'SHOCKING' VIDEO of St. Elmo's Fire while KC-135 refuels F-15s

[@seanmillette4323]

50 years old and an F15 is still absolutely bad ass.

[@fnunez]

It will carry on being badass 50 years from now. The laws of physics don't change, and that is a very good airframe.

[@androidemulator6952]

The Boeing 707's holding up 70 years after first flight too ! :)

[@Critter145]

It’s literally a rocket with missiles. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@mattrubin89]

Still the fastest fighter

[@LetsTalkAboutPrepping]

​@@mattrubin89 bro hasn't heard of the f22, or considers it to be not a fighter aircraft becauseits designated as an interceptor....which fights. A fighter . Interceptors are fighters

[@TachiTekmo]

>Hey Mom, I wanna go into the Air Force. >Oh good, you'll do something safe and low risk, right? >Yep, just flying an aerial gas station through lightning... 😮

[@nulaxic]

this isnt lightning

[@BuzWeaver]

Heh.. That reminds me of the PBS Documentary on the US Navy Aircraft Career, a female pilot was talking to her mother about practicing landing at night during a rain storm and her mother said, is that safe? LOL.

[@KingBOOM1]

One thing I learned quickly about being in the Air Force . There are no safe jobs! I understood that considering the fact that I became Security Police !

[@Founder6087]

​@@KingBOOM1 Carrier deck jobs are scary

[@Will-ho1su]

Refueling in those conditions is mental.

[@skunkjobb]

It looks cool but there's no fire hazard if that's what you're thinking of.

[@Acrophobia2]

@@skunkjobbpretty sure he is referring to the 200 ft visibility😂

[@BarneyKB]

@@skunkjobb why not?

[@o0OJustinGoldO0o]

​@@BarneyKBThese are absolutely not the conditions under which jet a1 could ignite, even with spark sources as seen here.

[@Acrophobia2]

@@BarneyKB because this is just a cloud. St. Elmo’s fire is not an actual fire but an electrical effect.

[@JesseJames-kv7xc]

St. El·mo's fire is a phenomenon in which a luminous electrical discharge appears on a ship or aircraft during a storm.

[@TMckenny59]

Naaahhhh……it was a movie!😂

[@JesseJames-kv7xc]

@@TMckenny59 but also the phenomenon i just mention. google it

[@oscar7513]

So it’s not a disaster on Sesame Street?

[@VictheSecret]

I doesn't just appear during a storm. Flying through high altitude clouds that are comprised of ice crystals will cause it.

[@mace41canuck]

It’s from dust in the air and clouds kinda like how quartz can spark in electric lighters. The extremes of this is volcanic ash which is dangerous for engines and pitot tubes it can also sandblast your windscreen and paint off . This is likely desert dust but who knows really.

[@USMCArchAngel03]

When you're in the military every once in a while you see some truly surreal and awesome stuff.

[@brendanwood1540]

You don't need to be in the military. You can also be an innocent person and still appreciate the world we all share.

[@USMCArchAngel03]

@@brendanwood1540 You sure can.

[@fromulus]

@@brendanwood1540 To a point, sure, but there's some things and situations you'll be in in the military that you absolutely will not be doing as a civilian.

[@brendanwood1540]

@ There was a time when there was no difference between military and civilian. Civilians rose to the occasion when needed. Turns out just having a military is threatening to others. Having a gun to assert authority. No pathway to peace.

[@senorelroboto2]

​@@brendanwood1540well, the difference between a soldier and a civilian used to be a few weeks of training to learn to use a spear and shield in formation, not multiple years to get people to learn to do things like refuel planes midair inside of thunderstorms or listen for unhearable sounds under the oceans. It's specialization. Similar to how the barber doesn't extract teeth anymore, the bannermen of lords has evolved to professional fighters of the nation states.

[@dennymontgomery9716]

As a young B-52 copilot, the first time I saw this on the cockpit windshield wipers while refueling it scared the crap out of me. The a/c just laughed at me when I expressed my concern and said “…you’ll get used to it”.

[@Toranga]

I wonder what the D/C had to say about that ;) Don't worry I'm already trying to decide in which corer I'm going to stand in.

[@KevinFreedman-jl2bv]

Really? You should have seen it in other flight operations long before you got the right seat of a B-52.

[@joesmith1574]

@@Toranga didn’t the B52’s sing about St. Elmo’s Fire?

[@keymaster8176]

Damn the olds 😂

[@JohnSmith-mf3dh]

Older than the printing press.

[@Sentinel.Knight]

2:05 Pilot: focused af, Wizzo: "Oh looook, nice view!"

[@TBoNdBRFOX7]

Hahahaha!

[@TheMiningCabinet]

My dad RIP spent 22 years in the USAF. Started on KB-29 and KB-50. When I was little he told me about nights and experiencing St Elmo's Fire. It's pretty amazing and beautiful!

[@jotrutch]

Was your dad Tom Hanks?

[@poriferarobertquadrilatera4146]

This whole situation is otherworldly. It is so amazing these pilots do this type of stuff.

[@Rico34]

🇺🇸 USAF vet here. I miss these days. KC-135's are certainly amongst the coolest in our fleet.

[@mattfleming86]

They are the "Country Meemaw" Glue that holds everything together, but always in the background.

[@MrSimonw58]

Could it douse a wildfire ?

[@jonathansmith6011]

@Rico34 EC-135's are Way Cooler! Can do everything a KC can and make a bigger mess than a 1000 B-52/s!

[@Rico34]

@jonathansmith6011 I hear you; I just have personal history with the KC's, so it hits different when I see them 😏

[@jonathansmith6011]

@@Rico34 Have a few missions on KC's and flying is flying. Worst part of my time is all my birds are in a museum or mothballed. That'll make ya feel old!

[@Blue68Camaro]

Was able to get a ride on a refueling mission. Flew out of Zaragoza Spain, around Mt Etna and headed north. This is where 4 F4’s came up to be refueled. We watched from the boomer operators position. What a great experience it was.

[@pr1sm55]

Nothing in this world is more badass than this, absolutetly nothing on the ground - may it be hypercars - anything, this IS IT! Huge respect

[@Anlushac11]

The skill required to maneuver two aircraft that close in low visibility and adverse weather is crazy.

[@z31beck]

I work at an industrial tool company and we have coating vessels. They have viewing ports you can open, and it looks like this x1000. The coatings are consumable electrodes that get vaporized and deposited on the tools by a ball of glowing lightning. It's better than any sci-fi effect I've ever seen in any movie.

[@bunberrier]

What's that process called? Plasma deposition?

[@z31beck]

@bunberrier technically plasma physical vapor deposition (PVD). I was going to link a KZbin video as an example but I couldn't really find a good one.

[@bunberrier]

​@@z31beck We had some at a chip factory I worked in. They were made by Lam or Lamb. But I didnt support that group, I was in Wet Etch and Solvents

[@philhunter9134]

What a way to live. All respect.

[@atticuslamoreaux3778]

That's my old Jet from Mountain Home. King of the Fleet!

[@alanwhiteside410]

It was my jet before it was yours as I worked on it at the factory on the ramp area. Lol Hope she was a good jet for ya ! The Mighty F-15 Eagle 🦅

[@captaintoyota3171]

​@alanwhiteside410 god i wish id of tried out for pilot program, i had the grades, the fitness, and the vision just not the disipline. Also F-15 will be the longest jet in service mark my words. What other jet is classified above 1-1 thrust as a rocket

[@jesusofbullets]

@@captaintoyota3171 In fairness... THE F-22. The only reason the F-22 got funded was because it was able to beat 5 F-15's in a fight. Looking at its thrust compared to the F-15 is pretty crazy. F-15 has a 1-1.17, but the F-22 has a 1-1.25, which doesn't seem like much, but it DRASTICALLY changes the flight characteristics.

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

@@jesusofbullets and don't forget; F-15 has over 100:0 KD...and it takes something like *20* F-15s to remove an F-22...when the F-22 isn't even flying at full absurdity. F-22 is terrifying.

[@Monty-Remick]

Anyone else notice the horror movie lines that are painted in red, just behind the the cockpit, between the wing's? One says "You'll float too" and the other says"Do you wanna play a game" Just wondering if anyone knows what squadron these eagles are from?

[@NightRye_]

Looks like 389th or 391st Fighter Squadron. You can see it on the last few seconds on the tail.

[@boosted_z3472]

The phrase on the speed brake is in relation to the jets name while deployed. Pennywise and Jigsaw (saw).

[@BasedF-15Pilot]

389th FS.

[@Monty-Remick]

Thank you for the info!

[@archerkn2413]

Yeah, I noticed the "You'll float too". Missed the other one though, so now I must go back.

[@chriskola3822]

I will never not be amazed at the skills of these pilots to be able to do these maneuvers so routinely. Also, F-15 is still such an amazing aircraft. O7

[@NewCastleIndiana]

My dad named Elmo served in the Navy soon after Pearl Harbor for 20 years with various flight I’m not sure what the term is. I remember him saying they saw Saint Elmo‘s fire on numerous occasions. He said it could just hover and or slowly float from nose to tail through and out of the fuselage.

[@Mogry51]

Incredible footage! My mouth was open like a barn door after seeing the electric discharge, sparks everywhere...

[@martinmoffitt4702]

I was more amazed at the lack of visibility...that is way too close for comfort

[@beckyumphrey2626]

We.had a C-5 that had many tiny burn marks from this phenomenon. The crew landed and their eyes were wide open.

[@gibbsm]

looks like plasma

[@Handles-R-Lame]

Did i hear someone say? ....Plasmoids? ​@@gibbsm

[@IllusoryMirage13]

Looks like they're having a laser rave party up there. The whole ambiance of the foggy surroundings and the spotlight on top of the F15 makes it even more sinister and awesome!

[@camerona9067]

Landing on a carrier or mid-air refueling. Bless the pilots and service members who make it look easy.

[@tompatton9648]

Jet fuel is not flammable like gasoline, it is more like kerosene or diesel fuel. You can throw a lit match in it, and it is likely to extinguish the match.

[@MariktheWolf]

it is kerosene...high grade at that...

[@francisconti9085]

Most folks don't know it is the VAPOR of more volatile gasoline that goes 💥.. IF the gasoline were cold enough & not emanating as much vapor, the vapor/oxygen ratio would be too lean to burn explosively or in a sustainable fashion..and would put a match out like oil or water..

[@Случайноерусскоеимя]

@@francisconti9085 This is correct, even though jet fuel might seem harder to ignite that petrol, or other gases, it will still ignite. Potentially when the disconnection happens, fuel is often vaporised, making it an aerosol that is much easier to ignite than when fluid, so with the right combo of fuel (jet fuel), Oxygen (the air), and heat (static sparks) you could get some kind of burn...

[@francisconti9085]

@Случайноерусскоеимя Yes, but I wonder if cold thin air at altitude would deny propagation of a flame front, as fuel droplets would not be vapor, or likely to emanate as much vapor even at the lower pressure..also a spark wouldn't have ENOUGH energy to bring to ignition temperature..🤔

[@mytmousemalibu]

There's nothing there to be worried about. Aircraft are constantly charged with static whether there is visible corona or not. Probably the last thing to be worried about during AAR operations.

[@JOERANSTRAIGHT]

Greatest combat aircraft ever created ! It is the most intimidating most feared aircraft to ever dominate the skies ! If it’s coming for you, it’s time to make good with your maker because you will not survive. It is the alpha aircraft ! Love this video my son is an absolute F 15 enthusiast who can tell you everything about the aircraft from the beginning to the current models and he’s only 10 years old. He has a stack of books in his room he re-reads over and over. He wants to become a pilot, but he’s afraid it will be all drones by the time he gets his chance so he’s gonna train for drone flight and aircraft assembly but his ultimate goal is to fly an F15. It is a dream so I am doing all I can to help him pursue it.

[@olivertoeknuckleiii2093]

Cool video! My dad was stationed at Douglas Air Force base between WWII and the Korean War. He said oftentimes during heavy storms that they would watch St Elmos Fire dance between the steel rafters! Hopefully I will get to see it someday

[@ashleejones586]

Imagine being a ship captain in the 1500’s and your ship starts doing this 😂

[@hubardable]

Incredible !! Thank you so much for sharing 🙏

[@Peter-o]

That F15 appearance is frightening and amazing at the same time!

[@mytubehkjt]

Just means they're about to hit 88mph...

[@spudthegreaterusa8386]

X5

[@bearing_aficionado]

Its going to get to a point in our lives that no one is going to know what 88mph means!😢 One of the all time greatest movie series ever.

[@KingBOOM1]

The first time I was close to an F-15 was in 1985! We were having an airshow at our base! I was use to B-52s because we had a wing of them at Grand Forks ND. I was on the flight line and here came this F-15 over our heads! He circled the base came in, landed and parked about 30 feet from me! It was one of the coolest things I ever got to see! USAF Security Police ret.

[@watts4200]

“I CAN CLIME THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN!!!”🎶

[@lnomolas3427]

Saw this flying P-3's across the Atlantic - green fuzz around all of the leading edges, prop tips, window frames and pitot tubes plus the "lightning" bursts across the windows. Crazy.

[@daveblevins3322]

Outstanding you guys 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Thank you for your service!🙏

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

Thank God for our amazing Air Force men and women.

[@StonyAcresEstate]

Splitting hairs here, but that's just static discharge. St Elmo's Fire is more of a glow. "St. Elmo's fire appears as a continuous glow or corona discharge around a pointed object, often with a bluish hue, whereas a static discharge is a quick spark or shock when the built-up charge is released."

[@Snarkable]

Needs more Emilio Estevez, but still very cool video

[@mediamagikgroup]

LOL

[@gibbsm]

I got that John Parr song in my head from this video. "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion).

[@ronaldkonkoma4356]

With the special effects from Final Countdown starring Martin Sheen Who are related to Charlie Sheen who was in Hot Shots with John Cryer who was in Pretty in Pink with molly Ringwald who was in Breakfast Club with Paul Gleason who was in Die Hard with Bruce Willis married to Demi Moore who was in St. Elmo's Fire

[@Maxumized]

Ponder this. I’m flying my drone, at night, about 200 feet cloud cover, in an open field…just beneath so I can visualize. As I circle about a radius of 1/8 mile, I start to notice this faint blue light in the clouds following my drone and keeping its distance. I was just dumbfounded. On one of the passes, the light resembled a rectangular configuration as the broad side faced front to back…there I saw it, a wing pattern of a huge owl that exhibited St. Elmo’s fire off his wings as he flew through the lower cloud cover. He must have been doing recon on my drone.

[@BigBeans710]

This really happened or am I hilariously missing something??

[@tedoud4738]

​@@BigBeans710He'll continue the story after the acid wears off.

[@ComfortsSpecter]

Look at the little sparky He just Vibing Immaculate Humanistic example

[@mbc9290]

This is beyond incredible, no words! Thank you 🙏 for sharing 👍!

[@mediamagikgroup]

You are welcome!

[@harryhirsch3637]

Fascinating how precise these pilots can manouvre their aircraft. 😯

[@markblackman2542]

Awsome footage of angels flying way above the clouds

[@squirrel_82]

Studied that in flight school. I always wondered what it looked like.

[@cases2939]

Hope those guys keep in mind they're in a tiny club of people in the whole world A2A refueling up in the murk at that time... What an elite and wonderful group of men and women we have serving in our .Mil!

[@colinvannurden3090]

That footage is surreal

[@ronaldkonkoma4356]

Think of it while reading Fate is the Hunter

[@DroneDocs]

Mesmerizing aviation.

[@AFTER_MIDNITE]

_”Tickle me Elmo's Fire."_ -Turanga Leela, Futurama

[@BikZom]

1:49 the guy she tells you not to worry about

[@theColeHardTruth]

If you're an F-35 yeah 😉

[@thert.hon.thelordnicholson7261]

Sounded like you had an RAF lad flying one of those Mudhens. Sweet video.

[@gr82bcrazy1]

These guys are studs!

[@unusualbydefault]

like a carrier, the tanker always finds the bad weather haha

[@durdenwells2692]

Tanker always be finding the weather to fly into

[@howardroark3947]

Started humming that John Parr song when I was watching this. 😂

[@rhubarbpie2027]

God those lightning diverters on the F-15E's radome look like strobe lights at a club. I remember seeing the new jets come out of the Boeing Mod Dock with the new AESA radars, such a cool upgrade.

[@JohnnyChimpo907]

Airborne refueling is scary on its own… St. Elmo’s Fire is also scary on it’s on… But the combination of the two.. HOLYFUCKSHIT I would be so scared. 😅

[@danB1492]

An old joke amongst the "boomers" was if you put legs around the fuel port, the boomer would get it in the first time every time.

[@Flame-Bright-Cheer]

🤘🏼Cool channel 🤘🏼

[@Steve_V1066]

That's like standing at the pump, filling your car up...while juggling lit fireworks.

[@ShannonNunn-s6f]

God bless you all..

[@lamiglass1]

I’ve watched alot of refueling videos and never saw static build up like that before. Kinda shocked you can’t safely fuel in those conditions

[@arkwill14]

🎶I can see a new horizon underneath the blazin' sky I'll be where the *eagle's* flying higher and higher Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's this pair of wheels Take me where my future's lyin', St. Elmo's fire 🎶

[@RB-bd5tz]

Those first few F-15 shots looked like they were underwater.

[@ronaldkonkoma4356]

I can feel St. Elmo's Fire burning in me

[@Zarcondeegrissom]

if I may ask, how many years ago was this, and what volcano eruption were they flying through?

[@mediamagikgroup]

read the description.

[@Zarcondeegrissom]

@@mediamagikgroup I thought St. Elmo's fire only happens when aircraft fly through a volcanic ash cloud, case and point BA009, hence the question.

[@mediamagikgroup]

@@Zarcondeegrissom no, it happens in story weather often and on this mission it was required to fly thru some bad weather to get to these fighters that needed gas bad!

[@peppi0304]

Wow i didnt know they do refueling in such dense clouds

[@rhensontollhouse]

Radar until close enough to get a visual.

[@WhatWorxDev]

Imagine being the first pilots to witness this, have no way to record it, and always deciding "we ain't sayin sheeeeeit" before they get back because no one would believe them anyways.

[@arkwill14]

Except -- St. Elmo's fire is something that also happens down on Earth's surface so it was well known before humans ever took flight. Sailors have been witnessing it for ages on the masts of their ships. In fact, it gets its name from the patron saint of sailors.

[@josephking6515]

Question for the F-15 pilot and his -Talking Map- WSO (sorry, little joke I heard a long time ago. No disrespect intended, just humour), does St Elmo's Fire affect your night vision any? The guy in front looks like he has his visor down hence my question. Thanks to anyone who can answer that. Sort of got vertigo at night once but not due to this. It's nice when you can transition from outside to inside and use the AH. (Training civilian aircraft)

[@gerryk101]

That reminds me of just before the car Time traveled in Back to the Future 🤣✌️Had those same effects . Maybe St Elmo 's fire is the key for distortion in time displacement to open tunneling in order to travel warp speed ?

[@mediamagikgroup]

It's definitely an interesting thought.

[@errorerror1337]

Damn it now I have to watch Executive Decision

[@ErukanuSenpai]

Serious question How come the fuel doesn't ignite spontaneously with all those electric sparks flying around everywhere?

[@mediamagikgroup]

jet fuel is similar to diesel in that it does not ignite easily.

[@frankiethefish73]

Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's this pair of wheels Take me where my future's lyin', St. Elmo's fire (Ooh, oooh, oooh)

[@SchoolforHackers]

This would freak me TF out.

[@jonathansmith6011]

Quite common inside the aircraft too. Experienced while flying through a typhoon and thunderstorms. Great Fun! Kind of like burning sagebrush rolling from the cockpit to the aft bulkhead. Then it splatters into a gazillion sparks.

[@karlbarnett5863]

It comes inside the plane?

[@jonathansmith6011]

@@karlbarnett5863 Yup, sure does........

[@karlbarnett5863]

@jonathansmith6011 that's insane. I've never heard of it. What if it touches you, will you get hurt? Does it happen on passenger airlines?

[@borgheses]

do you carry dose meters?

[@mongolikechewchew2475]

Any chance this could cause a fire/explosion during the refueling process or as the disconnect? I sure hope not! God Bless & thanks.

[@mediamagikgroup]

Nope, jet fuel will not ignite easily.

[@mongolikechewchew2475]

@mediamagikgroup Thanks! Learn something new every day!

[@SUPERNOVA-625]

You're not alone.

[@RobesonRocks]

I can see a new horizon underneath the blazin' sky I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's this pair of wheels Take me where my future's lyin', St. Elmo's fire I can climb the highest mountain, cross the wildest sea I can feel St. Elmo's fire burnin' in me Burnin', burnin' in me, I can feel it burnin' St. Elmo's fire, St. Elmo's fire

[@edwincarter5932]

I'd be terrified!

[@Mine-z6w]

This is why AMERICA is best in world.

[@MG-iv9nw]

St Elmo's fire is possibly the cause of the Hindenburg tragedy.

[@The_Second_greatest_ever]

That’s wild to see. I bet the line on the nose of the F15 is where some sort of equipment is.

[@mediamagikgroup]

Yes, the radar.

[@jacobsmith1105]

Did not know Elmo started fires 🔥 interesting 🧐

[@stargazer2504]

Didn't know they did IFR refueling...

[@djmerchant]

That has to be one of the most difficult jobs on the planet (or ABOVE it).

[@AdamShaiken]

Appears to be attempting refueling an electric lighter with the igniter clicking away trying to ignite the air-fuel mixture !

[@axelkusanagi4139]

As long as you don't see Tickle-me-Elmo's fire

[@dandyandy642]

It looks like they're going back in time.

[@martymcfly6098]

I didn't realize low viz re-fueling was a thing. Holey Shitoley!!

[@navysquid72]

In the pacific around New Guinea an at night we were dodging thunder storms and they announced on the flight deck that there would be a chance of “the fire” don’t freak out, an of course it never happened

[@hh1n]

I’ve always thought St Elmo’s was cool when I got it but something about refueling while having it makes me wince a bit.

[@RJHunter-e6i]

We all saw what happened when we made Billy Dee Williams Mayor of Cloud City. He got Leia into a Metal Bikini... and there is no underwhere in space.

[@AEPshawn]

Some people can’t even park right at a gas pump

[@sittinandthinkin]

High voltage, fuel, what could possibly go wrong?

[@suecobandito8954]

Seen it many times. Conditions like that. Can't always get over the wx in a KC-130. Navy P-3 guys get it all the time given their mission. Heard stories of basketball sized SE fire moving down the aisle of the P-3. Maybe hype? Don't know about P-8 guys-maybe.

[@Paul51178]

I was a F/E and we used to see it in many different forms in the P-3's. Faint little lightning displays around the cockpit windscreen edges, circles formed by the rotating prop tips, and a cone protruding from the radome.

[@sideswipe147]

In antiquity it was bioluminescence. So, there must therefor now be two types of "St. Elmos fire" or this is just a normal electrostatic buildup due to weather.

[@invisibleazn9330]

incredible

[@KELLEMWITIT]

Off the drop tanks too wow

[@josephinebennington7247]

There’s me thinking they always refuel during the day in perfect sunshine.

[@KevinFreedman-jl2bv]

It’s not shocking at all. It’s completely normal and happens all the time in those conditions.

[@DigiBentoBox]

Ah yes the skies over CENTCOM. Home away from home 😂 NKAWTG…N boys. There’ll always be a 135 over those sands.