Air-to-air refueling is known to be one of the more demanding maneuvers during the day. However, missions take place at any time of day and in almost any weather, so aerial refueling in the dark is also part of the regular training content during the night flight weeks.
Severely limited depth perception, light reflections in the cockpit hood and the glare caused by lighting make “contact” even more difficult.
The shot shows me refueling on an A330MRTT on a clear night. The tanker aircraft carries out all the “festive lighting”. In addition to the normal navigation and anti-collision lights, the MRTT also has formation lights, as well as basket, pod, fuselage and wing lighting. All of these lights can of course be individually adapted to your needs and in an emergency, refueling is also possible without visible lighting. We train regularly to ensure that all of this is successful in the event of an emergency.
"Midnight Drink"
Gerald Groß