HH-60W Completes First Aerial Refueling Written 12 August 2020
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An HH-60W Jolly Green II connects with an HC-130J tanker during its first ever aerial refueling over Alabama, 5 August 2020. | Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire; USAF
Air Force Magazine reports that on August 5, the HH-60W Jolly Green II completed its first aerial refueling at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. Air Force and Sikorsky pilots flew the aircraft “at 110 knots to connect with an HC-130J tanker during the initial test, which lasted just under two hours.” According to a USAF release, the “413th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin will spend two weeks testing the Jolly Green II’s aerial refueling capabilities.” Joe Whiteaker, 413th Flight Test Squadron Combat Rescue Helicopter Flight Chief, said in the release that aerial refueling is “essential for the combat search and rescue mission since it greatly extends the operating range of the aircraft and thus allows the unit to extend their rescue capabilities over a larger battle space.”
Full Story (Air Force Magazine)