Welcome to Tanker Town... USAF Prestwick!

By Kevin Paterson

There is no escaping the fact life is busier now than it has ever been, and this can really impact on time to get out for an aviation fix or spend some time in the radio shack listening to the wires sing.

Opportunities come and go in an instant and there is nothing worse than sitting in front of the computer screen looking at photos or reading social media posts of something which you could have been involved in, but for whatever reason you decided against it.

On Saturday 25th November, my morning scroll of social media had various posts about the early morning arrival of two USAF KC-10A Extenders at nearby Prestwick Airport, with the possibility of two USAF KC-46 Pegasus tankers also due to arrive.

I scrolled past given it little thought, but as my morning progressed, I started thinking I should pop down to get some shots of the KC-10As. The USAF had recently announced the KC-10A was going to be retired from service by September 204 and there were no more planned overseas deployments for this aircraft type.

The usual caveat applied however about operational resilience, spontaneous deployments and supporting Coronet movements., but ultimately the chances of seeing these iconic aircraft out with the continental United States is becoming increasingly rare.

With a reasonably free schedule thanks to the wife having made her own plans for the day, I pottered around the house catching up on adulting things when I spotted a USAF KC-46 Pegasus plotting on ADSB Exchange approaching the southwest of Scotland and in the descent.

This had to be inbound to Prestwick, so adulting got put on hold and there was some frantic running around to get the camera gear loaded into the car and make the relatively short 30-minute drive to Prestwick Airport.

Despite having extremely limited time for all things aviation due to other commitments, I continue to ensure my Peli cases remain packed, and all my camera and radio gear remains charged and ready for rapid deployment. This has been a habit instilled from years as being a freelance press photographer and even over 12 years away from the industry, some old habits remain.
In typical fashion, I managed to arrive at the airfield with seconds to spare with the KC-46 Pegasus, callsign CLEAN52 on short finals. Cue the frantic Peli case being opened, lenses being attached and then making a break to capture the imminent arrival.

Mission successful and I had massive grin on my face as my shutter clicked away watching the KC-46 rumble past along the runway in the glorious November winter sun. I was too excited to feel the cold, but with the temperature barely above zero and clear blue skies, the lighting was absolutely spectacular. Granted there’s occasions when the winter sun can be quite harsh but being based in Scotland and used to the constant battle of shooting grey aircraft against a grey sky, this was a delight.

As the KC-46 backtracked and taxied to parking, it made for some ideal compositions as it passed the other KC-46 parked up alongside the two KC-10A Externders. Looking out over the airfield, you could be forgiven for thinking this was actually a US Air Force base as opposed to a civilian airport, with the Ryanair 737 doing circuit training being the only gentle reminder.

With the KC-46 now parked up, my attention turned to the two KC-10A Extenders which were the real reason for this visit. The combination of winter sunshine with the backdrop of woodland with rich autumnal colours was wonderful with the final results much better than I could have hoped for when taking shots of a static parked up tanker.

With all the shots done and nothing else due to arrive, it was time to pack up and head home for an afternoon spent downloading, backing up and editing in Lightroom to share in The Merge.
I thought I had my fill for the weekend with the rumoured early Sunday morning departure being out of my reach due to a preplanned night out. Despite being designated driver, I had no doubt it would still be a very late night so I accepted Tanker Town would empty without me.

Fast forward to Sunday morning and a first glance on the phone provided the surprise news the departures weren’t scheduled until around midday. For the second time this weekend, it was a frantic dash out of bed, load the car up and head back to Prestwick, albeit this time with enough time for a tactical stop on the way for a coffee and a bacon roll.

The contrast in weather from the day before was incredible. Still bitterly cold but with a real dampness in the air, low overcast clouds and dire visibility which at times meant you couldn’t see the runway threshold.
Sunday would be a return to the grey aircraft and grey background scenario which the Scottish aviation fraternity is accustomed to.

With a quick succession of departures of the two KC-10A Extenders, two KC-46 Pegasus, two USAF C130s and the occasional Ryanair passenger flight, it was a productive, rewarding and challenging few hours. The constantly changing weather conditions did provide some good opportunities and add some atmosphere to a few of the departures, especially the first KC-46 as it rumbled down the runway emerging through the mist.

As I watched the KC-10As climb out of the airport and quickly disappear into the low cloud base, I pondered on how many more opportunities we would have to see these magnificent aircraft. As many will be able to relate to, the older you get and the more time you spend devoted to the world that is the aviation hobby scene, the more aircraft you watch retire into the history books.
On a personal level, there’s something hugely exciting and thought provoking about this particular aspect of the military aviation scene. I enjoy fast jets as much as the next person, but the strategic airlift, transport and refueling world provides much more interest and fascination.

Airborne refueling tankers are a massive force multiplier and play such a pivotal role in all aspects of military aviation, both peacetime and wartime. From supporting fast jets covering long distances or extended loiter time in theatre, providing fuel to long-range surveillance aircraft and working with the bomber fleets for extended global reach, the strategic importance is massive.

As the saying goes – NKAWTG – No one Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas!

And then of course there’s the highly classified world of special operations and black jets, all of whom still require tanker support to conduct their clandestine missions. If you want to know what’s happening around the world, you just need to follow the tanker fleet to get a good grasp of wider operations.

Driving back home for another afternoon of editing, two things became increasingly evident. The first being I plan to maximise as many opportunities as possible to capture the USAF KC-10A Extender fleet in action before its retirement. And secondly, how this quiet civilian airfield in the southwest of Scotland continues to have massive strategic importance for the US military.

Aircraft:
KC-10A Extender 85-0029 – Travis Air Force Base – 60th Air Mobility Wing
KC-10A Extender 86-0027 – Travis Air Force base – 60th Air Mobility Wing
KC-46A Pegasus – 20-46073 – McGuire Air Force Base – 305th Air Mobility Wing
KC-46A Pegasus – 16-46017 – McConnell Air Force Base – 22nd Air Refueling Wing
C-130H Hercules – 92-1536 – Cheyenne Air National Guard Base – 153rd Airlift Wing
C-130H Hercules – 92-1531 – Cheyenne Air National Guard Base – 153rd Airlift Wing