KC-135 flying over?

[Indy_Guy_77]

Anyone else see the KC-135 flying a LOW pattern over Indy? Lasted for at least 30 minutes... Central/easern/north-eastern areas of the city.

I presume it to be from the refueling wing out of Grissom...

Anything to do with the 82nd Airborn reunion on the East side of the city?? (Although, not sure what a KC-135 would have do with the 82nd Airborn, other than gassing up their C130s...)

Surely I'm not the only one to have seen it?

-J-

 

[mwilson]

c130

see them so much dont pay attention anymore. live close to attebury. when they come over franklin they are extremly low, pretty cool

 

[bigus_D]

Colts pregame flyover

Military plane in Colts game flyover prompts flood of calls - WTHR | Indianapolis

Is this the right one? I think so...

 

[Indybeer]

AHHH KC-135's...now that brings back some memories! Spent over 10 years working on them.

 

[shooter521]

Colts pregame flyover

Military plane in Colts game flyover prompts flood of calls - WTHR | Indianapolis

Is this the right one? I think so...

Yep. Good find.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Ah! Part of the Colts' festivities, I see.

Good find!

(Anyone care to venture how much this little maneuver cost us taxpayers?)

-J-

 

[Indybeer]

(Anyone care to venture how much this little maneuver cost us taxpayers?)

-J-

This falls under recruitment! Big time budget allowance for that

 

[No Time to Shoot]

There has also been one circling around Fort Wayne almost constantly for over a week now.

 

[RachelMarie]

There has also been one circling around Fort Wayne almost constantly for over a week now.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed that! My daughter thinks it's the nuts, I on the other hand think it's annoying.


Edited because...I actually saw more than just one this week in the Fort. There were 3 right after another the other day!

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

The runway at Grissom is having some work done on it. There are tankers flying out of other locations to support training and refueling missions.

As for the low level flyover, the base has to follow a very strict protocol and get permission from AFRC Command HQ to allow it. It does help recruiting and the crews and taxpayers can get a feeling of pride that we are protecting America. Besides, would you rather spend tax dollars on practicing low level precision flying or Cash for Clunkers?

 

[K_W]

I just saw 6 Blackhawks fly in formation over Carmel about an hour and a half ago.

 

[femurphy77]

I just saw 6 Blackhawks fly in formation over Carmel about an hour and a half ago.

Jim Brainard better watch out, they're onto him

 

[husker]

I just saw 6 Blackhawks fly in formation over Carmel about an hour and a half ago.

Saw this too. Heading south over 31 into Indy just before 1 PM.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I bet the Ft. Wayne water wagon is working with the nat'l guard fighter unit that's now combined with the Terre Haute folks.

And the taxpayer comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek: I do know that it's a recruitment tool, as well as excellent training. I promise!

-J-

 

[22lr]

KC135s are just Boeing 707s from the 60s fitted with a refueling system, not sure why they would be involved with any kind of recruitment very unglamorous birds (to look at from the ground, there beautiful when your flying around about to run out of gas and they save your butt from splashing into the North Atlantic).

If they want to recruit folks why not do a low level AC-130 Gunship, or fighter jets. I see no reason why you would want to join the Airforce to fly a outdated commercial airliner (sure as crap not why I joined). And I know there is a fighter wing at Fort Wayne so its not like we don't have fighters available. Crap, I mean even Army blackhawks flying over is more exciting than a KC-135.

 

[LOWE1600]

I was at atterberry today around 6:00 pm shooting they where dropping stuff out with parachute over the camp pretty cool!

 

[ChrisK]

KC135s are just Boeing 707s from the 60s fitted with a refueling system, not sure why they would be involved with any kind of recruitment very unglamorous birds (to look at from the ground, there beautiful when your flying around about to run out of gas and they save your butt from splashing into the North Atlantic).

If they want to recruit folks why not do a low level AC-130 Gunship, or fighter jets. I see no reason why you would want to join the Airforce to fly a outdated commercial airliner (sure as crap not why I joined). And I know there is a fighter wing at Fort Wayne so its not like we don't have fighters available. Crap, I mean even Army blackhawks flying over is more exciting than a KC-135.

Just to give you a little education, The 707 was derived from the KC135. Boeing was after the Tanker contract to replace the KC97. The test aircraft was known as the Dash 80. They discovered that it would make a great transport for the airlines so they widened it and lengthened it and came out with the KC135/707 airframe. Boeing had a habit of doing this in the 40's & 50's, deriving civilian use aircraft from ones designed for the Air Force.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Just to give you a little education, The 707 was derived from the KC135. Boeing was after the Tanker contract to replace the KC97. The test aircraft was known as the Dash 80. They discovered that it would make a great transport for the airlines so they widened it and lengthened it and came out with the KC135/707 airframe. Boeing had a habit of doing this in the 40's & 50's, deriving civilian use aircraft from ones designed for the Air Force.

What are you, some kind of airplane mechanic or something?

 

[jblomenberg16]

I bet the Ft. Wayne water wagon is working with the nat'l guard fighter unit that's now combined with the Terre Haute folks.

And the taxpayer comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek: I do know that it's a recruitment tool, as well as excellent training. I promise!

-J-

I think you're right there. When I was at school back at Terre Haute in the late 90's, we would get a lot of first hand experience with the F-16's out of Hulman Intl. The take off patter was right out over Rose-Hulman's campus, and they would orbit as they formed up.

The best was when they did a flyover for a football game my Sr. Year. I think that squadron was going to do a major sporting event that year, so they practiced on our game!

I have a good friend that was an F-16 mechanic in the USAF and did a couple of tours in the Sandbox prior to coming to work for us. He's chomping at the bit to get up to Ft. Wayne to see the guard unit.

Sounds like they may be doing some more training up there, and need the tankers on hand for some refueling practice.

 

[ChrisK]

What are you, some kind of airplane mechanic or something?

Active duty & Reserves off and on for 32 years.