CONNECTING THE DEFENCE COMMUNITY WITH INSIGHT, INTELLIGENCE & OPPORTUNITIES

Officially Supported By: Defence Contracts International Supply2Defence

Official Media Partners for:

The US Air Force is readying its KC-10 Extender boom operators for the future, thanks to a brand new programme combining cutting-edge, three-dimensional simulation with life-size cargo load training.

In US Air Force parlance, the boom operator is the aircrew member responsible for aerial refuelling aboard tanker aircraft. The new training regime is especially welcome as the KC-10, along with its aircrew and maintenance staff, have been in regular deployment since the beginning of Desert Shield.

The Boom Operator Trainer (BOT) itself has been upgraded with an advanced visual system replacement (VST). This new ‘BOT-VST’ provides greater capability than the previous version, according to Rob Tabor – KC-10 Extender boom operator instructor and contractor with FlightSafety International.

“The new system has the ability now to produce a three-dimensional visual image. We’ve gone from a flat rear projection display to a culminated 4K display,” said Tabor. “Instead of projecting an image onto a flat screen, we’re now projecting the image onto an 11-foot mirror.”

This enhanced image quality provides more realistic depth perception to boom operators during training. Previously, a similar sense of depth could only be experienced on an aircraft proper.

“The whole environment is much more realistic. That transition from simulator to aircraft is much more visually realistic than in the past,” continued Tabor. “We train all active duty and reserve Airmen here at Travis, and we also train foreign students from Italy and the Netherlands. We train over 600 students each year.”

Training includes an initial qualification course, an instructor upgrade course and a re-qualification course. Once certified, every boom operator is required to complete the two-day refresher course every quarter. The most demanding and time-consuming session is the initial training course however.

“The initial qualification course is a 38-day intense, scenario-based simulator training,” said Tabor. “Students must pass the course, then pass the Air Force-administered evaluation in the simulator before they can start refuelling in the aircraft.”

Travis Air Force Base, California was the first facility within Air Mobility Command (AMC) to officially receive the advanced 3D simulator and it remains the only AMC outpost to utilise the state-of-the-art cargo load trainer – a life-size model that allows boom operators to become proficient at loading cargo.

If you would like to join our community and read more articles like this then please click here.

Boom Operators KC-10 US Air Force

Post written by: Robert Atherton


LATEST STAKEHOLDER

Become a Stakeholder today and benefit from an exclusive marketing package which will allow you to:

  • Engage with active defence buyers and key supply chain partners
  • Create your own branded micro-site which within Defence Online which is managed by you
  • Have a dedicated Digital Account Manager to help enhance your Stakeholder page
  • Promote your news, products, press releases, eBooks and Videos as a Defence Online partner which feeds through to our homepage and social media channels
  • Have your company promoted on our partner website Defence Contracts Online (DCO)
  • All news promoted in mynewsdesk, a major hub for all of our news articles which enables news to be picked up from trade magazines, national newspapers and many other publications which offers extra exposure at no additional cost!

Contact us today or call us on 0845 557 1315 to take advantage of this exclusive marketing package


.

RELATED ARTICLES

Viasat has been awarded a contract to support the US Air Force Research Laboratory known by its nickname ‘Global Lightning.’

March 8, 2024

Land - Viasat wins Global Lightning contract  

Viasat, leader in satellite communications, has been awarded a contract from Northrop Grumman to support the US Air Force Research

UK and US research labs conduct back-to-back AI demonstrations

January 6, 2023

Homeland - UK and US research labs conduct back-to-back AI demonstrations

Official DPRTE 2023 event partner, the Defence Science and Security Laboratory (Dstl) and the US Air Force Research Laboratory carried