Narrator: IT'S A FLYING GAS STATION
THAT KEEPS FIGHTER JETS IN THE FIGHT.
Man: IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE GUYS
LEARNING TO DO AIR REFUELING
BE UNSUCCESSFUL TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME.
Narrator: THIS IS SELF-SERVE IN THE SKY...
Man: THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TANKING OFF THE 707.
Narrator: ...SO TOP GUNS CAN SUPPORT TROOPS DOWN BELOW.
Man: 2-6 ON THE LEFT.
Man: THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT JOB,
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS JOB.
Narrator: THIS IS THE 707 TANKER...
Man: OK, NO WORRIES, WE'LL BE THERE, WE'LL BE ON TIME.
Narrator: AND IT'S UNDER PRESSURE...
Man: YOU'RE CLEAR TO STERN RIGHT HOSE.
Narrator: ...TO KEEP THIS MISSION IN FLIGHT.
Man: IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS PLANE READY,
THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY.
Narrator: A BOEING 707 TANKER IS ON FINAL APPROACH
FOR NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY, POINT MUGU, IN CALIFORNIA.
[RADIO CHATTER]
IT'S DAY ONE OF A THREE-DAY U.S. NAVY AND MARINE CORPS EXERCISE,
CODE NAME FIREX.
AND THE AERIAL REFUELING TANKER IS THE KEY TO ITS SUCCESS.
[RADIO CHATTER]
IT'S MORNING, AND THE TARMAC IS ALREADY RADIATING HEAT.
THIS 707 TANKER TOUCHES DOWN ON POINT MUGU'S 11,000-FOOT RUNWAY.
BUT THIS IS NO WARPLANE.
THE TANKER IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED BY OMEGA AIR, INC.,
THE ONLY CIVILIAN COMPANY IN THE WORLD
AUTHORIZED TO REFUEL MILITARY AIRCRAFT.
INSIDE THE BASE, OMEGA'S CREW
HEAD INTO THEIR PRE-MISSION MEETING.
Man: GOOD MORNING.
Narrator: PILOT CHARLIE HERTENSTEIN
WILL FLY THE 707 DURING THE EXERCISE.
Charlie Hertenstein: OUR ORBIT IS GOING TO BE KIND OF EAST-WEST ORBIT,
IT'S ABOUT 29 MILES LONG BY ABOUT 12 MILES WIDE.
Narrator: WHILE FLIGHT ENGINEER JOHN SHREVE WILL COMMUNICATE
WITH THE FIGHTER PILOTS DURING REFUELING.
John Shreve: YEAH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
FIVE SECTIONS, TWO EACH, A TOTAL OF 10 AIRCRAFT.
Narrator: THE TANKER CREW ARE RETIRED OFFICERS.
BETWEEN THEM, THEY BRING
OVER 100 YEARS OF MILITARY EXPERIENCE TO THE TABLE.
Charlie: OK, ANYTHING ELSE?
Narrator: VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS ROBERT PROANO
OVERSEES OMEGA'S ROLE IN FIREX.
Robert Proano: IT'S THEIR TRAINING,
WE'RE THERE TO SUPPORT THEIR TRAINING,
NOT TO DO IT FOR THEM.
ALRIGHT.
Narrator: THE CREW HAS BEEN HIRED
TO PROVIDE TANKER AND REFUELING SUPPORT
FOR THE ENTIRE THREE-DAY EXERCISE.
ALMOST 50 YEARS OLD, THIS 707 WAS A PASSENGER PLANE
BEFORE IT WAS CONVERTED INTO A TANKER.
NOW IT'S A FLYING GAS STATION,
READY TO SERVE ITS MILITARY CLIENTS
AT THE REQUIRED COORDINATES.
Robert: THE 707 IS ONE OF THE BEST ENGINEERED
AND DESIGNED AIRPLANES THAT BOEING EVER BUILT.
IT'S HIGHLY RELIABLE, VERY MUCH OVER-ENGINEERED AIRPLANE.
Narrator: THE BOEING 707-338 MODEL
IS A NARROW-BODY AIRPLANE FIRST DESIGNED IN THE LATE 1950s.
Robert: YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE LEFT
THE ORIGINAL SEATING CONFIGURATION IN THE AIRPLANE.
AND AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD,
YOU CAN SEE, FOR OUR OLDER AIRPLANE HERE,
WE STILL HAVE THE ASHTRAY INSTALLED IN THE LAVATORY DOORS
SO THAT PEOPLE CAN STAND HERE AND HAVE A SMOKE.
Narrator: ITS CLASSIC SWEPT-WING DESIGN
INCLUDES FOUR PODDED ENGINES, TWO ON EACH WING.
THE AIRCRAFT MEASURES 152 FEET NOSE TO TAIL
AND HAS A WING SPAN OF 145 FEET.
POINT MUGU SUPPORTS THOUSANDS OF MILITARY FLIGHT OPERATIONS
EACH YEAR...
OPERATIONS LIKE FIREX.
Charlie: LIKE I SAID, I GOT THE NAV DATA UPDATES.
Narrator: BEFORE TODAY'S MISSION,
PILOT CHARLIE HERTENSTEIN WILL NEED A STATUS UPDATE.
Man: THE WIFI'S BEEN WORKING GREAT, THE ROUTER'S BEEN...
Charlie: TOMORROW WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING AN EXERCISE OVER LAND,
SO WE'LL BE GOING OUT AND REFUELING
SOME HARRIERS AND F-18s.
Robert: WE'RE GOING TO BE AIRBORNE
OUT IN THE DESERT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
SUPPORTING MULTIPLE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
FROM THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS,
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE PASSING
IN EXCESS OF 50,000 POUNDS OF GAS ON THAT MISSION.
Narrator: THE EXERCISE TAKES PLACE
ACROSS THE SKIES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
FROM POINT MUGU, THE OMEGA TANKER FLIES EAST
TO THE MARINE CORPS COMBAT CENTER AT TWENTYNINE PALMS,
WHERE IT WILL FLY A 15-MILE OVAL PATTERN.
FIGHTER JETS FLY OUT OF NAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE
TO RENDEZVOUS WITH THE TANKER.
THEY'LL REFUEL BEFORE HEADING TO TWENTYNINE PALMS
TO DROP LOW-EXPLOSIVE BOMBS.
225 MILES NORTHEAST OF POINT MUGU
IS NAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE,
THE NAVY'S NEWEST AND LARGEST JET BASE.
THIS IS HOME TO MORE THAN 175 F-18 HORNETS
AND SUPER HORNET ATTACK AND STRIKE FIGHTERS.
TODAY THEY'LL BE REFUELING FROM THE OMEGA TANKER
AS PART OF THE MARINE TRAINING EXERCISE.
LIEUTENANTS PAIGE BLOK AND PHIL CASHA
ARE ON DECK FOR TODAY'S MISSION.
SEASONED HORNET PILOTS,
THEY KNOW HOW MUCH GAS IS IN THE TANK.
Paige Blok: WITH THE SHORT LEGS, OR LIMITED FUEL SUPPLY,
OF THE F-18 LEGACY CHARLIE HORNET,
WE OFTEN NEED TO BE AERIAL REFUELED
IN ORDER TO EXTEND OUR MISSION ON STATION TIME,
SO WHAT REFUELING WILL GIVE US
IS SOME EXTRA TIME TO TRAIN THE MARINES ON THE GROUND.
Narrator: AERIAL REFUELING IS A CRITICAL SKILL
FOR MILITARY FLYERS.
Man: WELCOME, SWEET CHEEKS.
Narrator: IN THE CLASSROOM, PILOT ERIC WILCKENS,
CALL SIGN "SWEET CHEEKS," IS GIVEN A SAFETY BRIEF
OUTLINING THE RISKS HE'S ABOUT TO FACE.
Man: IT'S A FOUR-ENGINE AIRCRAFT,
TWO ON EACH SIDE OBVIOUSLY,
CREATES A LOT OF LOW-PRESSURE DISTURBANCE IN THERE.
WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING
IS IT CAN KIND OF SUCK YOU TOWARDS THE MIDDLE.
Narrator: LIEUTENANT FISHER WILL BE FLYING WITH ERIC
IN A SECOND F-18,
APPROACHING THE TANKER IN TANDEM.
AERIAL REFUELING REQUIRES A PILOT TO LINK HIS PLANE
TO A GIANT TANKER IN MID-FLIGHT.
IT'S A HIGH-RISK MANEUVER THAT TESTS A PILOT'S LIMITS.
Eric Wilckens: ALL THE WAY THROUGH FLIGHT SCHOOL
YOU'RE ALWAYS TOLD TO TRY NOT TO HIT THE OTHER AIRCRAFT.
THERE'S ALWAYS THAT DANGER FACTOR THERE.
Narrator: ERIC HAS NEVER REFUELED OFF THE 707 TANKER.
HIS ONLY EXPERIENCE IS IN A SIMULATOR.
WITHIN A FEW HOURS
HE'LL BE PUTTING THOSE DRILLS TO THE TEST
AT 20,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND.
THE FIGHTER JETS ARE SUPPORTING A TRAINING EXERCISE
AT THE TWENTYNINE PALMS MARINE CORPS COMBAT CENTER
IN THE MOJAVE DESERT.
THESE TROOPS WILL BE DEPLOYED TO SIMILAR TERRAIN
IN AFGHANISTAN IN A MATTER OF WEEKS.
TODAY THEY'LL SEE WHAT CLOSE AIR SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE--
GUIDING FIGHTER JETS TO DROP LIVE BOMBS ON NEARBY TARGETS.
Marine: NOVEMBER UNIFORM 6691.
RW Nenno: WHAT WE'RE DOING OUT HERE TODAY
IS WE'RE TRAINING THE NEWEST FORWARD AIR CONTROLLERS
AND JOINT TACTICAL AIR CONTROLLERS.
Narrator: AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS IN THE CLASSROOM,
THESE MARINES WILL TEST THEIR SKILLS IN THE FIELD.
Marine: BRIMSTONE 9-2 MARK!
RW: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE FOR REAL, SEE THOSE AIRCRAFT,
HAVE THE AIR CREW INTRODUCED TO THEM
IN TERMS OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT.
Marine: WE HAVE F-18s COMING IN AT 11:50 TO 12...
Narrator: THESE MARINES WILL BE CALLING IN TARGET COORDINATES
TO THE F-18s.
THE TANKER'S JOB IS TO KEEP THE FIGHTERS FUELED UP.
THERE ARE ONLY FOUR CIVILIAN 707 TANKERS IN THE WORLD.
OMEGA AIR OWNS ALL OF THEM.
Robert: THERE IS NO CATEGORY
FOR A COMMERCIALLY OPERATED AIR REFUELING TANKER,
THAT'S A UNIQUELY MILITARY MISSION
EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD,
SO WE'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE DOING THIS
ON A COMMERCIAL FEE-FOR-SERVICE BASIS.
Narrator: THERE ARE OVER 900 TANKERS OPERATING
FOR ARMED FORCES WORLDWIDE.
OMEGA AIMS TO CRACK THAT MARKET, ONE MISSION AT A TIME.
Robert: IT'S A VERY UNIQUE AIRPLANE,
IT'S A VERY UNIQUE MISSION, IT'S A UNIQUELY MILITARY MISSION
THAT WE PERFORM ON A CONTRACT BASIS
FOR THE U.S. NAVY AND MARINE CORPS.
Narrator: EVERY AIR SERVICE HAS TO KEEP A SCHEDULE.
FOR OMEGA, IT'S CRITICAL.
Robert: WE'LL BE ON TIME.
Narrator: THIS TANKER IS CONTRACTED
TO BE AT A PRECISE POSITION AT AN EXACT TIME.
THE COUNTDOWN TO THE RENDEZVOUS HAS BEGUN.
John: YEAH, WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR ANY KIND OF LEAKS,
WHETHER IT BE HYDRAULIC OR FUEL LEAKS...
Narrator: AFTER 28 YEARS, JOHN SHREVE KNOWS HIS PLANES.
HIS PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION MISSES NOTHING.
John: HOLD ON A SECOND. WE LOST POWER.
Man: POWER SHUT DOWN.
Narrator: WITH THE COUNTDOWN TO TAKEOFF ON HOLD,
JOHN SEARCHES FOR CLUES.
John: WATCH YOUR FINGERS...
Narrator: EVERY MINUTE THIS TANKER IS DELAYED
COMPROMISES THE TIMING OF THE F-18 SORTIE.
JOHN AND HIS TEAM QUICKLY DISCOVER
THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.
John: THERE'S A SET OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS,
LIKE IN YOUR HOUSE, THEY JUST TRIPPED ONE OF THOSE,
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE POWER ESTABLISHED,
AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD.
Narrator: CHARLIE AND HIS CO-PILOT ROYCE GRONES
HAVE LOGGED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FLIGHT HOURS
IN UNCLE SAM'S SERVICE.
THE UNIFORMS ARE GONE, BUT THE DISCIPLINE IS INGRAINED.
THEY'RE TEAM PLAYERS IN A MULTI-UNIT MILITARY OPERATION.
John: OK, I'M COMPLETE WITH MY PRE-FLIGHT,
EVERYTHING LOOKS IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE,
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF THIRSTY FIGHTERS OUT THERE
THAT'S GONNA WANT US TO GET THEM SOME GAS,
SO WE NEED TO GET THINGS ROLLING NOW
AND GET THE ENGINES STARTED.
Narrator: OMEGA'S REPUTATION IS ON THE LINE.
THESE F-18 HORNETS NEED THE TANKER OVER TWENTYNINE PALMS
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR,
AND IT'S UP TO THIS CREW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
U.S. NAVY F-18 HORNETS
STAND READY FOR A TRAINING EXERCISE
IN THE SKIES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
OMEGA AIR'S 707 TANKER IS STANDING BY TO MEET THEM
FOR AIR-TO-AIR REFUELING
OVER THE TWENTYNINE PALMS MARINE CORPS COMBAT CENTER.
THE OMEGA 707 IS SCHEDULED FOR PRECISE MAP COORDINATES
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR,
BUT EVEN A FLYING FUEL TANK NEEDS FUEL.
Dwayne Kolodziej: WE'RE PUMPING GAS IN THIS AIRPLANE.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ABOUT 18,000 GALLONS OF FUEL...
Narrator: IT'S UP TO DWAYNE KOLODZIEJ,
ONE OF OMEGA'S MECHANICS, TO SQUEEZE THE PUMP.
Dwayne: IT GETS A LITTLE STRESSFUL EVERY NOW AND THEN,
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE,
EVERYBODY'S DEPENDING ON ME.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS PLANE READY,
THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY.
Narrator: THE 707'S TANKS HOLD 12 HOURS OF FUEL.
TODAY'S SORTIE IS ONLY FOUR HOURS LONG,
LEAVING THE TANKER WITH MORE THAN 10,000 GALLONS OF FUEL
TO OFFLOAD TO RECEIVER JETS.
IT TAKES THREE TRUCKLOADS OF FUEL TO FILL THE TANKS.
Dwayne: THE PLANE WILL BE READY FOR TAKEOFF, WE'RE ON TIME.
Narrator: FILLED WITH FUEL, THIS PLANE AND CREW
WOULD BE IN GRAVE JEOPARDY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.
IN 2011 A FULLY LOADED OMEGA 707 TANKER CAUGHT FIRE
AFTER A MALFUNCTION.
THE CREW ABORTED TAKEOFF AND ESCAPED WITH MINIMAL INJURIES,
BUT THE PLANE WAS LEFT A FIERY WRECK.
THE DISASTER COST OMEGA MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
AND SERVES AS A GRAPHIC REMINDER
OF THE HAZARDS TANKER CREWS FACE ON EACH MISSION.
Charlie: FORWARD DETENT.
Royce Grones: FLAP LEVER. Charlie: UP AND CHECKED.
Royce: REVERSE THRUST. Charlie: DOWN AND CLOSED.
Royce: START LEVERS. Charlie: CUT OFF.
Royce: AUTOPILOT AND AUTO THROTTLES.
Charlie: OFF AND OFF. ANY QUESTIONS?
Royce: NO QUESTIONS.
Narrator: FILLED TO CAPACITY
WITH THOSE 18,000 GALLONS OF JET FUEL,
THIS TANKER WEIGHS IN AT 319,000 POUNDS.
Charlie: CLEAR LEFT. Royce: CLEAR RIGHT.
Charlie: BRAKES CHECKED.
Royce: CLEAR RIGHT WHEN YOU WANT.
Narrator: IT TAKES 10,000 FEET OF RUNWAY AND 150 KNOTS
TO GET INTO THE AIR.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Radio: RIGHT 1-6-0, MAINTAIN 7,000, OMEGA 7.
Royce: 1-6-0, 7,000. Charlie: 7,000.
Narrator: AT NAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE,
THE HORNETS ARE RESTLESS.
THE FIRST FLIGHT IS CLIMBING INTO THE SKY.
THE MISSION IS A GO.
ON THE APRON, LIEUTENANT PAIGE BLOK IS UP NEXT.
THE AIR-TO-AIR REFUEL FROM THE 707
MEANS SHE WON'T HAVE TO RETURN TO BASE TO GAS UP,
DOUBLING HER IMPACT ON THE EXERCISE.
Paige: ESSENTIALLY WE'LL BE FILLING THE ROLE OF TWO HORNETS,
ALTHOUGH ONLY ONE WILL BE REQUIRED AIRBORNE,
SINCE WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXTEND OUR TIME ON STATION
THROUGH AERIAL REFUELING.
ANY EXTRA TRAINING WE CAN GET REFUELING
IS CERTAINLY BENEFICIAL TO PILOT TRAINING AS WELL.
Narrator: SEVERAL HORNETS ARE ENGAGED
IN THIS AFTERNOON'S EXERCISE.
BUT FIRST THEY NEED A TOP-UP FROM THE TANKER.
40 NAUTICAL MILES
FROM THE TWENTYNINE PALMS COMBAT CENTER,
THE 707 SLIPS INTO ITS OVAL ORBIT,
WAITING FOR THE HORNETS TO ARRIVE.
Charlie: THE SCENERY IS JUST BEAUTIFUL UP HERE.
WE'VE GOT THE BEST SEATS IN THE WORLD
SITTING UP FRONT LIKE THIS.
A LOT OF THE EQUIPMENT IN THIS AIRPLANE IS ANALOG,
SO IT TAKES A LOT MORE INPUT BY THE PILOTS.
SO YOU'LL FEEL THE CONTROL FORCES A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN YOU DO WITH A LOT OF THE MODERN AIRCRAFT.
John: THIS AIRPLANE IS AN OLD SCHOOL AIRPLANE.
YOU CAN LOSE ALL YOUR ELECTRICS,
YOU CAN LOSE ALL YOUR HYDRAULICS,
AND IT'LL STILL FLY.
Charlie: WE JUST GOT A CALL, WE'VE GOT A SECTION OF FIGHTERS,
A TWO-SHIP THAT IS ON THEIR WAY UP FROM THE RANGE.
SO I ANTICIPATE THEY'LL PROBABLY BE HERE
IN ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MINUTES.
Narrator: THE 707 IS A PROBE-AND-DROGUE STYLE REFUELER.
EACH WING-TIP POD HOUSES A DROGUE, OR BASKET,
THAT EXTENDS FROM A 50-FOOT HOSE,
ALLOWING TWO RECEIVERS TO REFUEL SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THE RECEIVING JETS ARRIVE IN TANDEM
BEFORE SEPARATING BEHIND EACH WING.
ON APPROACH, THE PILOT ACTIVATES
THE FIGHTER JET'S REFUELING PROBE.
WITH THE HOSES FULLY EXTENDED, THE TANKER HOLDS STEADY.
IT'S UP TO THE RECEIVER PILOT TO MOVE IN.
CAMERAS HELP JOHN MONITOR THE OPERATION.
John: 2-1, YOU'RE CLEAR TO STERN RIGHT HOSE,
2-2, YOU'RE CLEAR TO STERN LEFT HOSE.
VERIFY...
[RADIO CHATTER]
Narrator: THIS GAS STATION IS SELF-SERVE.
TO GET FUEL FLOWING, THE PROBE NEEDS TO BE PUSHED
ABOUT FIVE FEET INTO THE BASKET.
THIS IS WHEN A PILOT'S SKILLS ARE TRULY TESTED.
THEY'LL NEED TO PERFORM A PERFECTLY TIMED THRUST
WITH A MOVING TARGET.
[RADIO CHATTER]
WITH A SPEED OF ABOUT 317 MILES PER HOUR,
EVEN A SMALL ERROR COULD LEAD TO DISASTER.
THE F-18 MAINTAINS A STABLE POSITION
FOR THE DURATION OF THE FUEL TRANSFER.
IF THE PROBE MOVES MORE THAN A FEW FEET IN ANY DIRECTION,
FUEL FLOW STOPS.
John: THEY'RE BOTH IN PERFECT POSITIONS.
I'LL JUST WATCH THEM TO MAKE SURE
THEY DON'T FALL OFF THE HOSE
OR BRING IT IN TOO CLOSE TO OUR AIRCRAFT.
Narrator: THE TWO RECEIVERS FILL UP SIMULTANEOUSLY,
WITH EACH HOSE PUMPING ABOUT 300 GALLONS PER MINUTE.
THE HORNETS TYPICALLY TAKE ON OVER 600 GALLONS OF FUEL EACH,
ENOUGH TO FILL 30 SUVs.
John: ROGER, 3-1, YOU'RE FREE TO DISCONNECT.
Narrator: TANKS FULL, THE RECEIVERS DISCONNECT.
THEY RE-ESTABLISH FORMATION
JUST ABOVE THE RIGHT WING OF THE TANKER.
John: FOR THESE PILOTS,
THIS TRAINING'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM.
IT GIVES THEM THE TRAINING THEY NEED
SO WHEN THEY'RE ON DEPLOYMENT
THEY CAN GET FUEL WHEN IT'S REALLY NECESSARY.
THEY'RE OFF NOW TO DO THEIR TRAINING WITH THE MARINES.
Narrator: AT TWENTYNINE PALMS,
THE TROOPS ARE CALLING JETS TOWARD THEIR TARGETS.
[RADIO CHATTER]
Marine: 2-6 ON THE LEFT, 2-6 FOR BRIMSTONE 6-3!
Oran Root: THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT JOB,
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS JOB,
IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE JOB WHEN WE'RE IN TRAINING.
WITH MY EXPERIENCE OVERSEAS IN BOTH IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN,
THIS IS AN IMPERATIVE PART OF IT.
Man: JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF THAT HULK.
Marine: ROGER, THE FIRST HULK YOU DESCRIBED IS YOUR TARGET.
Narrator: THEY SAY AN ARMY MARCHES ON ITS STOMACH.
AND A FIGHTER SQUADRON IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS FUEL SUPPLY.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THE OMEGA TANKER
WILL BE THE MISSION'S LIFELINE.
RW: WHAT IT ALLOWS THEM TO DO IS REFUEL
AND COME ON AND GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL TIME ON STATION,
WHICH IN THE END GIVES MORE TRAINING FOR THE STUDENTS,
ALLOWS THEM TO DELIVER MORE ORDNANCE,
GET MORE CONTROLS AND BETTER TRAINING.
Oran: THE OMEGA TANKER IS A VITAL PART OF THIS
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THOSE AIRPLANES
HAVE TO FLY FROM SOMEWHERE.
ALONG THE WAY, THEY HAVE TO REFUEL IN MID-AIR
TO COME HERE TO SUPPORT US,
THEN THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT TANKER, REFUEL
AND GO HOME SAFELY.
SO WITHOUT OMEGA TANKER,
WE COULDN'T DO OUR JOB EFFICIENTLY
AS WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: BACK AT NAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE,
IT'S TIME FOR LIEUTENANT ERIC "SWEET CHEEKS" WILCKENS
TO PROVE HIS METTLE.
Eric: THERE'S ALWAYS FRIENDLY COMPETITION
WITHIN THE FIGHTER COMMUNITY.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE ABLE
TO PLUG AND GET THEIR GAS THE FIRST TIME.
Narrator: ON THIS MISSION, COMPETITION IS NOT AN OPTION.
ERIC IS RELYING
ON HIS FLIGHT LEAD AND WINGMAN LIEUTENANT FISHER
TO GUIDE HIM HOME.
Eric: TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST,
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TANKING OFF THE 707.
ALL THE OTHER AIRCRAFT I'VE TANKED OFF BEFORE
HAVE BEEN SOME SORT OF CENTERLINE BASKET
SO THE TURBULENCE HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE.
Narrator: THE OMEGA 707 TANKER IS HIGH OVER THE MOJAVE DESERT.
IT HOLDS A STEADY CIRCUIT PATTERN,
WAITING FOR FIGHTER JETS TO RE-FUEL.
IT'S PART OF FIREX, A THREE-DAY, LIVE-FIRE TRAINING EXERCISE
IN THE EXTREME TERRAIN OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
ROBERT PROANO CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT IN 2007
TO SIT RINGSIDE ABOARD THE OMEGA 707.
Robert: IT STILL ALLOWS ME TO INTERFACE WITH THE GUYS
THAT ARE OUT THERE ON THE CUTTING EDGE
THAT ARE FLYING AND STILL FIGHTING
AND DOING THE JOB THAT I DID FOR YEARS.
Narrator: BEFORE OMEGA, ROBERT SAW THE WORLD
FROM THE COCKPIT OF A U.S. FIGHTER JET.
Robert: FLYING FIGHTERS IS VERY EXCITING.
I DID THAT FOR 25 YEARS AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT.
I SAW THE BACK END OF A LOT OF TANKERS DURING THAT CAREER.
Narrator: AERIAL REFUELING IS A SKILL
THAT REQUIRES CONSTANT PRACTICE.
EVERY PILOT, NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED,
HAS HIS SHARE OF MISSES.
Robert: IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE GUYS
WHO ARE FIRST LEARNING TO DO AIR REFUELING
BE UNSUCCESSFUL TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME,
UNTIL THEY GET THAT FIRST SWEET PLUG,
AND THEN IT'S LIKE THE LIGHT BULB COMES ON.
Narrator: NOW IT'S ERIC WILCKENS' TURN
TO TRY HIS HAND AT LINKING UP WITH THE 707.
AFTER 20 MINUTES IN THE AIR, HIS F-18'S TANKS ARE HALF EMPTY.
THE TANKER COMES INTO VIEW.
Radio: OMEGA, GONNA START A LEFT-HAND TURN.
Narrator: ERIC WORKS HIS APPROACH
TO JUST 80 FEET BACK FROM THE TANKER.
AS THE WING-TIP HOSES EXTEND,
THEY'RE SUBJECT TO EXTREME TURBULENCE.
[RADIO CHATTER]
HIS WINGMAN, LIEUTENANT FISHER,
HAS SEPARATED TO THE STARBOARD WING.
ERIC'S OBJECTIVE IS THE PORT SIDE DROGUE.
THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME
HE'LL WORK WITH THE WING-TIP PODS OF THE 707.
[RADIO CHATTER]
Narrator: WING POD REFUELING IS A CHALLENGE TO PILOT AND PLANE.
FLYING JUST BEHIND THE WING OF THE LARGER PLANE,
PILOTS ARE EXPOSED TO DANGEROUS AERODYNAMIC DISTURBANCES
KNOWN AS WING-TIP VORTICES.
IN FLIGHT, HIGH PRESSURE BELOW THE WING
SPILLS OVER THE WING TIP, INTO THE LOW PRESSURE ZONE ON TOP,
PRODUCING CIRCULAR PATTERNS OF EXTREME TURBULENCE.
THIS PHENOMENON CAN BE DANGEROUS,
PARTICULARLY FOR SMALLER PLANES CLOSELY FOLLOWING LARGER ONES.
Charlie: A FIGHTER HAS A VERY SHORT WINGSPAN,
AND IT'S VERY EASY,
ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAKE VORTICES,
THE SIZE OF THAT TORNADO COMING OFF THE WING TIP
CAN VERY EASILY EXCEED THE WIDTH OF HIS WING TIPS,
IN WHICH CASE HE'S GOING TO LOSE CONTROL.
Narrator: IT'S AN AVIATION HAZARD
THAT IS BEING ADDRESSED BY OMEGA.
AT COMPANY HEADQUARTERS IN SAN ANTONIO,
THE FUTURE OF AERIAL REFUELING IS BEING SHAPED.
THIS 707 IS BEING RECONFIGURED AS A TANKER FROM THE GROUND UP.
IF ALL GOES WELL, IT WILL SOON BE
THE MOST VERSATILE AERIAL REFUELER IN THE WORLD.
ROGER HEWLETT IS THE PRESIDENT OF OMEGA AIR
AND IS SUPERVISING THIS LABOR-INTENSIVE UPGRADE.
Roger Hewlett: WE'RE DOING A MODIFICATION
TO THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE,
WE'RE HEADING FOR SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL WORK
THAT WE'RE DOING.
Narrator: THIS 707 WILL HAVE TWO WING-TIP REFUELING PODS
BUT WILL ALSO BE OUTFITTED WITH A 90-FOOT CENTER LINE HOSE
OUT THE LOWER CENTER OF THE FUSELAGE.
THE PROBLEM OF TURBULENCE WITH THE WING-TIP HOSES
DISAPPEARS WITH THE CENTER LINE,
WHICH EXTENDS UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT.
Roger: IT LIES AND IT FLIES IN UNDISTURBED AIR,
WELL BELOW THE AIRPLANE,
SO WHEN THE FIGHTER'S COMING UP TO CONNECT TO IT,
THE BASKET IS VERY STABLE, IT'S IN STABLE AIR,
THERE'S NO CHANCE OF WING-TIP VORTICES.
Narrator: INSTALLING A CENTER LINE
REQUIRES THOUSANDS OF MAN-HOURS,
EXECUTED ONE FASTENER AT A TIME.
Roger: WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE TODAY, KEITH?
LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF FASTENERS AHEAD OF YOU.
Keith: YEAH, WELL, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
Roger: YOU GOING TO BE DONE TOMORROW?
Keith: WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
[LAUGHS]
Narrator: EVERY 707 IN OMEGA'S FLEET
IS BEING SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME CENTER LINE UPGRADE.
Roger: WE CAN TAKE THE COVER OFF THE POD,
AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE GOT...
Narrator: IT'S ALL PART OF THE LARGER VISION OF ULICK McEVADDY,
OMEGA'S FOUNDER AND CEO.
Ulick McEvaddy: ONE OF THE THINGS I DISCOVERED IN THE MILITARY
IS ONE NEVER HAS ENOUGH TANKERS IN THE EVENT OF WAR.
ANYTHING WE CAN DO FROM THE CIVIL WORLD
TO SUPPLEMENT TANKING CAPABILITY OF THE U.S. MILITARY,
AND THE ALLIES, OF COURSE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE AIM TO DO.
Roger: FROM THE CENTER WING
ALL THE WAY OUT HERE TO SUPPLY FUEL TO THE POD.
Narrator: OMEGA'S CONVERTED 707s
ARE A COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO PURPOSE-BUILT TANKERS,
WHICH CAN COST UP TO $250 MILLION.
Ulick: WE CAN BRING THESE AIRPLANES IN TO DO THE SAME JOB
AT A FRACTION OF THAT COST.
PROBABLY LESS THAN 20% OF THAT COST.
Roger: WE GOT ALL THE NEW WIRING GOING BACK TO THE...
Narrator: WHEN THE MODIFICATION IS COMPLETE,
THIS 707 WILL BE ABLE TO REFUEL
EITHER TWO AIRCRAFT FROM THE WING-TIP PODS
OR ONE AIRCRAFT FROM THE CENTER LINE.
SUCH FLEXIBILITY GIVES OMEGA AN EXTRA SELLING POINT
IN FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS.
Ulick: IT'LL BE READY TO GO PUMPING GAS.
Roger: WE'LL BE READY TO PUMP GAS FROM THIS AIRPLANE
IN A FEW MONTHS.
WE'LL BE OUT THERE SUPPLYING.
Ulick: YEAH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IT
GETTING OUT OF HERE AND GETTING INTO WORK.
Roger: YEAH, ME, TOO.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY DOUBT THAT IN THE FUTURE
THAT WE'LL BE USING OUR 707s,
WE'LL BE REFUELING THE UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE,
BECAUSE IT IS A VERY STABLE PLATFORM FOR THEM TO PLUG INTO.
IT'S CERTAINLY THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE IN THE MILITARY.
SO I THINK WE'LL PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THAT ROLE.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Narrator: ERIC WILL NEED TO GET
PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO THE JET'S WASH
TO CONNECT WITH THE DROGUE.
HE FLIES TOWARD THE WING-TIP BASKET
AT 250 MILES AN HOUR.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO, ERIC WILL NAIL IT ON THE FIRST GO.
HE NEEDS TO POSITION THE HORNET'S REFUELING PROBE
RIGHT BEHIND THE BASKET.
A MISS CAN THROW A PILOT'S CONFIDENCE,
MAKING EACH NEW TRY MORE DIFFICULT.
ERIC NEEDS TO STEEL HIS NERVES AND STAY THE COURSE.
FINALLY HE'S PLUGGED IN AND RECEIVING FUEL.
HE'LL NEED TO STAY IN STEADY FORMATION WITH THE TANKER
TO KEEP THE PROBE ENGAGED.
THE F-18 WILL TAKE ON ENOUGH FUEL
TO GIVE ERIC ABOUT 40 MINUTES OVER HIS TARGET ZONE.
EASING UP ON THE THROTTLE SLOWS THE JET DOWN
AND ALLOWS HIM A CLEAN DISCONNECT.
WITH HIS FIRST 707 REFUEL COMPLETE,
ERIC SEPARATES FROM THE TANKER AND HEADS TO TWENTYNINE PALMS.
AS PART OF THEIR TRAINING,
THE MARINES ARE LEARNING THE TECHNIQUE
OF "CLOSE AIR SUPPORT."
Oran: CLOSE AIR SUPPORT MEANS
WHEN WE BRING IN AIRCRAFT AND WE DROP BOMBS
IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF FRIENDLY TROOPS
ONTO THE ENEMY.
MY JOB IS TO ENSURE SAFETY,
AND THEN I PUT A FINAL GRADE ON THEM AND SAY, YES,
YOU ARE CAPABLE TO GO OUT AND BASICALLY DROP BOMBS
IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO TROOPS SAFELY,
AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO DO IT.
Narrator: DURING THIS TRAINING EXERCISE,
F-18s MOSTLY DEPLOY LIGHTWEIGHT TRAINING BOMBS,
FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
Oran: WE WOULD HAVE FELT THAT ONE.
IF THAT WAS A LIVE BOMB,
WE WOULD HAVE HAD EFFECTS UP HERE,
AND WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF CASUALTIES.
THAT WAS CLOSE, THAT'S WITHIN 300, 400 METERS.
Narrator: THIS IS WHERE THE MARINES LEARN
TO PREVENT FRIENDLY FIRE MISTAKES.
THE OMEGA TANKER KEEPS THE PLANES FLYING,
SO PILOTS AND MARINES GET THE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT.
Oran: HAVING A TANKER UP THERE WITH SOME FUEL
SO THAT AIRCRAFT CAN COME IN,
IT'S BRINGING ME THE BOMBS
SO I CAN PUT THE METAL ON THE MEAT, ON THE ENEMY,
IT'S VITAL.
Narrator: BACK AT LEMOORE, THE FIGHTER PILOTS REGROUP.
WITH ALL HIS BOMBS DEPLOYED,
LIEUTENANT WILCKENS TOUCHES DOWN.
Eric: RENDEZVOUS WITH THE TANKER WENT WELL.
I THINK IT TOOK ONE OR TWO TRIES BEFORE I FINALLY GOT IN THERE.
YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO GET INTO THE BASKET
THE FIRST TIME EVERY TIME.
Paige: WE DELIVERED A BUNCH OF LIVE ORDNANCE TODAY.
OVERALL I THINK THE TRAINING WAS REALLY PRETTY HIGH QUALITY,
ESPECIALLY FROM THE GUYS ON THE GROUND.
Narrator: BACK IN THE SKY, THE OMEGA CREW
BREAKS THEIR CIRCLING ORBIT AND HEADS WEST.
AFTER REFUELING TEN ROUNDS OF RECEIVER JETS,
THIS DAY'S MISSION IS COMPLETE.
Robert: WE'VE BEEN ON TIME,
WE'VE BEEN WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE,
WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE,
WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUEL OR A LITTLE BIT EXTRA.
AND FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO.
Narrator: FOR THE OMEGA CREW, IT'S BACK TO POINT MUGU.
Royce: CLEAR TO LAND THERE, CAPTAIN.
CAPTAIN, LOOKING GOOD.
Computer: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10.
Royce: THAT-A BOY, CHARLIE.
[INDISTINCT]
Charlie: CHECKING THE BRAKES.
Royce: OMEGA 7-4 HEAVY,
YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A TURN-OFF AT THE END?
VERY NICE, CHARLIE. Charlie: THANK YOU.
Narrator: THE 707 WILL WAIT ON THE APRON
UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING, WHEN THE MISSION RESUMES.
DAY TWO OF THE FIREX MISSION.
WITH TWO HOURS UNTIL THE FIRST SORTIE,
OMEGA MECHANICS NEIL AND DWAYNE DO SOME ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.
TODAY THEY'RE REPLACING THE ALUMINUM DROGUE BASKETS.
IT'S A HANDS-ON MECHANICAL PROCEDURE.
Neil Jones: THEY'RE VERY TOUGH, AND THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS
THE PROBE COMES IN AT A SLIGHTLY WRONG ANGLE...
IT CAN HURT THESE SKIRTS HERE.
AND THEY'LL HAVE TO BE REPLACED.
Narrator: THE BASKETS CARRY THE SCARS
OF ALL THE HITS AND MISSES IN THE SKY.
Neil: THIS IS BENT.
Narrator: IT'S LIKE WORKING ON A VINTAGE CAR
WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY UNDER THE HOOD.
Neil: IT'S A DIFFERENT FEELING EACH DAY,
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO LEARN.
WE'RE DONE, WE'RE READY FOR OUR NEXT MISSION.
Narrator: BUT THE MISSION CAN'T BEGIN
WITHOUT A RENDEZVOUS WITH THREE FUEL TRUCKS.
THE 707 HAS SEVEN FUEL TANKS--
THREE PER WING AND ONE IN THE CENTER.
TOPPED TO CAPACITY, THEY HOLD ALMOST 24,000 GALLONS.
THE TANKER PUMPS FUEL INTO PLANES
MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN THESE TRUCKS.
IT TAKES AN HOUR TO PUT THE NEEDLE ON "FULL."
A FILL-UP OF JET FUEL IS NOT FOR EVERY BANK ACCOUNT.
THE TAB FOR THIS SORTIE IS ABOUT $80,000.
THE 707'S CENTER FUEL TANK IS FITTED WITH A STRONG RUBBER CELL
TO CONTAIN THE FUEL AND PREVENT DANGEROUS EVAPORATION.
IN OMEGA'S HANGAR IN SAN ANTONIO,
THE 707 TANKER UPGRADE
IS GETTING BRAND NEW FUEL CELL LINERS.
Ken Percival: THIS IS A FUEL CELL THAT GOES INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT.
SOME PEOPLE CALL IT, KIND OF LIKE A BODY BAG.
SO, YEAH, THAT END GOES IN FIRST.
Narrator: KEN PERCIVAL AND SYNINA LOWERY
ARE TASKED WITH LINING THE TANK.
Synina Lowery: WELL, THEY SAY SOMETIMES
IT'S BLESSED TO BE SMALL AND BLESSED TO BE BIG,
BUT IN OUR CRITERIA YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO BE SMALL
SO THAT YOU CAN BE MORE AGILE.
Narrator: THEY'VE HOG-TIED THE FUEL CELL
TO MAKE IT SMALL ENOUGH
TO SQUEEZE THROUGH THE OPENING TO THE TANK.
Ken: OK, HOLD IT THERE.
WE'RE IN THE CENTER TANK OF THE AIRCRAFT.
IT HAS SEVEN CELLS IN IT, SEVEN OF THESE BLADDERS,
AND WE HAPPEN TO BE IN THE NUMBER THREE CELL RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: KEN AND SYNINA LACE THE LINER INTO PLACE.
Ken: IF IT WASN'T LACED UP
IT WOULD COLLAPSE DOWN TO THE BOTTOM
AND NOT FILL UP CORRECTLY.
Narrator: IT'S CRAMPED AND STIFLING
IN FUEL CELL NUMBER THREE.
Ken: YEAH, IF YOU'RE CLAUSTROPHOBIC,
THIS ISN'T THE JOB FOR YOU.
Narrator: THE INSTALLATION PROCESS IS SLOW AND METHODICAL.
IT'S A GIANT SEWING OPERATION.
THESE CORDS WILL HOLD UP TO 9,000 GALLONS OF FUEL.
Ken: HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Synina: IT'S GOT TO GO OUTBOARD MORE.
YEAH, YOUR CORNER LOOKS GOOD OVER HERE.
Ken: ALRIGHT, GOOD DEAL.
Narrator: IT WILL TAKE KEN AND SYNINA A FEW MORE STIFLING DAYS
TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION.
Ken: WE'LL GET THIS BLADDER TIED IN YET.
Narrator: AT POINT MUGU, THE 707 IS ON SCHEDULE
FOR ITS SECOND DAY OF FIREX REFUELING.
Robert: WE'RE FUELED AND READY TO GO.
OK, NO WORRIES, WE'LL BE THERE.
Narrator: INSIDE THE COCKPIT,
THE VETERAN CREW GET COMFORTABLE.
Royce: I HAVEN'T USED MY KNEEBOARD
SINCE I WAS A SECOND LIEUTENANT.
John: I DON'T EVEN WANT TO ASK
HOW LONG AGO YOU WERE SECOND LIEUTENANT, ROYCE.
[LAUGHS]
Narrator: BUT 800 FEET DOWN THE TAXI LANE,
THE 707 UNEXPECTEDLY COMES TO A HALT.
THE CULPRIT--A STICKY BRAKE--
ENOUGH OF A RED FLAG TO DELAY THE TAKEOFF.
Robert: OK.
OH, NO, YOU'VE GOT TO DO THE RIGHT THING,
DO THE SAFE THING.
WE'LL GET IT WORKED ON
AND WE'LL SLIDE AS LONG AS WE CAN FOR TAKEOFF.
I CAN CONTACT THE CUSTOMERS AND...
ALRIGHT, ROYCE. YEAH, BYE.
Charlie: THIS ONE WAS PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE, ACTUALLY.
IT WAS VERY APPARENT THAT THE BRAKE WAS DRAGGING
ON THE TAXI OUT.
WE DEPLANED OUR FLIGHT ENGINEER,
FOUND OUT IT WAS SMOKING A LITTLE BIT,
AND AT THAT POINT, WE KNEW WE HAD A REAL ISSUE.
Robert: SO THE TAKEOFF IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE DELAYED
AT LEAST A FEW MINUTES.
Narrator: DWAYNE AND NEIL
QUICKLY TRY TO SCOPE OUT THE PROBLEM.
Neil: I DON'T SEE WHERE IT'S WRITTEN ON IT.
Dwayne: THEY'RE SAYING IT SHOULD BE ABOUT A 60-POUND JACK.
Neil: OK, IT'S A 50.
THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE.
IF WE CAN GET THIS AIRPLANE GOING IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO,
THEN WE CAN MAKE PART OF THE MISSION,
AND THAT KEEPS PEOPLE PARTLY HAPPY.
Narrator: EVERY MINUTE ON THE GROUND
MEANS A MINUTE LESS REFUELING FLYING CLIENTS.
WITH MILITARY CUSTOMERS STANDING BY
AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THE LINE,
OMEGA NEEDS TO GET THIS TANKER BACK IN THE SKY.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING, AND OMEGA'S FLIGHT MECHANICS
ARE TASKED WITH FINDING THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, FAST.
Dwayne: IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S THE VALVE.
Narrator: FROM THE STICKY BRAKE
THEY CHASE THE PROBLEM BACK TO A FAULTY DE-BOOST VALVE.
Neil: THIS ONE HERE? THIS ONE HERE THAT I'M WIGGLING?
Dwayne: YEP.
Narrator: IT'S A SMALL BUT ESSENTIAL PART
THAT REGULATES THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM.
NEIL SOURCES A NEW VALVE
FROM THE PLANE'S STASH OF SPARE PARTS.
BOEING STOPPED BUILDING NEW 707s IN 1991,
SO SPARE PARTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF OMEGA'S OPERATIONS.
Roger: AS YOU CAN TELL FROM OUR WAREHOUSE
WE HAVE MULTIPLE THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR WAREHOUSE,
WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF PARTS,
WE SUPPORT OUR AIRPLANES WORLDWIDE.
Narrator: ALONG WITH ITS REFUELING DIVISION,
OMEGA IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUPPLIERS AND TRADERS
OF 707 PARTS IN THE WORLD.
Roger: WE GOT THREE ENGINES STORED HERE
THAT CAME OFF AN AIRPLANE,
THEY'RE HEADING OFF TO OUR ENGINE SHOP,
IT'S ALL PART OF OUR SUPPORT
NECESSARY TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE GOING OVER ALL THESE YEARS.
Narrator: ROGER HEWLETT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE BOEING 707
FOR 28 YEARS.
Roger: OUR WHOLE IDEA HERE WITH THE WAREHOUSE
IS TO HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE AIRPLANE
IN CASE IT BREAKS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
Narrator: OMEGA BUYS AGING 707s, MOST HEADED FOR THE SCRAPYARD,
AND RESTORES THEM OR MINES THEM FOR PARTS.
Ulick: EVERY PART OF THE AIRPLANE
CAN BE REPLACED THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE.
SO IF SOMEBODY SAYS,
WELL, HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP THEM IN SERVICE?
WELL, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM IN SERVICE,
I CAN DO IT FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S...
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS OBSOLESCENCE IN THIS AIRFRAME.
Narrator: BACK AT POINT MUGU,
NEIL GETS TO WORK ON THE STICKY BRAKE.
HE AND DWAYNE ARE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN
TO INSTALL THE NEW EQUIPMENT AND SECURE IT.
Neil: WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THE BACK?
Narrator: IT'S TAKEN OVER AN HOUR
TO WRESTLE THE NEW VALVE INTO PLACE.
Neil: AS SOON AS WE HAVE EVERYTHING TIGHT,
WE'LL TEST IT AND WE'LL SEE.
Narrator: MECHANICAL FAILURES AREN'T UNUSUAL,
BUT ANY DOWNTIME THROWS A WRENCH
INTO A FINELY TUNED AND BUSY MISSION SCHEDULE.
THE REPERCUSSIONS ARE IMMEDIATE.
AT LEMOORE, F-18s IDLE ON THE TARMAC,
WAITING FOR THE GREEN LIGHT FROM POINT MUGU.
THEY CAN'T TAKE OFF UNTIL THEY KNOW THEIR REFUELER IS READY.
THE DELAY IS MOST CRITICAL AT TWENTYNINE PALMS,
WHERE MARINES ARE STANDING BY.
Oran: IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT TANKER SUPPORT IN THE AIR
FOR OUR AIRCRAFT TO REFUEL,
THEN WE LOSE THAT AIRCRAFT,
AND THEN THEREFORE THE STUDENTS LOSE
THEIR TRAINING AND READINESS CRITERIA,
AND THEY WON'T GRADUATE THE COURSE SUCCESSFULLY.
Narrator: AT POINT MUGU, THE FATE OF THE TRAINING SESSION
IS IN DWAYNE AND NEIL'S HANDS.
THEY STILL NEED TO TEST THE NEW VALVE
BEFORE THE PLANE IS MISSION READY.
Dwayne: ALL READY FOR HYDRAULICS, NEIL.
Neil: STAND BY.
I'M ACTUATING THE BRAKES, AND I'M RELEASING THE BRAKES.
Narrator: BY PUMPING THE BRAKES,
NEIL RELEASES TRAPPED AIR IN THE HYDRAULIC LINES,
ALLOWING THE NEW DE-BOOST VALVE TO DO ITS JOB.
Dwayne: THE BRAKE IS COMPRESSING
WHEN HE'S PUSHING ON THE BRAKE PEDALS,
AND IT'S RELEASING LIKE IT SHOULD
WHEN HE'S RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDALS.
Robert: YOU CAN SEE THE BRAKE THAT'S LETTING GO
OF THE BRAKE PAD AGAIN.
SO IT ALL LOOKS LIKE IT'S WORKING GOOD.
Narrator: UNFORTUNATELY THE TWO HOURS NEEDED TO FIX THE PROBLEM
HAVE COST OMEGA TODAY'S MISSION.
ON THE GROUND AT TWENTYNINE PALMS:
LOTS OF DISAPPOINTED MARINES.
RW: AS A RESULT OF THE FALLOUT
APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 20 MISSIONS UNABLE TO EXECUTE.
TO RECTIFY THAT, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: EACH OF THE 24 MARINES
NEEDS TO COMPLETE 12 ROUNDS OF CLOSE AIR SUPPORT TRAINING
TO BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT OVERSEAS.
WITHOUT OMEGA, THE FIGHTERS ARE GROUNDED, AND SO IS THE MISSION.
Oran: THEY HAVE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS
TO COME BACK TO THE COURSE,
GO THROUGH SOME MORE INSTRUCTION...
AND THEN, AGAIN, IT'S MORE MONEY, MORE TIME,
AND IT'S JUST A PAIN IN THE...A PAIN.
Robert: IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGING DAY.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IN AVIATION
THAT THINGS BREAK FROM TIME TO TIME.
WE HAD A STUCK BRAKE, WE MISSED THE MISSION TODAY.
BUT WE'RE GOING BACK OUT, WE'RE GOING TO REDEEM OURSELVES.
Narrator: THE DAY HAS BEEN LOST
BUT THE MISSION WILL RESUME TOMORROW,
AND THE 707 CREW WILL NEED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE MARINES HAVE CALLED IN THE COWBOYS,
AN F-18 SQUADRON FROM TEXAS,
TO INTENSIFY THE NEXT DAY'S BOMBING RUNS.
THE COWBOYS ARE EXPERIENCED PILOTS,
BUT THEY HAVEN'T REFUELED WITH THE OMEGA 707.
THEY'RE ABOUT TO LEARN.
[RADIO CHATTER]
John: OK, I'VE JUST CLEARED THE COWBOYS IN...
[RADIO CHATTER]
Narrator: A SQUADRON OF F-18s HAS BEEN CALLED IN
TO RAMP UP THE TRAINING.
THEY'RE NORMALLY BASED OUT OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS,
AND ARE AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS THE COWBOYS.
Cowboy: SHORT HOSE ON THIS THING!
John: 2-1, YOU'VE GOT GOOD FLOW, AND YOU'RE IN GOOD POSITION.
THEY MADE A LITTLE COMMENT THERE THAT WE HAVE SHORT HOSES.
THEY'RE USED TO AN 80-FOOT HOSE,
THING SEEMS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THEM.
Narrator: OMEGA'S FLIGHT ENGINEER JOHN SHREVE
KEEPS AN EYE ON THE REFUELING MANEUVER.
John: COWBOY 2-1, YOU'RE ON BOARD WITH 6.4,
COWBOY 2-2, YOURS WAS 4.1.
Cowboy: OMEGA, THAT'S THE QUICKEST JOIN
I'VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE.
THAT'S AWESOME.
John: OK, THE COWBOYS ARE COMPLETE,
AND SO THEY'RE OFF NOW TO DO THEIR TRAINING WITH THE MARINES,
AND WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO OUR ORBITING HERE
AND GET READY FOR THE NEXT GROUP WHENEVER THEY COME UP.
Narrator: CHARGED WITH FUEL, THE JETS HEAD OFF
TO WORK WITH THE MARINES AT TWENTYNINE PALMS.
THE TANKER PUMPED OUT
ALMOST 4,000 GALLONS OF FUEL OVER THREE HOURS,
ENOUGH TO GET THE MISSION BACK ON SCHEDULE.
IT'S ALL IN A DAY'S WORK FOR THIS VETERAN CREW.
Royce: NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN FLYING
OR HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE IN AN AIRCRAFT,
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU CAN LEARN TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
IT'S JUST A REAL THRILL.
Charlie: I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF US
THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PLAN, PLAN, PLAN ALL YOU WANT
IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS BEFORE YOU EVER TAKE OFF,
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY
THAT YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR.
Narrator: THE BOEING 707 WAS DESIGNED
TO LIVE LONG AND WORK HARD.
AS PASSENGER JETS, THEY'VE BEEN OUTCLASSED
BY LARGER, WIDE-BODY PLANES.
BUT FOR OMEGA'S REFUELING OPERATIONS, THEY'RE IDEAL.
Robert: THIS 707 IS A PERFECT AIRCRAFT FOR THIS MISSION.
IT'S RUGGED, IT'S RELIABLE, IT CAN CARRY A LOT OF FUEL,
IT'S A STABLE PLATFORM...
THESE AIRPLANES ARE AS GOOD AS GOLD TO US.
Roger: I THINK IT'S A GREAT AIRPLANE, IT'S A 1950s DESIGN.
LIKE I SAY, IT GOES AS FAST TODAY
AS THE NEW ONES COMING DOWN THE PRODUCTION LINE.
Ulick: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL-LOOKING AIRPLANE, FIRST OF ALL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A 707 YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT FLIES,
BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD FLY.
BUT WITH NEW ENGINES AND NEW AVIONICS
WE CAN BRING IT INTO THE MODERN ERA,
AND THIS AIRPLANE WILL BE IN SERVICE
FOR THE NEXT 40 TO 50 YEARS.
THERE ARE GUYS WHO AREN'T BORN YET
WHO WILL BE FLYING THIS AIRPLANE IN THE SERVICE
OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.
Narrator: WITH THE MISSION WRAPPED
AND THE CONTRACT COMPLETE,
THE CREW DESERVES A BREAK.
Charlie: WELL, MISSION COMPLETE.
WE OFFLOADED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL TODAY,
SO I THINK EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY,
SO WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME CREW REST
AND DO THIS AGAIN TOMORROW.
Narrator: SOON THIS 707 WILL BE OUTFITTED
WITH A NEW CENTER LINE,
CATAPULTING IT TO THE FOREFRONT OF AERIAL REFUELERS.
IT'S A 50-YEAR-OLD AIRCRAFT,
STILL MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF IN THE 21st CENTURY.