Five Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft crews of the Northern Fleet’s Air Force and Air Defence 45 army improved their skills in air refueling during training flights.

Refueling was held at about 4 thousand meters altitude at about 500 km/h speed. Trainings were held in the base airfield area.

Pilots were successfully cooperating with IL-78 air tanker during flights. Besides air refueling pilots practiced joint maneuvering at low altitudes.

Such flights are one of the most complicated types of flight training. Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft with a takeoff weight of 190 tons has to get closer to IL-78 air tanker (170 tons in weight) at a distance of 10-15 meters and to contact special bar with cone-sensor of the tanker. After that planes have to move with equal speed and altitude till the end of refueling.