1 - The Black Vault

TYPICAl TANKER ORBIT PATTERN
THE COMBAT TALON WEAPONS SYSTEM
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Figure 24. Typical Point-Parallel Procedure (Source: TO 1-1C-1-29, “Flight Crew Air Refueling Procedures with KC-135 and
KC-10,” 1 February 1977.)
fuel from the main tanks into the externals to get
a full external tank indication. Because of the
inability to fuel the external tanks fully while
connected to the tanker, operators were advised
to plan for a total fuel quantity of 56,000 pounds
after refueling. The point-parallel rendezvous
procedure was used during two rejoins using the
briefed 12 NM turn range and approximately 4.5
NM offset. The procedure worked perfectly, and
it was recommended for use throughout the Combat
Talon community. The 1st SOS crew that
flew the long-range mission included Steve
Gardella, AC/SQ CC; Bob Meller, FP; Jerry
Nichols, FP; Jack Holbein, NAV; Joe McBride,
NAV; Paul Whetzel, NAV; Rueben Cole, FE;
“Rat” Moretz, FE; Chuck Javens, RO; John Mink,
RO; Ray Doyle, LM; and John Stumpf, LM.
To fly anywhere in the world without relying
on ground-based aerial refueling was a reality.
No longer did the United States have to rely on
other nations to provide refueling support facilities
that were subject to political pressures. The
modern-day Combat Talon weapons system was
nearly complete.
The Helicopter Aerial-Refueling
Modification
By the mid-1980s the number of military helicopters
with in-flight refueling capability had increased
significantly over the previous decade.
The medium-lift special operations helicopter,
the MH-53 Pave Low, formed the backbone of the
USAF SOF rotary-wing capability. A smaller,
light-lift helicopter, the MH-60G Pave Hawk,
also provided specialized SOF rotary-wing support.
With Congress’s passing of the Goldwater–
Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization
Act of 1986, renewed emphasis was placed on
America’s SOF forces. As part of the SOF avia -
tion modernization program that was developed
after the act, both USAF and USA aircraft were
provided increased capabilities, including aerial
refueling for USA Chinook helicopters dedicated
to SOF support. Just as planners a decade
before had recognized the need to install inflight
aerial refueling receiver capability on the
Combat Talon, SOF rotary-wing assets were
modified, or designed from the ground up, with
the capabilit y to receive fuel while airborne. The
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