Gas, Go: Eielson Airmen perform first hot pit refueling for F-35A

By Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky, 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published June 05, 2020

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 9

Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 356th Fighter Squadron wait to be refueled during a hot pit refueling at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. A hot pit refueling is the process of an aircraft landing, taxiing to the hot pit area, refuelling and taking off again while engines are running. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 9

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Montoya, a 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit F-35 dedicated crew chief, carries a fuel hose at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. This is the first time the F-35A Lightning II has been hot pit refueled at Eielson Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 9

U.S. Air Force Col. David Skalicky, the 354th Operations Group commander, waits for his F-35A Lightning II to be hot pit refueled at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. Hot-pit refueling eliminates extra maintenance, decreases refueling time and extends the amount of training aircrew members receive during each flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 4 of 9

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Montoya, a 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit F-35 dedicated crew chief, stands by during a hot pit refueling at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. While refueling, maintenance Airmen communicate with pilots to gauge how much fuel is loaded into the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 5 of 9

U.S. Air Force SrA Sean D. Johnson, a 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels distribution operator, records fuel levels at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. Hot pit refueling takes 30 minutes to an hour to execute, cutting the normal refueling time by half which enables pilots to take off into the skies quicker than normal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 6 of 9

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michael Huegi, F-35 assistant dedicated crew chief, executes a hot pit refueling at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. The first hot pit refueling operation on the F-35A at Eielson signifies an important milestone for the 354th Fighter Wing and the 356th Fighter Squadron as they posture for the future fight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 7 of 9

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 8 of 9

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michael Huegi, F-35 assistant dedicated crew chief, awaits to marshal an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 356th Fighter Squadron during a hot pit refueling at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. Airmen from the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels operations section and 356th Aircraft Maintenance Unit worked together to conduct the first hot pit refueling for the F-35 at Eielson. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 9 of 9

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michael Huegi, F-35 assistant dedicated crew chief, marshals an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 356th Fighter Squadron during a hot pit refueling at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 2, 2020. A hot pit refuel allows aircraft to quickly re-launch for a sortie by fueling with the engine running. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --

Airmen from the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels operations section and the 356th Aircraft Maintenance Unit worked together to conduct the first hot pit refueling operation for the F-35A Lightning II at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on June 2, 2020.

“Hot pitting is the hot refueling of aircraft with engines running,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Heath N. Krogmann, the 354th LRS fuels operations section chief.

The 354th LRS and 356th AMU worked together beforehand to ensure their Airmen were ready to receive the F-35, execute their mission and get it back in the fight.

“We all have to have a program for this type of refueling operation,” said Krogmann.

The program is a three-step process which consists of classroom training, a supervised walkthrough allowing the Airmen a chance to observe hot pit refueling and concludes with the actual hot pit refueling operation.

“Through this phased approach we accomplish required training by working together. Individuals are then certified to perform the hot pits,” he said.

Hot pit refueling takes 30 minutes to an hour to execute, cutting the normal refueling time by half which enables pilots to take off into the skies quicker than normal.

Even in such a small window of time, a large amount of fuel can be supplied. More than 1,900 gallons of JP-8 jet fuel was supplied during this hot pit refueling.

The fuel and equipment are absolutely necessary but it is teamwork between 354th LRS and Eielson maintainers that ensures the mission continues seamlessly.

“Partnership is vital to producing airpower especially when it comes to hot pits,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Charles H. Nichols, the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assistant superintendent.

The role fuels operations plays during hot pit refueling is crucial and the Airmen within the section ensure the 354th Fighter Wing is prepared to project airpower.

“It allows the wing to utilize its equipment and people in a more efficient way,” said Krogmann. “It also allows our pilots to get back into the fight quicker.”

The first hot pit refueling operation on the F-35A at Eielson signifies an important milestone for the 354th Fighter Wing and the 356th Fighter Squadron as they posture for the future fight.

If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.