All language subtitles for Mighty.Planes.S02E03.Omega.707.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: It's a flying
gas station that keeps

fighter jets in the fight.

It's not unusual to see guys
learning to do air refueling,

be unsuccessful time
after time after time.

NARRATOR: This is
self-serve in the sky.

This is my first time
taking off the 707.

NARRATOR: So top guns can
support troops down below.

This is a very important job.

This is a very serious job.

NARRATOR: This is
the 707 tanker--

OK, no worries.
We'll be there.

We'll be on time.

NARRATOR: --and
it's under pressure.

Your keys turn right.

NARRATOR: --to keep
this mission in flight.

If we don't have
this plane ready,

there'll be hell to pay.

[theme music]

NARRATOR: A Boeing
707 tanker is

on final approach for
Naval Base Ventura County,

Point Mugu, and California.

[radio chatter]

It's day one of a three-day
US Navy and Marine Corps

exercise, codenamed Fire X.

[radio chatter]

And the aerial refueling tanker
is the key to its success.

[radio chatter]

It's morning, and the tarmac
is already radiating heat.

This 707 tanker
touches down on Point

Mugu's 11,000 foot runway.

But this is no warplane.

The tanker is privately owned
and operated by Omega Air Inc,

the only civilian company
in the world authorized

to refuel military aircraft.

Inside the base,
Omega's crew head into

their pre-mission meeting.

Morning.

Good morning.

NARRATOR: Pilot Charlie
Hertenstein will fly

the 707 during the exercise.

Our orbit is going to be,
kind of, an East-West orbit.

It's about 29 miles long
by about 12 miles wide.

NARRATOR: While
flight Engineer John

Shreve will communicate
with the fighter pilots

during refueling.

Yeah, it looks
like we're going

to have five sections, two
each, a total of 10 aircraft.

NARRATOR: The tanker crew
are retired officers.

Between them, they
bring over 100 years

of military experience
to the table.

And as close to alpha.

OK, anything else?

NARRATOR: The vice president
of operations, Robert Proano,

oversees Omega's
role in Fire X.

It's their training.

We're there to support
their training,

not to do it for them.

All right.

NARRATOR: The crew
has been hired

to provide tanker and
refueling support for

the entire three-day exercise.

Almost 50 years
old, this 707 was

a passenger plane before it
was converted into a tanker.

Now, it's a flying gas
station, ready to serve

its military clients at
the required coordinates.

All right, nice landing.

707 was one of the best
engineered and designed

airplanes that
Boeing ever built.

It's highly reliable, very
much overengineered airplane.

NARRATOR: The
Boeing 707 338 model

is a narrow body
airplane, first

designed in the late 1950s.

You can see that we've
left the original seating

configuration in the airplane.

As we continue forward, you
can see, for our older airplane

here, we still have the ashtray
installed in the lavatory door

so that people could stand
here and have a smoke.

NARRATOR: Its
classic swept wing

design includes four potted
engines, two on each wing.

The aircraft measures
152 feet, nose to tail,

and has a wingspan of 145 feet.

Point Mugu supports
thousands of military flight

operations each year,
operations like Fire X.

Like I said, I've got
the nav data updates.

NARRATOR: Befoe
today's mission,

Pilot Charlie Hertenstein
will need a status update.

The Wi-Fi has
been working great.

The router's been
working really--

Tomorrow, we're going to be
doing an exercise over land.

So we'll be going
out and refueling

some Harriers and F-18s.

We're going to be airborne
out in the desert of Southern

California, supporting multiple
fighter aircraft from the Navy

and Marine Corps.

And we're going to be
passing in excess of 50,000

pounds of gas on that mission.

NARRATOR: The exercise
takes place across the skies

of Southern California.

From Point Mugu,
the omega tanker

flies East to the Marine
Corps combat center

at Twentynine
Palms, where it will

fly a 15-mile oval pattern.

The fighter Jets fly out of
Naval Air Station Lemoore

to rendezvous with the tanker.

They'll refuel before
heading to Twentynine Palms

to drop low explosive bombs.

225 miles Northeast
of Point Mugu

is Naval Air Station
Lemoore, the Navy's

newest and largest jet base.

This is home to more than 175
F-18 Hornets and Super Hornet

attack and strike fighters.

Today, there'll be refueling
from the Omega tanker

as part of the Marine
training exercise.

Lieutenants Paige Block
and Phil Kasha are

on deck for today's mission.

Seasoned Hornet
pilots, they know

how much gas is in the tank.

With the short legs
or limited fuel supply

of the F-18 legacy
Charlie Hornet,

we often need to be aerial
refueled in order to extend

our mission on station time.

So what refueling will give
us is some extra time to train

the Marines on the ground.

NARRATOR: Aerial refueling
is a critical skill

for military fliers.

All right, welcome,
Sweet Cheeks.

NARRATOR: In the classroom,
Pilot Eric Wilkins, call sign

Sweet Cheeks, is
given a safety brief,

outlining the risks
he's about to face.

The four-engined
aircraft, two on each side,

obviously, creates a lot of low
pressure disturbance in there.

What ends up happening, it can
suck you towards the middle.

In other words--

NARRATOR: Lieutenant
Fisher will

be flying with Eric
in his second F-18,

approaching the
tanker in tandem.

Aerial refueling
requires a pilot

to link his plane to a
giant tanker in mid-flight.

It's a high-risk maneuver
that tests a pilot's limits.

You don't want to come in--

All the way through flight
school, you're always told

try not to hit the
other aircraft.

There's always that
danger factor there.

NARRATOR: Eric has never
refueled off the 707 tanker.

His only experiences
in a simulator.

Within a few hours,
he'll be putting

those drills to the test at
20,000 feet above ground.

[jetplane humming]

The fighter jets are
supporting a training exercise

at the Twentynine Palms
Marine Corps Combat

Center in the Mojave Desert.

All right, Team 7 1133.

NARRATOR: These troops
will be deployed

to similar terrain
in Afghanistan

in a matter of weeks.

Today, they'll see what
close air support looks

like, guiding
fighter jets to drop

live bombs on nearby targets.

November uniform 6691.

All right, what we're
doing out here today

is we're training
the newest forward

air controllers and joint
tactical air controllers.

NARRATOR: After several
weeks in the classroom,

these Marines will test
their skills in the field.

Brimstone 92 mark, 3-3.

This is the first
time they're actually

going to see it for
real, see those aircraft,

have the air crew
introduced to them

in terms of the human element.

We have the
Marine F-18 coming

in 11:50 to 12:00 first time
on station before tanking.

NARRATOR: These Marines will be
calling in target coordinates

to the F-18s.

The tankers' job is to keep
the fighters fueled up.

There are only four civilian
707 tankers in the world.

Omega air owns all of them.

There is no category
for a commercially

operated air refueling tanker.

That's a uniquely
military mission

everywhere else in the world.

We're the only ones that are
doing this on a commercial fee

for service basis.

NARRATOR: There are
over 900 tankers

operating for armed
forces worldwide.

Omega aims to crack that
market, one mission at a time.

It's a very unique airplane.

It's a very unique mission.

It's a uniquely
military mission

that we perform on a
contract basis for the US

Navy and Marine Corps.

NARRATOR: Every air service
has to keep a schedule.

For Omega, it's critical.

We'll be on time.

NARRATOR: This
tanker is contracted

to be at a precise
position at an exact time.

The countdown to the
rendezvous has begun.

Yeah, we're just looking
for any kind of leaks,

whether it be hydraulic
or fuel leaks.

NARRATOR: After 28 years,
John Shreve knows his planes.

His preflight inspection
misses nothing.

Hold on a second,
we lost power.

Power shut down.

NARRATOR: With the countdown
to takeoff on hold,

John searches for clues.

NARRATOR: Every minute
this tanker is delayed

compromises the timing
of the F-18 sortie.

John and his team
quickly discovered

the source of the problem.

There's a set of circuit
breakers, like in your house.

It just tripped one of those.

And right now we, have power
established, and everything

looks good.

NARRATOR: Charlie and
his co-pilot Royce Grones

have logged tens of
thousands of flight hours

in Uncle Sam's service.

The uniforms are gone, but
the discipline is ingrained.

They're team players in a
multi-unit military operation.

OK, I'm complete
with my pre-flight.

Everything looks
really good shape.

So I think we got a couple of
thirsty fighters out there.

It's going to want us
to get them some gas,

so we need to get
things rolling now

and get the engine started.

NARRATOR: Omega's
reputation is on the line.

These F-18 Hornets need the
tanker over Twentynine Palms

in less than an hour,
and it's up to this crew

to make it happen.

US Navy F- 18 Hornet stand
ready for a training exercise

in the skies of
Southern California.

Omega Air 707 tanker
is standing by

to meet them for
air to air refueling

over the Twentynine Palms
Marine Corps Combat Center.

The Omega 707 is scheduled
for precise map coordinates

in less than an hour.

But even a flying
fuel tank needs fuel.

Oh, we're pumping
gas in this airplane.

We're going to take about
18,000 gallons of fuel.

NARRATOR: It's up to Dwayne
Kalonji, one of Omega's

mechanics to squeeze the pump.

It gets a little stressful
every now and then because

there's a lot of pressure.

Everybody's depending on me.

We don't have this plane
ready, there'll be hell to pay.

NARRATOR: The 707 tanks
hold 12 hours of fuel.

Today's sortie is only four
hours long, leaving the tanker

with more than 10,000
gallons of fuel

to offload two receiver jets.

It takes three truckloads
of fuel to fill the tanks.

The plane would be
ready for takeoff.

It works.

We're on time.

NARRATOR: Filled with
fuel, this plane and crew

would be in grave jeopardy
in the event of an accident.

In 2011, a fully loaded
Omega 707 tanker caught

fire after a malfunction.

The crew aborted takeoff and
escaped with minimal injuries,

but the plane was
left a fiery wreck.

The disaster cost Omega
millions of dollars

and serves as a graphic
reminder of the hazards tanker

crews face on each mission.

- Forward D10.
- Flap lever.

- Up and checked.
- Reverse thrust.

- Down and closed.
- Start levers.

Cut off.

Autopilot and autothrottles.

Off and off.

OK, any questions?

No questions.

NARRATOR: Filled to
capacity with those 18,000

gallons of jet
fuel, this tanker

weighs in at 319,000 pounds.

Brakes, checked.

NARRATOR: It takes 10,000
feet of runway and 150 knots

to get into the air.

All set.

My tops.

160.

Maintain 7,000, Omega 707.

160 7,000

7,000.

NARRATOR: At Naval
Air Station Lemoore,

the Hornets are restless.

The first flight is
climbing into the sky.

The mission is a go.

Lieutenant Paige
Block is up next.

The air to air
refuel from the 707

means she won't have to
return to base to gas up,

doubling her impact
on the exercise.

Essentially, we'll be filling
the role of two Hornets.

Although, only one will
be required airborne,

since we'll be able to
extend our time on station

through aerial refueling.

Any extra training
we can get refueling

is certainly beneficial
to pilot training as well.

NARRATOR: Several
Hornets are engaged

in this afternoon's exercise.

But first, they need a
top up from the tanker.

40 nautical miles from the
Twentynine Palms Combat

Center, the 707 slips
into its oval orbit,

waiting for the
Hornets to arrive.

The scenery is just
beautiful up here.

We got the best seats in the
world, up front like this.

A lot of the equipment in
this airplane is analog,

so it takes a lot more
input by the pilots.

So you'll feel
the control forces

a little bit more
than you do with a lot

of the modern aircraft.

Yeah, this airplane is
an old school airplane.

I mean, you can lose
all your electronics.

You can lose all
your hydraulics,

and it'll still fly.

We just got a call.

We've got a section of
fighters, the two ship that

is on their way
up from the range,

so anticipate they'll
probably be here in about

three or four minutes.

NARRATOR: The 707 is a probe
and drogue style refueler.

Each wingtip pod houses
a drogue or basket

that extends from
a 50-foot hose,

allowing two receivers
to refuel simultaneously.

The receiving jets arrive
in tandem before separating

behind each wing.

On approach, the pilot
activates the fighter

jet's refueling probe.

With the hoses fully extended,
the tanker holds steady.

It's up to the receiver
pilot to move in.

Cameras help John
monitor the operation.

And 2, 1.

Your cuts turn right host.

2, 2 cuts turn left host.

Verify no supposed to be saved.

PILOT: 3, 2 clear contact.

MAN: 3, 2 clear contact.

NARRATOR: This gas
station is self-serve.

To get fuel flowing, the
probe needs to be pushed about

five feet into the basket.

This is when a pilot's
skills are truly tested.

They'll need to perform
a perfectly timed

thrust with a moving target.

[music playing]

[radio chatters]

With a speed of about
317 miles per hour,

even a small error
could lead to disaster.

[music playing]

The F-18 maintains a stable
position for the duration

of the fuel transfer.

If the probe moves more than
a few feet in any direction,

fuel flow stops.

They're both in
perfect positions.

I'll just watch them
to make sure they

don't fall off the
hose or bring it

in too close to our aircraft.

NARRATOR: The two
receivers fill up

simultaneously with
each hose pumping

about 300 gallons per minute.

The Hornets typically take on
over 600 gallons of fuel each,

enough to fill 30 SUVs.

[radio chatter]

Tanks full, the
receivers disconnect.

They reestablish formation
just above the right wing

of the tanker.

These pilots, this training
is very important for them.

It gives them the
training they need

so when they are on
deployment, they can get fuel

when it's really necessary.

They're off now to do their
training with the Marines.

NARRATOR: At Twentynine
Palms, the troops are calling

jets toward their targets.

[radio chatter]

Two six on the left.

Two six for
brimstone six three.

This is a very important job.

This is a very serious job.

It's a very expensive job
when we're in training.

With my experience overseas,
both Iraq and Afghanistan,

this is an imperative
part of it.

Gooda 119, stand
by for coordination.

PILOT: Just to the
northeast of that hulk.

Roger.

The first hulk you
described is your target.

NARRATOR: They say an army
marches on its stomach,

and a fighter squadron is only
as strong as its fuel supply.

Throughout the day,
the Omega Tanker will

be the mission's lifeline.

[explosion]

What it allows them to do
refuel, and come on, and give

us an additional time on
station, which in the end

gives more training
for the students,

allows them to
deliver more ordnance,

get more controls
and better training.

The Omega Tanker is a vital
part of this due to the fact

that those airplanes have
to fly from somewhere.

Along the way, they have
to refuel in mid-air

to come here to support us.

Then they have to go back
to that tanker, refuel,

and go home safely.

So without the Omega
Tanker, we couldn't

do our job efficiently and
as we're doing it right now.

NARRATOR: Back at Naval
Air Station Lemoore,

it's time for Lieutenant
Eric Sweetcheeks Wilkins

to prove his mettle.

There's always
friendly competition

within the fighter community.

Everyone wants to be able
to plug and get their gas

the first time.

NARRATOR: On this mission,
competition is not an option.

Eric is relying on his flight
lead and wingman Lieutenant

Fisher to guide him home.

To be completely honest,
this is my first time

tanking off the 707.

All the other aircraft
I've tanked off before

have been some sort
of centerline basket,

so the turbulence has
not been an issue.

NARRATOR: Lieutenant
Wilkins has a lot to prove

to himself and his colleagues.

The Omega 707 Tanker is
high over the Mojave Desert.

It holds a steady
circuit pattern, waiting

for fighter jets to refuel.

It's part of Fire X,
a three-day live fire

training exercise in
the extreme terrain

of Southern California.

Robert Proano came out
of retirement in 2007

to sit ringside
aboard the Omega 707.

It still allows me to
interface with the guys that

are out there on the
cutting edge that

are flying, and still
fighting, and doing

the job that I did for years.

NARRATOR: Before Omega, Robert
saw the world from the cockpit

of a US fighter jet.

Flying fighters
is very exciting.

I did that for 25 years
and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I saw the backend of a lot of
tankers during that career.

NARRATOR: Aerial
refueling is a skill that

requires constant practice.

Every pilot, no matter
how experienced,

has his share of misses.

It's not unusual to see
guys who are first learning

to do air refueling
be unsuccessful

time, after time,
after time, until they

get that first sweet plug.

And then it's like the
light bulb comes on.

NARRATOR: Now it's Eric
Wilkins' turn to try his hand

at linking up with the 707.

After 20 minutes in the
air, his F-18's tanks

are half empty.

The tanker comes into view.

Eric works his approach to just
80 feet back from the tanker.

As the wingtip hoses
extend, they're

subject to extreme turbulence.

His wingman, Lieutenant
Fisher, has separated

to the starboard wing.

Eric's objective is
the portside rogue.

This will be the first time
he'll work with the wingtip

pods of the 707.

Wing pod refueling is a
challenge to pilot and plane.

Flying just behind the
wing of the larger plane,

pilots are exposed to dangerous
aerodynamic disturbances

known as wingtip vortices.

In flight, high
pressure below the wing

spills over the wingtip into
the low pressure zone on top,

producing circular patterns
of extreme turbulence.

This phenomenon
can be dangerous,

particularly for smaller planes
closely following larger ones.

A fighter has a very short
wingspan, and it's very easy,

especially with
the wake vortices,

the size of that tornado
coming off the wingtip

can very easily exceed
the width of his wingtips.

In which case, he's
going to lose control.

NARRATOR: It's an
aviation hazard that

is being addressed by Omega.

At company headquarters
in San Antonio,

the future of aerial
refueling is being shaped.

This 707 is being
reconfigured as a tanker

from the ground up.

If all goes well, it will
soon be the most versatile

aerial refueler in the world.

Roger Hewlett is the
president of Omega Air

and is supervising this
labor-intensive upgrade.

We're doing a modification
to the back of the airplane,

and we're heading for some
of the structural work

that we're doing.

NARRATOR: This 707 will have
two wingtip refueling pods

but will also be outfitted
with a 90-foot center hose

out the lower center
of the fuselage.

The problem of turbulence
with the wingtip hoses

disappears with the
center line, which extends

underneath the aircraft.

It lies and it flies
in undisturbed air,

well below the airplane.

So when the fighter is
coming up to connect to it,

the basket's very
stable and stable air.

There's no chance
of wingtip vortices.

NARRATOR: Installing
a center line

requires thousands
of man hours,

executed one
fastener at a time.

What's happening
there today, Keith?

It looks like there's a lot
of fasteners ahead of you.

Yeah.
Well, we're getting there.

You're going to
be done tomorrow?

We'll talk about that.

NARRATOR: Every 707
in Omega's fleet

is being scheduled for
the same center upgrade.

We can take the
cover off the pod.

And we'll take a
look at what we got--

NARRATOR: It's all
part of the larger

vision of Ulick McEvaddy,
Omega's founder and CEO.

One of the
things I discovered

in the military is one
never has enough tankers

in the event of war.

If anything we can
do from the Civil War

to supplement the tanking
capability of the US

military and the
Allies, of course,

and that's what we aim to do.

On the center wing, all
the way out here, to supply

fuel to the pod.

NARRATOR: Omega's
converted 707s

are a cost effective
alternative

to purpose built tankers, which
can cost up to $250 million.

We can bring
these airplanes in

to do the same
job at a fraction

of that cost, probably
less than 20% of that cost.

NARRATOR: When the
modification is complete,

this 707 will be able
to refuel either two

aircraft from the wingtip
pods or one aircraft

from the center line.

Such flexibility gives
omega an extra selling

point in future negotiations.

You'll be ready
to go pumping gas.

We'll be ready to pump gas to
this airplane in a few months.

We'll be out there
supplying the Navy.

I'm looking forward to
seeing it getting out here

and getting into work, huh?
- Yep.

Me too.

I don't think there's any
doubt that in the future,

they will be using our 707s.

We'll be refueling the
unmanned aerial vehicle

because it is a very
stable platform for them

to plug into.

It's certainly the wave of
the future in the military.

So I think we'll play an
important part in that role.

NARRATOR: Eric will
need to get perilously

close to the jet's wash to
connect with the drogue.

He flies toward the wingtip
basket at 250 miles an hour.

Best case scenario, Eric
will nail it on the first go.

He needs to position the
hornet's refueling probe

right behind the basket.

A miss can throw a
pilot's confidence, making

each new try more difficult.
Eric needs to steel his nerves

and stay the course.

Finally, he's plugged
in and receiving fuel.

He'll need to stay
in steady formation

with the tanker to
keep the probe engaged.

The F-18 will take
on enough fuel

to give Erik about 40
minutes over his target zone.

Easing up on the throttle
slows the jet down and allows

him a clean disconnect.

With his first 707
refuel complete,

Erik separates from the tanker
and heads to Twentynine Palms.

As part of their
training, the Marines

are learning the technique
of close air support.

Close air support means
when we bring in aircraft,

and we drop bombs in close
proximity of friendly troops

onto the enemy.

My job is to ensure safety.

And then I put a
final grade on them

and say yes, you are capable
to go out and basically

drop bombs in close
proximity to troops safely,

and you're going to
be able to go do it.

NARRATOR: During this
training exercise,

F-18s mostly deployed
lightweight training

bombs, for obvious reasons.

We would have felt that one.

If that was a light bomb,
we would have had effects

up here, and we
probably would have

had a couple of casualties.

That was close.

That's within 300, 400 meters.

NARRATOR: This is where the
Marines learned to prevent

friendly fire mistakes.

The Omega Tanker keeps
the planes flying,

so pilots and Marines get
the time to do it right.

Having a tanker up
there with some fuel so

that aircraft can come in
that's bringing me the bombs,

so I can put the metal on the
meat on the enemy, it's vital.

NARRATOR: Back at Lemoore,
the fighter pilots regroup.

With all his bombs
deployed, Lieutenant Wilkins

touches down.

Rendezvous with
the tanker went well.

I think it took
one or two tries

before I finally got in there.

You're not always going to get
into the basket the first time

every time.

We delivered a bunch
of live ordnance today.

Overall, I think
the training was

really pretty high
quality, especially

from the guys on the ground.

NARRATOR: Back in the
sky, the Omega crew

breaks their circling
orbit and heads west.

After refueling 10
rounds of receiver jets,

this day's mission is complete.

We've been on time.

We've been where
we needed to be,

when we were supposed to be
there with the right amount

of fuel or a little bit extra.

And from our
perspective, that's

the best that we can do.

NARRATOR: For the Omega crew,
it's back to Point Mugu.

Checking the brakes.

Very nice.

NARRATOR: The 707
will wait in the apron

until tomorrow morning,
when the mission resumes.

Day two of the Fire-X mission.

With two hours until
the first sortie,

Omega mechanics Neil and Dwayne
do some routine maintenance.

Today, they're replacing
the aluminum drogue baskets.

It's a hands on
mechanical procedure.

They're very tough.

And the biggest problem
is the probe comes

in at a slightly wrong angle.

It can tear these skirts here.

And they'll have
to be replaced.

NARRATOR: The baskets carry
the scars of all the hits

and misses in the sky.

This is bent.

NARRATOR: It's like working on
a vintage car with the latest

technology under the hood.

It's a different
feeling each day.

There's always
something new to learn.

We're done.

We're ready for
our next mission.

NARRATOR: But the mission can't
begin without a rendezvous

with three fuel trucks.

The 707 has seven fuel tanks.

Three per wing and
one in the center.

Topped to capacity, they
hold almost 24,000 gallons.

The tanker pumps fuel
into planes much more

quickly than these trucks.

It takes an hour to
put the needle on full.

A fill-up of jet fuel is
not for every bank account.

The tab for this sortie
is about $80,000.

The 707 center fuel tank is
fitted with a strong rubber

cell to contain the fuel and
prevent dangerous evaporation.

In Omega's hangar
in San Antonio,

the 707 tanker
upgrade is getting

brand new fuel cell liners.

This is a fuel cell that
goes into inside the aircraft.

Some people will call it
kind of like a body bag.

So yeah.

That thing goes in first.

NARRATOR: Ken Percival
and Sonina Lowry

are tasked with
lining the tank.

Well, they say, sometimes,
it's blessed to be small,

blessed to be big.

But in our criteria, you
definitely want to be small,

so that you can be more agile.

NARRATOR: They've
hogtied the fuel cell

to make it small enough to
squeeze through the opening

to the tank.

Hey, hold it there.

We are in the center
tank of the aircraft.

It has seven cells in it,
seven of these bladders.

And we happen to be in the
number three cell right now.

NARRATOR: Ken and Sonina
laced the liner into place.

If it wasn't
laced up, it would

collapse down to the bottom
and not fill up correctly.

NARRATOR: It's
cramped and stifling

in fuel cell number three.

Yeah.

If you're claustrophobic,
this isn't the job for you.

NARRATOR: The
installation process

is slow and methodical.

It's a giant sewing operation.

These cords will hold up
to 9,000 gallons of fuel.

How does it look?

It's got to go outward more.

Yeah.

Your corner it looks
good over here.

All right.
Good deal.

NARRATOR: It will
take Ken and Sonina

a few more stifling days to
complete the installation.

Get this bladder tied in yet.

NARRATOR: At Point
Mugu, the 707

is on schedule for its second
day of Fire-X refueling.

We're fueled and ready to go.

OK, no worries.

We'll be there.

NARRATOR: Inside the
cockpit, the veteran crew

get comfortable.

I haven't used my
knee board since I

was a second lieutenant.

I don't even want
to ask how long ago

you were a second lieutenant.

NARRATOR: But 800
feet down the taxi

lane, the 707 unexpectedly
comes to a halt.

The culprit, a sticky break.

Enough of a red flag
to delay the takeoff.

OK.

Oh, no.
No.

You got to do the right thing.

Do the safe thing, and
we'll get it worked on.

And we'll slide as long
as we can for takeoff.

I can contact the customers.

All right, Royce.

Yep.

This one was pretty black
and white actually because it

was very apparent that the
brake was dragging on the

taxi out.

We deplaned.

Our flight engineer found out
it was smoking a little bit.

At that point, we knew
we had a real issue.

So the takeoff is probably
going to be delayed

at least a few minutes.

NARRATOR: Dwayne
and Neil quickly

try to scope out the problem.

I don't see where
it's written on it.

Should be about a 65.

OK.

I said 50.

But there's a huge
amount of pressure.

If we can get this airplane
going in the next hour or so,

well then, we can make
part of the mission,

and that keeps
people partly happy.

NARRATOR: Every
minute on the ground

means a minute less
refueling flying clients.

With military
customers standing by

and hundreds of thousands
of dollars on the line,

Omega needs to get this
tanker back in the sky.

About to take off to
join a military mission,

the Omega Tanker is suddenly
grounded on the tarmac.

We've had a brake
failure on the airplane.

We actually had a brake
that was sticking.

NARRATOR: The clock is
ticking, and Omega's flight

mechanics are tasked
with finding the source

of the problem fast.

It looks like
that's the valve.

NARRATOR: From
the sticky break,

they chase the problem back
to a faulty deboost valve.

This one here.

This one here in a wiggler?

Yeah.

NARRATOR: It's a
small but essential

part that regulates
the hydraulic pressure

in the braking system.

Neil sources a new
valve from the plane's

stash of spare parts.

Boeing stopped building
new 707s in 1991,

so spare parts are an essential
element of Omega's operations.

Well, as you can
tell, our warehouse,

we have multiple things
that are in our warehouse.

We have lots and lots of parts.

We support our
airplanes worldwide.

NARRATOR: Along with
its refueling division,

Omega is one of the biggest
suppliers and traders

of 707 parts in the world.

We got three
engines stored here

that have came off an
airplane that are heading off

for our engine shop.

It's all part of our support
necessary to keep the airplane

going over all these years.

NARRATOR: Roger Hewlett has
been working with the Boeing

707 for 28 years.

Our whole idea here
with the warehouse

is to have everything
we need to support

the airplane in case it
breaks anywhere in the world.

NARRATOR: Omega
buys aging 707s,

most headed for the
scrapyard, and restores

them or mines them for parts.

Every part of
the European can be

replaced throughout its life.

So if somebody
says, well, how long

can you keep them in service?

Well, if you want to
keep them in service,

I can do it for 100 years.

There's no such thing as
obsolescence in service.

NARRATOR: Back at
Point Mugu, Neil gets

to work on the sticky brake.

He and Dwayne are
working as quickly

as they can to install the
new equipment and secure it.

What do you
need for the back?

NARRATOR: It's
taken over an hour

to wrestle the new
valve into place.

As soon as we have everything
tight, we'll test it,

and we'll see.

NARRATOR: Mechanical
failures aren't unusual.

But any downtime throws a
wrench into a finely tuned

and busy mission schedule.

The repercussions
are immediate.

At Lemoore.

F-18s idle on the tarmac,
waiting for the green light

from Point Mugu.

They can't take off until they
know their refueler is ready.

The delay is most critical
at Twentynine Palms,

where Marines are standing by.

If we do not have
that tanker support

in the air for our
aircraft to refuel,

then we lose that aircraft.

And then therefore, the
students lose their training

and readiness criteria,
and they won't graduate

the course successfully.

At Point Mugu, the fate
of the training session

is in Dwayne and Neil's hands.

They still need to test the
new valve before the plane

is mission-ready.

OPERATOR: All ready
for hydraulics, Neil.

Stand by.

I'm actuating the brakes,
and I'm releasing the brakes.

NARRATOR: By
pumping the brakes,

Neil releases trapped air
in the hydraulic lines,

allowing the new deboost
valve to do its job.

So the brake is
compressing when you

push it on the brake pedals.

And it's releasing
like it should

when he's releasing
the brake pedals.

You can see the brake that's
letting go of the brake

pad again.

So it all looks like
it's working good.

NARRATOR:
Unfortunately, the two

hours needed to fix
the problem have

cost Omega today's mission.

On the ground at Twentynine
Palms, lots of

disappointed Marines.

As a result of the
fallout, approximately,

let's say, about 20
missions unable to execute.

To rectify that, we're
still working on the answer

right now.

NARRATOR: Each
of the 24 Marines

needs to complete 12 rounds
of close air support training

to be ready for
deployment overseas.

Without Omega, the
fighters are grounded,

and so is the mission.

They have to
make arrangements

to come back to the course, go
through some more instruction.

And then again, it's
more money, more time,

and it's just-- it's pain.

Pain.

It was a little bit
of a challenging day.

Everybody understands
in aviation, that things

break from time to time.

We had a stuck break.

We missed the mission today,
but we're going back out.

We're going to
redeem ourselves.

NARRATOR: The day
has been lost,

but the mission will
resume tomorrow,

and the 707 crew will need
to make up for lost time.

In the meantime, the Marines
have called in the Cowboys,

an F-18 squadron from
Texas, to intensify

the next day's bombing runs.

The Cowboys are
experienced pilots,

but they haven't refueled
with the Omega 707.

They're about to learn.

It's the final day of the
US Navy and Marine Corps

Fire-X exercise, and the Omega
Tanker is back in the air,

refueling jets.

A mechanical failure
cost omega day's work,

and they need to make
up for lost time.

PILOT 2: All right.

Omega, Cowboy 2-1.

I'd like to go to the right.

OK.

I've just cleared
the Cowboys in.

NARRATOR: A squadron of
F-18s has been called

in to ramp up the training.

They're normally based
out of Fort Worth, Texas

and are affectionately
known as the Cowboys.

PILOT 2: Shorthose
on this thing.

JOHN SHREVE: Yes, sir.

2-1, you've got good pull,
and you're in good position.

PILOT 2: Roger.

Thanks.

Made a little comment there
that we have short hoses.

They're used to
an 80-foot hose.

Things seems a little
bit closer to them

NARRATOR: Omega's
flight engineer

John Shreve keeps an eye
on the refueling maneuver.

And Cowboy 2-1,
your offload was 6.4.

Cowboy 2-2, yours was 4.1.

Maybe that's
the quickest joint

I've ever done in my life.

It's awesome.

OK, the Cowboys are complete.

And so they're off now
to do their training

with the Marines.

And we're going to go
back to our orbiting

here and ready for the next
group whenever they come up.

NARRATOR: Charged
with fuel, the jets

head off to work with the
Marines at Twentynine Palms.

The tanker pumped out
almost 4,000 gallons

of fuel over three
hours, enough to get

the mission back on schedule.

It's all in a day's work
for this veteran crew.

No matter how long
you've been flying

or how much time you
have in an aircraft,

there's always
something you can learn

to do a little bit better.

It's just a real thrill.

I think I could speak for
all of us, that you can plan,

plan, plan all you want
in the days and weeks

before you ever take off.

But there's always a certain
amount of uncertainty

that you can't plan for.

NARRATOR: The Boeing
707 was designed

to live long and work hard.

As passenger jets,
they've been outclassed

by larger, widebody planes.

But for Omega's refueling
operations, they're ideal.

This 707 is a perfect
aircraft for this mission.

It's rugged.

It's reliable.

It can carry a lot of fuel.

It's a stable platform.

These airplanes are
good as gold to us.

I think it's a
great airplane.

It's a 1950s design.

Like I say, it goes as fast
today as the new ones coming

down the production line.

It's a beautiful looking
airplane, first of all.

When you look at a 707, you
can understand why it flies,

because it looks like
it should fly, you know?

But with you with new
engines and new avionics,

we bring it into
the modern era,

and this airplane
will be in service

for the next 40 to 50 years.

There are guys who
aren't born yet

who will be flying
this airplane

in the service of the
United States Air Force.

NARRATOR: With the
mission wrapped

and the contract complete,
the crew deserves a break.

Well, mission complete.

We offloaded some significant
amount of fuel today.

So I think everybody is happy.

So we're going to
get some good rest

and do this again tomorrow.

NARRATOR: Soon, this
707 will be outfitted

with a new center
line, catapulting it

to the forefront of
aerial refuelers.

It's a 50-year-old aircraft
still making a name for itself

in the 21st century.

[ending theme]