JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- All of the 88 plus mission partners on the joint base are unique in their own ways, but only one lets you fly a KC-10 Extender inside of a building.
The KC-10 BOT/SIM building is one of the two buildings for this specific training in the Air Force.
Inside, they have two simulators that are exact replicas of a KC-10 cockpit, every button and switch are right where they would be in the real thing.
These simulators have a full range of motion to make it feel like you are in flight as well.
“On a scale of one to ten, these simulators are almost always a ten,” said Tom Soszynski, KC-10 instructor pilot.
The purpose of the simulator is to give new air crews their first experience with the aircraft and to give refresher training to older crews.
“We teach 2,700 students a year,” said Scott Roe, site manager and retired KC-10 pilot. “They are either new students going through the 56 day course, or are here for the quarterly eight hour refresher.”
The pilots and flight engineers go through all training together to make it as similar to a real flight as possible.
They have briefings, do pre-check and all regular in-flight activities, all inside the simulator, making training centralized and easy.
On the other end of the building is the BOT or Boom Operator Trainer that is a replica of a boom pod and gives boom operators the opportunity to practice all procedures in the safety of the building.
In the BOT you are able to practice refueling any aircraft, in almost any conditions.
The goal is for new boom operators to become comfortable with how everything works before they are 50 feet from another aircraft in the sky, making the connection and pumping fuel.
“This is very in-depth training,” said Staff Sgt. Evan Austin, boom operator in training. “Getting as many reps in the sim, will hopefully help me when I get in the pod in the jet.”