Pilot and crew experience
The refuelling mission involved four experienced C-17 pilots from the NATO Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW), all of whom were participating in AAR operations with an A330 MRTT for the first time. The MMU used this opportunity to train two Aerial Refuelling Operators (AROs), further expanding their expertise in heavy AAR.
“With heavy receivers like the C-17, the whole AAR-procedure is different: Receivers normally line up on our wing firstly and when we’re ready, we call them one by one to refuel. But with heavy receivers, they come directly astern, about 50 feet behind the boom, and always solo”, explains Rene van der Gun, one of the AROs on the mission. “Everything is much slower, compared to our normal missions. This is giving you more time for each action and making it less hectic. In addition, the control logic is different with heavy receivers. It is a little less sensitive, so you have to put in more strength to steer the boom”, he continues.
Clearance and assessments
After a careful assessment by the Netherlands Military Aviation Authority (NLD MAA) and MMU test pilots, the existing technical compatibility was converted into an operational clearance for the MMU without the need to conduct additional test flights. Currently, the C-17 is the only heavy receiver the MMU is cleared to refuel. However, an ongoing test campaign with NATO AWACS and potential future operations involving B-52 aircraft are underway.
Mission outcomes
The primary focus of the mission laid on dry contacts between the A330 MRTT and the C-17. These dry contacts are essential for training and certification purposes, ensuring that all involved personnel is adequately prepared for future refuelling missions that will involve actual fuel transfer. “Normally, a heavy AAR mission would see around 30 tons of fuel offloaded, but today’s mission emphasized training and procedural accuracy without actual fuel transfer”, Nico Temming, the pilot in command of the A330 explains.
This mission not only displayed the capabilities of the A330 MRTT and the readiness of the C-17 pilots but also reinforced the MMU’s commitment to safe and efficient air-to-air refuelling operations. As the MMU continues to expand its operational capabilities, this successful mission lays the groundwork for future heavy AAR operations, supporting an even broader range of NATO and allied air forces.
