(56 pix:  intro, followed by detailed account of refueling flight with a B-52) 

 On Wednesday, July 21, 2010 I had the extreme pleasure of getting to go along on a KC-135 refueling flight operated by the 74th Air Refueling Squadron, which is part of the 434th Air Refueling Wing, based at the Grissom Air Reserve Base near Peru, Indiana. That puts Grissom ARB is about 60 miles straight north of Indianapolis, and about 50 miles south-southwest of where I'm at in Warsaw, Indiana. It was a special 'social media' flight that gave me and other folks from outlets like Indy Transponder, Flight Line Internet Radio, My Sky Mom, myTransponder and more, the opportunity to see an air refueling mission up close and personal. Wow! I must say it was an awesome experience!

 Back in the 80's I lived on a small, country airport about 40 miles from Grissom, and at that time they had a lot of A-10's operating off what was then an active Air Force Base. They had a training route that ran right by the airport and I'd see them having fun practicing low level ops on a pretty regular basis. But eventually the A-10's were moved away, and in 1994, the 'active' part of the base was closed with operations being changed over to a 'Reserve' base. I must admit that I was clueless as to what that all really meant except that when I'd drive by on the way to Indy in the last 10 years, I didn't ever notice much activity like back in the day. Fortunately, my visit on that gorgeous Wednesday about four weeks ago showed me that not only is Grissom alive and well, with quite a bit of activity (that a simple drive-by would likely miss), but they are doing a truly excellent job as well.

 I also learned that the Air Force Reserve is made up of people who typically work one weekend each month plus a two-week stretch during the year. The Reserve also has some people working full-time, and then they've got some private (civilian) contract workers as well. Grissom ARB has a mix of all three, with about 2,000 in total. Grissom is the largest employer in the local area and has an economic impact of about $100 million each year. There really is a lot going on there! Plus, the refueling service provided by the 434th has a direct and significant impact on the active Air Force fleet. This is essential work that keeps the Air Force flying. A total of 16 KC-135's are officially stationed at Grissom, but often, some of those airplanes are actually deployed around the world along side the traditional Air Force.

 The other thing I learned on this day was just how impressive the people and equipment are that operate out of Grissom. The KC-135 I rode on was built in 1962, a year after I was born. Honestly, that airplane looked like it only had 200 hours on it, it was that clean! And you can be sure it has worked its tail off over the years (and continues to do so still today)... the maintenance done at Grissom is spectacular. Plus, everyone we came in contact with was doing a great job, and the air crew we had was friendly and very professional. It was all impressive and very encouraging. I felt very proud to know that the people serving in the Air Force Reserve are serving this country at the highest level, and for that, I say Thank You!

 Of course, one of the most exciting parts of the trip was to get to see a B-52 tucked in nice and tight getting a big drink of JP-8. It was at least twice as cool as I could have imagined. The next 50+ pix tell the full story of my ride with the fine people of the 74th Air Refueling Squadron operating out of Grissom ARB.

 The morning started with an 8:00 am briefing that gave an overview of the work by the Air Force Reserve in general, along with details of the work and workforce at Grissom. That was followed by emergency procedure info related to the upcoming flight. The stiff guy in the helmet against the wall never said a word, probably because we has just a dummy dressed up in a flight suit : )