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Flightline fueling feature flies fighters faster

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When racecar drivers need a quick fueling, they hit the pits. As it turns out, so do fighter pilots.

Thanks to a new endeavor at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, F-15 Eagles can, if necessary, be back in the air 20 minutes after landing. The process, called "hot pitting," means the fighters can land, refuel, load weapons and quickly take off again should they have to provide the air superiority that Eagle drivers do best.

Hot pits are a joint endeavor between the fighter squadron, crew chiefs, weapons load teams and, of course, fuels specialists like Tech. Sgt. Eric Larson.

When a fighter has to return to base for fuel, the pilot lands, shuts down one engine and taxis to a team of maintainers who safe any remaining weapons. The pilot then meets a fuels team who can fill an F-15 in less than 10 minutes. Finally, the pilot taxis to a group of maintainers who rearm the Eagle and send it on its way, Larson explained.

"We're putting them right back in the fight," said Larson, deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

Larson is the fuels distribution NCO in charge. The Kimberly, Idaho native said hot pits save maintainers about 90 minutes of work to return a jet to the air.

When an F-15 lands and shuts down both engines, it takes that long to examine, restart and ready the jet for takeoff, said Lt. Col. Joel Carey, the commander of the 44th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

"Hot pits are a great capability for us to use," said Carey, a Midlothian, Texas native deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan. "We don't always have the option for air refueling, so this is absolutely the next best thing."

For Airman 1st Class Michael Johnson, a fuels distribution operator, knowing he's part of the air deterrence mission is extremely rewarding.

When the fighter squadron flies, hot pits allow better turn times on the jets, which means the Eagles are in the air faster and more often, said Johnson, a Tampa, Fla., native deployed from Joint Base Charleston, S.C.

"I love knowing that I'm this involved in the mission," Johnson said. "Turning jets faster means saving more lives. What could be better than that?"