KC-135 Boom Operator's Head-Up Display

A review of accidents during air-to-air refueling by a boom operator (BO), when the receiver aircraft flies in a close trail formation slightly below the tanker, reveals that refueling accidents could have been prevented by using a BO head-up display (HUD). The two criteria of refueling accidents were failure or inability of the BO to determine proximity to the refueling envelope limits, or accident caused by the BO going head-down to consult his instruments. Interviews with BOs suggest that a BO HUD would improve mission effectiveness and flight safety. A HUD would minimize the need to look at the instruments, with the result that hook-ups would be faster with fewer disconnects and flight safety would improve. Desirable minimum data needed by a BO in his field of view during HUD are mentioned.