SuffolkNews goes behind the scenes at RAF Mildenhall to see inside a unique aircraft, meet an RAF Commander, and find out about the air base's work in the community

It's not every day you get to go inside an aircraft built over 50 years ago that can hold up to over 300,000 pounds, meet an RAF commander who loved it when US airmen played at the local cricket club and also discover that nose art is a really big deal.

I was invited to RAF Mildenhall's media muster to spend half a day at the Suffolk air base, gaining an insight into how things work on the only permanent US air refueling wing in Europe and Africa.

Once my car had gone through a security checkpoint, I was cleared for my entry and my journey into the unknown had taken off.

After an opening presentation where they gave a brief on the 100th Air Refueling Wing, otherwise known as 'The Bloody Hundredth', we were taken to a Boeing KC-135 stratotanker - a massive air refueling aircraft that made me have to stand back a moment just to take in the sheer size of the winged beast.

The stratotanker, which was produced in 1958, can hold up to 322,000 pounds of weight, 200,000 of that being gas, which is stored in the belly and the wings of the aircraft.

Captain Molly Timmerman, is an instructor pilot and said how the stratotanker can give up to 6,000 pounds of gas per minute out the back, while moving up to 550mph through the sky.

She said: "We’re the fastest, heavy plane out there. We have to fly fast and that’s why we have huge engines to keep up with the fighter jets who can only go so slow.

"The aircraft does get pretty heavy as we still fly by cable, whereas most planes today fly by hydraulics. But it's said that this is the hardest plane to land in the air force fleet, because it's the oldest."

The 30-year-old moved to RAF Mildenhall in July 2019 and revealed what work is like on the air base.

"I know it's broad, but the biggest challenge on base is probably just day-to-day operations, as every day it changes," she said.

"We never know if we’re going to have a system fail on us, or have to give gas to a jet we weren’t expecting, or just get retasked mid air.

"It keeps us on our toes, but we plan for the worst case scenario and hope for the best."

The instructor added that she did have a massive engine failure in 2018 and almost actually lost an engine, but was well trained thanks to emergency practices and sorted out the issue.

It's safe to say I was pretty impressed at this point, even if it was a bit gloomy inside the plane, but my admiration only increased when the nose art on the front of the aircraft was pointed out to me - deriving from the 100th bomb group in WW2 which is the heritage of the 100th ARW.

Captain Monica Urias, the chief of public affairs, said: “The fact we have nose art is a big deal as it's not something common. It’s really unique and historical and not many other aircraft have it. We take great pride in it and it’s also a unique aircraft."

Tech Sergeant Christopher Fraser, who is the dedicated flying crew chief manager, also moved to the area in July 2019 and has been working on air bases for the last 10 years.

He said: “The thing I enjoy most is working on the aircraft, even the basics like changing a tyre I love and then seeing the aircraft take off is a big joy.”

"Being the only American air refueling wing in Europe and Africa is a big responsibility and we are always busy as we are in a really key location. If anyone needs gas, we’re here for them."

Feeling almost overwhelmed with what I'd just witnessed, the most exciting part was still to come when we were taken to the air base headquarters and I was offered a Lotus Biscoff biscuit - though this was not the exciting part, even if it was most welcome.

I was introduced to Colonel Gene Jacobus, 100 Air Refueling Wing Commander, who provided a bit of background on what RAF Mildenhall strives to do and how much he appreciated the bonds the air base has formed in the area.

He said: "We are excited to be here and the best thing about this area for me is the support in the community and neighbourhoods and we want to invest in these relationships.

"I run into so many people here that have similar experiences and we encourage that human connection."

Col Jacobus said how he loved that some of the US personnel went to Mildenhall Cricket Club and played cricket and softball with the players, where the two parties taught each other how to play their respective sports, even if there was some 'confusion' regarding whether to drop the bat or not, when to run and what happened if the ball went behind.

To give an idea of the number of people involved on the air base, within the 100th ARW there are 1,879 members, whereas the total number of people at RAF Mildenhall is 4,209.

Last year, local spending by US military personnel came to $94 million with air base's total economic impact totalling $486 million in 2021.

Echoing Col Jacobus' emphasis on investing in the community, RAF Mildenhall continues to be involved in events and ongoings in the area.

There are 700 USAF children spread across 35 local schools and there are 22 local towns and villages being represented by USAF members for Remembrance parades this year.

The Queen's Jubilee was also very popular at the air base, with over 70 airmen taking part in various engagements, parades and opportunities.

Col Jacobus said that the closer the relationship is with the community, the more resilient everyone is collectively.

"Throughout the pandemic we learnt a lot of valuable lessons and as a result we appreciate and value more where we are today."