Unusual Problem Sparks Help Call:

An Air Force KC-135 tanker flying over North Dakota earlier this year had a problem with a refueling boom—it wouldn’t retract and a blizzard was forming. According to The Wichita Eagle, the aircrew and Air Force personnel on the ground couldn’t figure a way to retract the boom and were uncertain whether the aircrew should attempt to land at home base or fly to an isolated area. They called the Boeing in-flight emergency response team—always on call to help resolve problems with Boeing-built military aircraft—and got word that it was OK to land on base. The tanker and crew landed safely.