REFUELLING 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
January 2018 FLYPAST 79When moving fore and aft,
greater anticipation of the power
required was needed because of
inertia effects. Whereas there was
always excess power during the
previous trial, it was apparent that
on several occasions when dropping
back, full throttle was needed more
frequently to arrest the aircraft from
falling further behind and enable it
to close up once more.
Once astern, the increased
downwash from the heavy VC10
gave rise to an increase in noise
level in the Tristar’s cockpit. A
dry contact was made at 290
knots which was followed by a
normal break. The next was made
with a total uplift to 38.5 tonnes
to fill the tanks to the full: the
27-minute contact that ensued
was accomplished without undue
difficulty. I observed that it was
somewhat less stressful than a
similar maximum on-load in a
Victor K.2.
SERVICE RECORD
I flew several more trials during
the latter part of 1986 to clear
the Tristar K.1 to dispense fuel to
Tornado GR.1s, Nimrod MR.2s
and VC10 K.2s and K.3s. By this
stage, the newly re-formed 216
Squadron aircrews had been gaining
experience with the C.2 passenger
variant, conversions of former
PanAm TriStar-500s.
The first tanker had been handed
over to 216 at Brize Norton,
Oxfordshire, in March 1986.
Four years later, the squadron was
embroiled in the first Gulf War.Operations followed in the Balkans,
Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, during
which Tristar tankers and their
crews distinguished themselves on
many occasions.
I was fortunate to fly one last
time in 216 Squadron Tristar KC.1
ZD953 on June 15, 2013 when I
joined its crew during the Queen’s
flypast over Buckingham Palace.Holding tight formation in line
astern was a VC-10 K.3.
By pure coincidence and as if laid
on for my benefit, as we joined
the circuit to land back at Brize
Norton, we were directed to respond
to an infringement of the UK Air
Defence Region. Within minutes
we were approaching the Irish Sea
to rendezvous with a Lossiemouth-
based 6 Squadron Typhoon,
bristling with the latest generation
of air-to-air missiles.
In a nod to the many times that
I had been similarly tasked within
the tanker force, I was glued to the
closed-circuit television at the flight
engineer’s station as our ‘chick’
positioned astern the port HDU
hose. After a flawless refuelling, he
left in full afterburner.
Ironically, I got to meet ZD953
again after its disposal and delivery
to Bruntingthorpe on March
19, 2014 prior to the squadron’s
final disbandment. By then a new
widebody tanker-transport was
in service, the Airbus Voyager, a
version of the A330-200 airliner,
operated by the AirTanker
consortium.
The retired Tristars were scattered
around the dispersals alongside
the RAF’s discarded VC10 tankers.
Hopes are still circulating about the
eventual use of the big Lockheeds,
possibly for contract AAR or even as
water bombers.
Each time I see these superb tri-jets
silhouetted against the Leicestershire
sky, I reflect proudly and fondly on
the part I played in the trials of this
fine tanker which served the RAF for
nearly three decades.Left
Tristar K.1 ZD951 in
the interim ‘hemp’
colour scheme. KEY
COLLECTIONBelow
Former British
Airways Tristar K.1
ZD951 during a hook-
up with a pair of 11
Squadron Tornado
F.3s: a trio of Jaguars
await their turn. KEY
COLLECTION