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Airmen hone hot refueling skills

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Liliana Moreno
  • 27th Special Operations Public Affairs Office
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  As aircraft landed on the blacked out runway, Airmen from the Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants flight of the 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron moved in with their fuel nozzles and began the first Forward Area and Refueling Point training here on July 30. 

A FARP is a tactical refueling procedure primarily performed by MC/HC-130 and special operations forces-attached C-141, C-5, and C-17 aircraft, commented Lt. Col. Kevin Cabanas, 73rd Special Operations Squadron. Aircraft may act as either tankers, providing the fuel, or as receivers. With coordination, FARP operations afford tactical rearming capabilities as well. 

During combat operations, by moving the refueling area closer to the objective area, a FARP can significantly reduce the turnaround time associated with refueling and rearming aircraft. This gives the commander more time to pressure the enemy. 

Due to the complex nature of a FARP, safety concerns of a "hot refueling" mission, and because it was the first time for Airmen to set up and operate the equipment at a new site here, the FARP training was initially performed during the day to provide better visibility for the supporting personnel. However, most FARP missions are performed at night using night vision devices. 

"New MC-130 aircrews who arrive in the 73rd Special Operations Squadron, have received all required training but day/night ''engines running,'' said Colonel Cabanas. "With the support personnel now familiar with FARP operations, future FARP's should not require day iterations unless required for aircrew training." 

"The operation is performed using a Forward Area Manifold; Airmen have the capability of refueling up to three aircraft at once." said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Creeger, 27th Logistics Readiness Squadron. From the time the aircraft lands until it takes off, the refueling process takes approximately 30 minutes, he added. 

Fuels Airmen receive the training required to perform aircraft-to-aircraft ground refueling, while at the same time MC-130 aircrew pilots and flight engineers polish their techniques, said Colonel Cabanas. 

In addition to dealing with highly flammable liquids, Airmen doing the FARP training also had to constantly be aware of the spinning rotor blades on the aircraft they were refueling. 

"Airmen had to work at a new site, and get familiar with their surroundings" said Sgt. Creeger. "Overall the operation was successful; everything went as planned with some minor details to adjust."


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