Boeing E-6B Mercury (707-300) - USA - Navy | Aviation Photo #1016462

Untitled (American Airlines) [All]

REG: N451AA

McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82)

MSN: 49477

Goodyear - Phoenix / Goodyear (Litchfield Municipal / NAS) (GYR)

Arizona, USA - July 26, 2019

Flightline Aviation Media - Bruce Leibowitz
7.4K Mississippi, USA

2.1K Views
Southwest Airlines

REG: N8563Z

Boeing 737-800

MSN: 64172

Phoenix - Sky Harbor International (Municipal) (PHX / KPHX)

Arizona, USA - July 27, 2019

Flightline Aviation Media - Bruce Leibowitz
7.4K Mississippi, USA

1.1K Views
National Airlines

REG: N176CA

Boeing 757-28A

MSN: 24543

Goodyear - Phoenix / Goodyear (Litchfield Municipal / NAS) (GYR)

Arizona, USA - July 26, 2019

Flightline Aviation Media - Bruce Leibowitz
7.4K Mississippi, USA

2.7K Views
United Airlines

REG: N24702

Boeing 737-724

MSN: 28763

Houston - George Bush Intercontinental (IAH / KIAH)

Texas, USA - May 19, 2019

Flightline Aviation Media - Bruce Leibowitz
7.4K Mississippi, USA

9.1K Views
China Southern Airlines

REG: B-2057

Boeing 777-21B/ER

MSN: 27604

Goodyear - Phoenix / Goodyear (Litchfield Municipal / NAS) (GYR)

Arizona, USA - July 26, 2019

Flightline Aviation Media - Bruce Leibowitz
7.4K Mississippi, USA

1.7K Views
Southwest Airlines

REG: N760SW

Boeing 737-7H4

MSN: 27874

Phoenix - Sky Harbor International (Municipal) (PHX / KPHX)

Arizona, USA - July 27, 2019

Flightline Aviation Media - Bruce Leibowitz
7.4K Mississippi, USA

1.4K Views

Comments (39)

Anonymous

14 years ago

Cool shot! But why is the 747 the only one with contrails?

Wow, very rare shot! 5/5

Very Rare Catch, Good To See There Are Still Some Sharp Eyes Out There.

I don´t understand why one makes contrail and the other doesnt. Both are basicly the same plane.. same engines I think.

Very unique perspective!! Well done.

Amazing in-flight refueling photo...kudos. What FL are they at?

Spectacular! What more can i say? T.B.

Tremendous use of telephoto lens to their fullest. I guess the photo was taken because of two close flying planes and the fact that they were about to refuel was a bonus noticed later. Great job!

Awesome shot, thanks for sharing such a rare photo with us.

I am a KC-135 boom operator, in my opinion the third best job possible in the world after pilot (2.) and astronaut (1.). This picture helps show some of the differences that prove that the -135 is not directly based off of the 707 (as the E-6 is), specifically the wing and fuselage length (amongst other things).

Great!

Woah cool shot, this is a very rare opportunity and i am very glad that he got to take a pic of.

good job bruce

Awesome, being in the right place at the right time. Rare opportunity to see two amazing aircraft within refueling range of teach other!

Very nice Bruce, thats an awesome shot! Shame we cant see the hose.

Great Shot

Incredible picture. mass kudos to the photographer

I think I can call this "airmeal"

WOW...you must not be a Packer fan! What a rare shot this must be!

Great shot, showing precisely what can be done during flight with large aircraft.

Talk about 'right place, right time'! Well done.

Awesome, truly a rare pic.

Awesome! But imagine refueling during turbulence. T.B.

Nice shot. There is no hose (as one visitor thought) on that aircraft. The plane getting fuel will move right up to the end of the boom. They don't use a hose with a drag bucket.

This picture speaks for itself.

Cool

Nice shooting!!

That is one very nice and rare picture... Well done!

Dangerous overtakes not only on motorways ... :-)

Great capture of a rare and unique moment.

It has a shadow in the sky!

That's a great shot!! As a former KC-135 Crew Chief myself, I really am quite impressed with such a shot...as the boomer said previously, you really can see the difference between the KC-135 and the 707-based E-6. Very well done!! Jaysen F. Snow - Shawnee, KS

Looks like they're chasing eachother.

Wow! What an incredible moment captured! And to the very first visitor: The aircraft is a E6, based upon the Boeing 707. There are now 747s in this shot. Both aircraft do however have contrails, however the contrails of the higer aircraft form further behind it than tha the lower aircraft. Tkae a look behind the E6, and you will see two sets of contrails.

Excellent photo...Had a chance to ride in a KC135R when I was in the CAP with my local unit. Watched the boom operator refuel 2 C-5B's...That was a gas!

Gotta love these double-shots.

12 years ago

I flew in an E-6 a few years back at Tinker AFB (and NAS Tinker) in Oklahoma(where E-6's are based) and they still have the same 3 place cockpit but the cockpit has been upgraded to all glass. Along with many more mods, nice shot

9 years ago

Nice shot! I hate to think how much the glass that was used cost the photographer. I've spent a lot of time behind the tanker in both the E-6A and B.

Great picture. Love seen this from the spectators point of view

-E-6B Pilot

8 years ago

Great comparison between what I assume are the youngest and oldest derivatives of the 707 still in regular service. Full credit to boeing for one making an airframe that lasted the test of time and 2 for a design with a long production span

Aviation Photo #1016462 Boeing E-6B Mercury (707-300) - USA - Navy

Comments (39)

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