Taking the boss for a ride
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By KRISTINE SHAWKEY
Standard-Examiner staff
HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- More than 30 employers of Air Force reservists boarded a 136-foot-long tanker airplane Saturday to witness a refueling mission as part of the annual 419th Fighter Wing Employer Appreciation Day.
The invited guests strapped themselves in and anticipated takeoff while Tech. Sgt. Tony Kalakis explained what the employers would see, while also mentioning that the aircraft was more than 50 years old. Reassuring, right?
"I was apprehensive at first, not knowing what to expect," said Brenda Bain, human resources director for Questar Gas Co.
It turned out the half-century-old plane has fewer than 20,000 flying hours, which Kalakis said is half of what a commercial plane flies.
The tanker airplane soared into the thick clouds, and immediately the crew began preparing for the mission. The 41-foot-tall aircraft with a 130-foot wing span led the way for the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter planes it would refuel.
At an altitude of 30,000 feet, the refueling mission began. Eight F-16s were refueled as the employers rotated to the bottom of the tanker plane to observe.
"When they come in for gas, I focus on refueling them, not scratching the planes, making sure everybody's safe and clear, and I make sure nobody runs out of gas.
"I think about how far they are, how much they are moving and where they're going. When they get about 5 feet away, I plug them and fill them and get them back out," Kalakis said.
Kalakis is the main man of the mission. His responsibility is to guide the fighter planes underneath the tank and position them for refueling. In order to do this, he communicates with the fighter pilot through a microphone and lies on his stomach to get the best view possible.
"I have the best job in the Air Force. Looking out the bottom of an airplane, I have the best office view in the world. Actually, the hardest part of the job is the tension before air-refueling, just making sure everything is ready," Kalakis said.
Watching the F-16 fighter jets fly only feet away from the tanker aircraft was an image the employers would never forget. As the guests walked around, talking with each other, they used the words "incredible" and "amazing" to describe their experience. Cameras were out the entire time, as they took pictures of a couple of fighter aircraft soaring side-by-side inches from the wing of the tanker.
"It was absolutely amazing, an excellent experience. I have never done anything like that. I was a little apprehensive at first, but better after. That was something I'll never forget. It was also a great opportunity for employers by Questar to see what our reservists do," said Bain.
Dennis Nugent works for Bowe Bell and Howell as a government sales representative. His company has a contract with the IRS facility in Ogden, where one of his employees works -- a reservist who just returned from a deployment in Iraq.
His employee reservist, Cory Colvin, returned from Iraq with a certified U.S. flag that was flown during a combat mission. After his return, Colvin acknowledged Bowe Bell and Howell and his appreciation for the company's support and gave them the flag, which is now placed in their building.
"I came from Washington, D.C., for my reservist. He asked me to come this year, and I said, 'sure.' I told him if he could go to Iraq for six months for me, I could go to Ogden for a weekend," Nugent said.
"It was awesome. I got video of the whole thing. This is something -- we will probably highlight this experience in one of our company magazines," he said.
The 419th Fighter Wing named Whitewater Whirlpool Baths and Systems of Lindon as the Wing's Employer of the Year 2008, giving it the Above and Beyond Award.
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