Swedish tanker times

摘要

'Daton 01, cleared wet contact right, 2,000 pounds." The voice of 'Dalton 01' belongs to a pilot of 212. stridsflygdivisionen at F 21 'Norrbottens' flygflottilj (wing, based at Luleå) flying a JAS 39D Gripen with an air-to-air refuelling (AAR) instructor pilot in the back seat. In 2005, the Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) modified one of its six remaining TP 84 (C-130H) Hercules aircraft (serial 84002/'842') with a hose-and-drogue system. The JAS 39C/D Gripens were the first Swedish aircraft fitted with refuelling probes and the Flygvapnet needed its own tanker aircraft to keep the Gripen pilots proficient in AAR. The TP 84s are flown by 731. transportflygdivisionen based at F 7 'Skaraborgs' flygflottilj (at Såtenäs) where '842' is the oldest active TP 84 in the inventory; it was taken into service in 1969 and had accumulated about 19,000 flight hours at the time of AFM's visit.