These 5 USAF Photos Show Military Aircraft Are Almost Like Pets for America's Aviators

Being a pilot, especially a military one, requires a special mindset. Just think about it: most of the time the biggest danger white-collar workers face is running out of printer paper, whereas these guys and gals put their lives on the line every time they wake up in the morning.

And that's not because they have to head out into battle because, at least for now, America is not directly involved in all that many wars. It's because flying in general can be dangerous, and flying in a military aircraft can be even more so.

That's probably why most pilots have a special relationship with the aircraft they use on a daily basis. We know they give names to the machines, tend to their needs, talk to them, and even spoil them from time to time.

For many military pilots, the airplanes they fly are probably not objects, but something more likely akin to pets. And last week's release of USAF photos is more than ample proof of that, as we are treated with sights of aircraft and the people that fly them in the most telling of circumstances.

5. Ready to mount the deadly giant

Fighter jets are impressive by trade, but they don't really come close to the feeling of awe and power one gets when standing next to a bomber airplane. And a lucky few even get to mount these deadly giants on a daily basis.

The pic you're looking at here shows exactly such an instance. The crew of a B-2 Spirit belonging to the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is heading to the plane, ready to take off for the Bomber Task Force 24-4 mission which took place in mid-August in Keflavik, Iceland.

For the average Joe the knowledge that they're about to board a machine capable of dropping tons of conventional and nuclear bombs on the enemy's heads could be daunting. But not for these two guys, seen here casually walking toward their mechanical beast.

4. When your pet knows a trick and does it well

No matter what kind of vehicles we use, we all get scared when they start releasing smoke for whatever reason. That's because where there's smoke there's usually fire, and where there's fire there's danger.

Not Maj. Kristin Wolfe, pilot and commander of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team. That's because in the case of the vehicle she uses smoke is not actually smoke, but a vapor cloud, a trick her work ride is used to do on a regular basis.

This particular F-35 is the one that moves from air show to air show across the nation, and the cloud vapor stunts always capture the attention of onlookers. Through skilled flying, the right speed, and the proper air conditions, the F-35 is always willing to please its handler and form these amazing clouds around its waist and wings.

When it was snapped on camera for this pick, the plane was doing the same thing during the Arctic Lightning Air Show at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in late July.

3. Feeding the Raptor

All of you pet owners know that when an animal gets hungry, it must immediately be fed. It doesn't manner where you are, what time of day it is, or if food is readily available, when hunger strikes it must be satisfied.

In a sense that's what military aviators do on a constant basis. Because the fuel they pour into their airplanes when they depart the home base is often not enough to complete most missions, they have to feed their mechanical beasts on the go.

Believe it or not, the favorite feeding grounds for America's military airplanes are not ground stations, but random locations in the sky, where aerial tankers fly.

As the operator of the largest flying tanker fleet in the world, the U.S. is also the most active nation when it comes to this type of procedure. The latest USAF photo to show such an activity is the one we have here.

We get the sight of an F-22 Raptor's nose and cockpi as it approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker for a refueling op which took place in mid-August. Below the blanket of clouds seen in the background is the Alaskan Stony Military Operations Area.

2. Walking the tanker

The C-130 Hercules is one of the most reliable transport airplanes ever devised for military needs. First flown in 1954, the plane is still around serving the needs of the world's armies, in one of the many variants that have been introduced since.

The KC-130 is one of those variants, born in the Lockheed Martin stables in 1960. The plane is a tanker by trade, the kind of which I mentioned earlier, but it can also be used for transport.

The one seen in this USAF photo is being walked home by a chief of operations for the 235th Air Traffic Control Squadron. The plane closely and faithfully follows the chief down the runway of the Holland Drop Zone Pass in North Carolina.

As you can see, the runway is not exactly an example of laser straight tarmac, but a much more rugged, dusty surface. And that only shows just how capable the decades-old behemoth still is.

1. A helicopter on a leash

No matter where you live in this world you're probably used to seeing dogs, cats, and even some more exotic animals being walked on a leash. But how about a helicopter?

What you're looking at here is a crew chief from the 56th Rescue Generation Squadron shutting down an HH-60G Pave Hawk at the Batajnica Air Base in Serbia.

I must admit, I'm not familiar with how the shutdown procedure for the helicopter usually goes, but it does seem to involve something that makes the helo look a bit like an animal being walked on a leash to perform its daily needs.

The pic shows an instance we're probably not going to see for long, as the HH-60G Pave Hawk will begin being replaced with the HH-60W Jolly Green II soon enough.

The above are the best five photos of USAF activities the military released last week. Tune in again next Monday for the usual dose of American military machines and their operators.