How do Fighter Jets Refuel in the Air?

Aerial refueling, the process of transferring fuel from a tanker to a receiver midair, is quite useful as it allows jets to fly longer and further. However, undertaking the procedure is a lot more complicated than it seems. This is because the tanker has a relatively small area to safely refuel an aircraft. This part of the procedure has two risks: going too far and breaching the area. The last one could damage not just the refueling equipment, but the aircraft themselves in a potentially fatal collision. In 1966, aerial refueling caused a collision known as the Palomares incident that resulted in both planes being destroyed, seven out of the 11 total crew members losing their lives, and the receiver aircraft’s radioactive payload contaminating the crash site. That’s as bad as things can get! So how do militaries decide refueling logistics based on the aircraft being flown? How do they know when it’s safe to refuel? What are the two prevailing methods of aerial refueling? How is each one executed and which one is the safest? We answer these questions and more in our video. Find out more information at #engineering