What is contract air refueling?
How did Omega Air Refueling Inc. get its start?
How many Omega tankers are there?
What type of aircraft is the Omega?
What type of air refueling does Omega do?
What kind of baskets are on Omega?
What is Omega's fuel capacity and how does the modified fuel system work?
What is the fuel offload capability of Omega?
Under what part of the FAR's does Omega operate?
What are the communication/navigation capabilities of Omega?
How can a unit schedule Omega?
Can guests or passengers fly on Omega?
What is contract air refueling?
Contract air refueling is a business using specially-equipped and converted civilian airplanes to serve as air refueling platforms that meet the operational needs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
How did Omega Air Refueling Inc. get its start?
Soon there will be a page that describes the complete history of the project and the company!
How many Omega tankers are there?
Currently there are 2 B-707 tankers capable of flying up to 1600-1800 hours per year. The KDC-10 is undergoing certification testing now and will be online early 2008.
What type of aircraft is the Omega?
The K-707 Omega is a Boeing 707-300 series aircraft. The aft portion of the aircraft was modified with the two hose and drogue assemblies. Electric, hydraulic and fuel lines tap into the aircraft systems for system operation and fuel transfer. Two fuel pumps were added to the aircraft center wing fuel tank to pump fuel to the hose and drogue assemblies. System controls and video monitoring devices were placed in the cockpit. The KDC-10 is a modified DC-10 with FRL wing pods. The system is controlled from the cockpit as well.
What type of air refueling does Omega do?
Currently, Omega only conducts drogue type refueling to support U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft.
What kind of baskets are on Omega?
On the K-707, Omega has 2 Sergeant Fletcher baskets on the aft centerline of the aircraft. Only one basket/hose assembly can be used at one time. The other basket acts as an immediate spare should it be needed due to malfunction or damage. On the KDC-10, 1 FRL pod assembly is on each wing. 2 aircraft may refuel simultaneously.
What is the K-707's fuel capacity and how does the modified fuel system work?
Omegas fuel tank system is basically the same as a KC-135, without forward and aft body tanks. Both Omega and a KC-135 have two reserve tanks, two outboard main tanks, two inboard main tanks, and a center wing tank. Omega has larger wing and fuselage tanks, but without body tanks, Omegas total fuel capacity is less. With a full fuel load, Omega can carry between 156k and 160k, depending on fuel type and temperature. At maximum landing weight, Omega can land with about 100k of fuel, so unless the flight is very short or has a low planned offload, Omega usually takeoff with full fuel. On a 10,000 ft. sea level runway, Omega can takeoff with full fuel up to about 85oF. Omegas air refueling pumps are in the center wing tank, so all offloaded fuel has to drain to the center wing tank just as the KC-135 has to drain the fuel to the body tanks. Omega can drain fuel from all four main tanks to the center wing tank. Based on where the drain lines are in Omegas main tanks, fuel can drain to about 1/3 level. Based on the relative height of the tanks, Omegas outboard tanks drain fairly easily while the inboard tanks drain more slowly. Initially, Omega can drain fuel from the outboard tanks to the center tank almost as fast as it can be offloaded. Operationally, Omega uses the inboard tanks to feed the engines and saves the outboard tanks and center wing tank for offload fuel. Between the fuel that can be offloaded from the center tank, 55k, and what can be drained from the outboard tanks, 26k, about 81k is easily available. Fuel above that has to drain from the inboard tanks which takes a little more planning and is affected by the sequence of the offload. Omega can offload and drain at the same time, but if a long line of receivers was waiting, Omega could only offload roughly 75k before a short pause would be necessary to allow for more fuel to drain to the center wing tank.
What is the fuel offload capability of Omega?
The chart below gives a general indication of fuel offload capability. For more detailed information, go to theMission Planning Information page orcontact Omega.
Under what part of the FAR's does Omega operate?
Omega operates under FAR Part 91.
What are the communication/navigation capabilities of the Omega K-707?
Communications: 2 VHF/UHF radios, 2 HF radios
Navigation: TACAN, VOR, IFR Enroute-GPS, Weather Radar
How can a unit schedule Omega?
Go to the OmegaScheduling Overview page to learn about the Omega scheduling process.
Can guests or passengers fly on Omega?
Only on specific instances or situations can Omega fly with guests or passengers.Contact Omega Operations to learn more.
