U.S. F-22 Raptors were deployed in real combat for the first time against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Syria last month, but getting the planes there and back to base in the UAE means refueling in mid air — and in this pilot’s case, at night. (RELATED: U.S. Uses F-22 Stealth Fighters For The First Time In Real Combat Against ISIS)
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The F-22 ditches its external fuel tanks for combat operations in order to maintain stealth invisibility during missions, according to The Aviationist. In the case of pilots flying sorties over northern Syria, that means multiple refuels in mid-air to make the six to seven hour-plus trip, with help from aircraft like the tanker in the video (either a KC-135 or KC-10 Extender tanker, shot Sept. 27).