POL ensures the Wolf Pack stays in the fight

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Senior Airman Miguel Valencia, 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels distribution operator, writes down the number of gallons put into an F-16 Fighting Falcon during a hot pit refuel here Sept. 21. Hot pit refueling is a procedure usually performed in a combat situation to rapidly refuel aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brittany Y. Bateman)

POL ensures Wolf Pack stays in the fight

Published Sept. 25, 2011
By Senior Airman Brittany Y. Bateman
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Petroleum, oil and lubricant Airmen from the 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron performed hot pit refuels on several F-16 Fighting Falcons here Sept. 21.

Hot pit refueling is a procedure usually performed in a combat situation to rapidly refuel an aircraft, as it gets the fighters gassed up quickly while the engines are still running, and back in the fight.

As a plane lands here after a sortie, it taxis into a hardened aircraft shelter. There, with the plane's engines still running, crews of airmen are waiting to hook a fuel line to the aircraft and fill it up, while also checking for signs of anything that might cause the pilot problems on their next launch.

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