The presence of “Texaco” overhead was usually mandatory during cyclic night operations, and the tanker was almost always the last one aboard at the end of the night.
TANKER POSIT?!: The traditional call of a jet in need.
Carrier aviation is widely regarded as one of the most challenging types of manned flight. To complete their missions, aircrews must operate in daylight or darkness and often in severe weather conditions. As Mark Morgan and Rick Morgan note in Intruder: The Operational History of Grumman’s A-6, the introduction of jet aircraft aboard carriers in the 1950s soon created a need for effective aerial refueling. The earliest carrier-based tankers included AD Skyraiders and AJ Savages, which used the British-developed probe-and-drogue system. Later, A4D (A-4) Skyhawks also took on the tanker role with the help of external, self-contained D-704 or Sergeant-Fletcher “buddy stores.” From the beginning, the A-6 was designed to carry an external fuel tank, and over time, it became what was likely the U.S. Navy’s most versatile aerial tanker.
“TEXACO OVERHEAD, ANGELS SIX”: Ship’s call to alert aircraft that gas was airborne.
Compared with the aircraft that came before and after it in this role, the Intruder had the right combination of fuel capacity and performance to serve in two ways: it could remain near the carrier as a departure or recovery tanker, and it could also escort a strike group partway to its target. The only other aircraft capable of handling both tasks was the Douglas A-3.
Before the Intruder entered service, the AJ Savage and A-1 Skyraider had also been adapted for aerial refueling duties. The AJ employed an internal hose-and-drum system, while the Skyraider used a centerline buddy store. The A-5 Vigilante and F-4 Phantom were later tested as tankers as well—the Phantom with a centerline buddy store and the Vigilante with an internal refueling package fitted in its linear bomb bay—but neither seems to have seen operational use in that capacity. As aircraft equipped with afterburners, neither was especially well suited to the tanker mission.
A standard carrier air wing in the early 1980s typically included four or five KA-6Ds, along with ten to twelve A-6Es equipped to carry buddy stores. The two embarked A-7 squadrons also contributed to the tanker mission by flying Corsairs fitted with D-704 stores. Together, these aircraft provided enough refueling support for the carrier’s two fighter squadrons, whether they flew F-4s or F-14s.
That balance shifted in 1984 with the introduction of the F/A-18 Hornet. Tanker resources dropped from three participating squadrons to only the Intruder community, even as the number of afterburner-equipped squadrons requiring fuel rose to four. The Intruder force shouldered this burden until the S-3 Viking was adapted to carry a buddy store on its left wing. The last KA-6D deployment took place in 1993 with VA-165, although attack aircraft continued using buddy stores in their air wings afterward.
“401, HORNET BALL, 3.2, TRICK OR TREAT”: Typical call of a jet, which will either trap on its next pass or need a tanker or have to divert (“bingo”) to a field.
In routine daytime carrier operations, a tanker typically remains at 6,000 feet, known as “Angels 6,” waiting for aircraft that need refueling. It usually flies a left-hand orbit above the carrier at 250 knots with the refueling store retracted. Aircraft launching from the ship—most often fighters—normally rendezvous with the tanker soon after takeoff and take on about 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of fuel before continuing their mission.
When serving as a recovery tanker, the assigned A-6 might be directed to closely monitor a particular aircraft in the landing pattern, positioning itself above and to the right with the hose extended in case that aircraft misses the arresting wires or is waved off. Night tanker duty required considerable skill and judgment, so it was generally assigned to the more experienced pilots in the squadron. Although often an underappreciated task, having “Texaco” overhead was usually essential during cyclic night operations, and the tanker was typically the final aircraft to return aboard at the end of the night.
Intruder: The Operational History of Grumman’s A-6 is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by U.S. Navy
