilot manually deploys the spoilers on landing but then what about the thrust reversers?

[@TheKapinkrunchkid]

Seemed like they were slow enough, no need for thrust reversers.

[@bobbybabsonjr787]

No tr's on an R model. :)

[@cherifbar]

No thrust reversers on what is an ostensibly a Boeing 707,........ military variant notwithstanding. These military runways must be really long. Thanks Bob, I learn something new every day.

[@phatkid6811]

Even on the R-Model - there was a thrust reverser discussion. The issue was that they each weighed about 1000 pounds - and that was 4000 pounds of gas not going into a B-52 on a nuclear mission. SAC voted for the gas.

[@JERRYinCHS]

OK, I'll bite and weigh in. 1st- I never flew the KC-135. The comment by Jochen Heiden the 135 mechanic is relevant. I've jump-seated on the MD-88 (commuting from CHS-ATL) many times. It too has a control cable/tab type flight control system and I've seen some really big control inputs, especially coming into and during the flare. It does seem he worked a bit more than he had to. It was a smooth approach and landing. The only no-no I saw (at least at Delta) was not having his hands on the throttles from 1000' AGL through roll-out.

[@Gung_Ho_Vids]

Glad you chimed in. Thank you.

[@Bombellih]

This looks different from the Airline commercial landings, in that the pilots seemed to be controlling the flight yoke from far off the runway to landing. Do USAF pilots only engage autopilot at very different and fewer times than your average commercial pilot?

[@patpatterson6214]

Usually , it's the pilot's option on how much autopilot he wants to use. Pilots like to hand fly to hone their proficiency. Plus, it's a lot more fun than watching "George" do it. At other times, they do "coupled" approaches for proficiency training in autopilot approaches too.

[@Bombellih]

Brilliant Pat , thanks.

[@MacQ1955]

A lot of comments about pilot and all the yoke movement. When you're flying low and slow, you are constantly making "corrections." The bigger the plane, the bigger the corrections. Nothing looked out of sort to me.

[@michaelryan9813]

Interesting....no auto throttle or reverse thrust.....anyone know if 707 had auto throttle?

[@ChattingwithMarkStise]

You need more cockpit videos with them wearing their oxygen mask!!!

[@Gung_Ho_Vids]

Here's a playlist of cockpit vids from my channel. There are 42 vids in this playlist... kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZeydWWvlKZ3ldk

[@ChattingwithMarkStise]

SWEET! Thanks!!!

[@BrucexfromxCanada]

This cideo raises a question: given that the stratotanker is intended to transport Jet fuel - albeit a liquid, to what degree is the aircraft subject to the added difficulties of the liquid sloshing around in the tanks (also this will depend on to what percentage the takes are filled at any moment.) I am npot a pilot, but I am aware of the added difficulties drivers of semi-tanker trucks face with this, in spite of the baffles inside the tanks to minimise the effests of sloshing. Looking at the first officer's inputs on the yokle, obviouolsy he is flying "stick and rudder" or manually. Second the precise sharpness of his inouts suggests that he is very highly tuned to this type of flying (and clearly would need to be for the sake of all). This skill would be somewhat different from, say piloting a fighter or a general cargo carrier. But, not being such a flyer, how right am i? It seems like a lot of common sense to me, sitting in Canada.

[@Gung_Ho_Vids]

Absolutely, the surge from liquid can affect the stability of a vehicle. I was a truck driver for 20 years and transported liquid material sometimes. I can tell you when you stop hard, you could feel that liquid pushing forward and backward.

[@BrucexfromxCanada]

Many thanks for your reply! For all that Is "liquid" I was not so "wet" after all! (guffaw))

[@Gung_Ho_Vids]

It's a good word.

[@bayramtounsi2982]

somehow i like my Strato ...caster even more now... X)

[@nathanqq7792]

Hi

[@blrroman27]

no reverse thrust eh?

[@TheRevII]

I don't know where this is, but for example, Edwards AFB has a runway 15,000 feet long. At that distance, you barely need brakes, let alone thrust reversers.

[@johndee653]

The KC-135R does not have reverse thrust. During the re-engine program the AF opted out of it to save a few thousand pounds of weight and carry more fuel

[@robertbenzon6941]

Aw, shoot. This seemed like a typical, rather easy visual approach. I flew KC-135A models for about ten years, many years ago, and we always maneuvered the yoke back and forth and up and down to fly a straight line while flying any approach and landing. I note no crosswind per se, and it's a beautiful night to fly when you can see the runway for many miles away. I also believe both pilots were looking at the approach end of the runway and in the end the horizon, rather than at their instruments...which is fine in that situation. No conversation during the approach? Good crew resource management. And last, I do wonder about the cockpit lighting as it is much too bright. Is this a camera thing or what?

[@soccerguy2433]

R model is much harder for approaches.

[@robertbenzon6941]

Why so?

[@r0tb3rt]

Hmm, no reverse thrust?

[@DarkSideMaceWindu]

KC135s don't have them I believe

[@kahuna210]

must be left wing heavy or hes just nervous

[@stevenbidder6532]

PIO is making me dizzy

[@bjarnithomsen]

Why do they not use auto-pilot all the way to the runway ???

[@soccerguy2433]

Pilot Proficiency... also its fun to fly it yourself.

[@HighAway]

that is like having a grandmother taking a trip to a store by her car using cruise control.

[@jon00tz]

He's either way too tall or he has the seat too far forward......Look at the angle of his knees and elbows.....He was really John Wayne'n that yoke !!??

[@bobl78]

compared to airliner pilots they seem to communicate only very little

[@ccalves1979]

Oh my goodness that poor aircraft. What about hands on throttle all times?

[@GrantDavidGillham]

I always flew the KC135 with one hand on the yoke and the other on the throttles. When did that change?

[@genericaccount1762]

i want to be a pilot of the USAF but i'm not american...

[@voltek2217]

facu330 perez then fly for your own air force

[@sizzleslowsbeatz1163]

As long as you are a citizen you can join the U.S. Air Force! Contact a USAF Recruiter and they will explain and guide you through all the steps to join.

[@genericaccount1762]

thanks a lot

[@larrycooper9487]

"Co, get your left hand back up on those throttles and keep them there. Pilot, make sure he does." That is what I'd say from the jump seat. Secondly, I'd recommend adding a little right rudder since the CP is constantly making right yoke inputs then taking them out. Thirdly, I'd recommend him try using less back and forth control inputs. His technique is called "high yield" and is only needed in very gusty conditions. Lastly, I'd find a way to delete this video.

[@itishammy]

Larry Cooper no one asked your opinion or recommendations

[@TheRealMrReborn]

its fake, my dads a pilot and only 1 pilot flies and steers not 2🙊

[@tyrelldalton01]

only 1 is flying

[@erad5]

when either pilot moves their respective yolk, the other mimics the movement

[@bobbybabsonjr787]

It's not fake, the copilot made the approach, and landing. Once the the airplane slows to a certain speed, the rudder on a 135 tanker is no longer controlling direction, the aircraft commander on the left then has control of steering on the ground with a little wheel on his left, both pilots can fly this aircraft. I was a crew chief on tankers for four years.

[@eat_a_dick_trudeau]

Looks like your dad is a fake.

[@unitedstatesdale]

Thank You to ALL the people who are smart enough and courageous enough to Design, Build, Maintain and Fly these machines. Our freedom depends on You !