iscover
How an A330 topped up the tanks of a KC-30A
0 comment
This rare photo shows the moment a refueller refuels a refueller during Exercise Pitch Black, as a French A330 MRTT hovers above a RAAF KC-30A. As day turns to night, the Airbus aircraft – based on its civilian namesake – moves overhead, lowers its boom and delivers the fuel into the Australian aircraft’s receptacle above and behind the cockpit. (The ‘boom’, for those unaware, is the ‘dangling hose’ that delicately attaches to the target aircraft, completing an electrical circuit that starts the pressurised pumping of the fuel.)
The complex manoeuvre came after the RAAF crew spent 10 hours topping up the tanks of smaller aircraft with 90 tonnes of fuel. Air mobility officer Flying Officer Ethan Tattersall was behind the fuel delivery system controls in the cockpit, which uses a state-of-the-art VR setup to ensure the booms click into place, in mid-air.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
