Amazing images of Aerial Refueling

Amazing images of Aerial Refueling from the tail of the KC-10 Extender, that offers an incredibly unique viewpoint.

Images © Jamie Morton

Top image: A B-1B punches a pair of its four GE-F101 turbofan engines into afterburner while taking on fuel at night

Above: A F/A-18E Super Hornet refuels from a KC-10 while on a combat mission

Technical Sargeant Jamie Morton, captures these stunning images of the most extraordinary flying machines, from his ‘throne’ below the tail of the KC-10 Extender.

Jamie’s exhilarating edit of the futuristic Raptor in its element

Morton said to foxtrotalpha about his scariest moment:

The best moments that I have as a boom operator is anytime that we are carrying ‘space available’ passengers and I get the chance to show people aerial refueling close up. Most people have no idea that it’s even possible to refuel jets in mid air.

My scariest moment came when I was a young Boom during the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We could see ground explosions from the air and the occasional surface-to-air fire. I had two Strike Eagles on the wings and there wasn’t much moonlight out and not much cultural lighting below, so it was very dark. I cleared the first Strike Eagle to the pre-contact position in preparation for air refueling. Just as he replies; the entire rear or out tanker lit up with smoke and fire on the outside. There appeared to be a missile headed right at us. I froze up and tried to relay to my pilots that we were getting shot at. Just as I do so, the Strike Eagle pilot called up and apologized. As he was adjusting the throttles he mistakenly popped a bunch of flares.