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The KC-135, a military version of the Boeing 707 passenger
plane, replaced the KC-97 propeller-driven air-refueling
tanker in the mid-1950s. The KC-135s altitude and speed
of over 500 MPH better matched the performance of the
jet-powered aircraft they refueled. To refuel, aircraft line
up behind the tanker guided by lights on the underside of
the plane. A boom operator lies in prone position near the
rear of the KC-135, dispensing fuel to the receiver through
a guided winged boom. Fuel offload rate is 6,500 pounds
per minute, enough fuel in one minute to operate an average
family car for one year. The KC-135 is still in active
military service at the beginning of the 21st century.
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