While the aircraft he flew may not have received the same fame and glory as the fighter jets and supersonic spy planes it supported, to retired U.S. Air Force pilot Frank Ross the KC-135 refueling jet was at the center of the country’s ability to rule to skies.

Like a giant Shell station in the sky, the Boeing jet supplied fuel to other planes in midair, allowing pilots to extend the range of their aircraft during long deployments.

This essential ability made pilots like Ross kind of a big deal among their counterparts.

The retired airman, speaking in front the crowded confines of the Dowagiac Elks Lodge Thursday evening, shared a story from one his flights across the Atlantic Ocean when he was on “fighter drag” duty — meaning he was responsible for refueling a company of fighter jets as they made their way overseas for deployment.

While chatting with another pilot about which souvenirs their wives asked them to bring home from Europe, a fighter jet pulled right up underneath Ross’ wing. When Ross told the other pilot to make space so that his plane’s wing did not hit his in case of turbulence, the fighter pilot — who, like most other fighter pilots, was normally known for his braggadocios behavior — whined that there was a cloud nearby, and that he might get lost if strayed too far away.

After Ross told him to clear out or forget about getting his tank topped off, the pilot decided to take his chances with the cloud.

“I could be bold like that, because when you’re dragging fighters across the pond, all they’re interested in carrying is fuel and extra fuel tanks,” Ross said. “There’s no bombs or bullets, so they can’t shoot me down. It might be a different story in a combat zone.”

The Cass County resident shared his experiences flying the venerable KC-135 during his talk at last week’s Dowagiac Rotary Family and Friends Dinner, the service club’s annual fundraiser. Matt Cripe, a previous Rotary president and organizer for the dinner, invited the pilot to serve as the evening’s program.

The Boeing jet plane — the sister jet of the company’s 707 passenger plane — was commissioned by the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s to replace the branch’s fleet of KC-97 refueling planes, which, having propeller engines, could no longer keep up with jet-powered aircraft. While designed to support the Air Force’s combat jets, the KC-135 was no slouch in the performance department, as it was capable of speeds of up to 539 mph — just below the speed of sound, Ross said.

“I know personally of one tanker that actually did break the sound barrier — by accident,” he said.

Using a boom attached to the rear of the jet, the plane was responsible for supplying in-flight fuel to the rest of the fleet, from the massive B-52 bombers to the ultra fast SR-71. The KC-135 could hold up to 30,000 gallons of fuel, and was capable of dispensing gas at around 1,000 gallons a minute, Ross said.

“In one minute, with today’s economy cars, we can supply you enough fuel to probably last you a year’s worth of driving,” he said.

On top of supplying fuel, pilots could also use the KC-135’s boom to “tow” other aircraft, in the event that a plane can no longer safely fly on its own, Ross said.

While Boeing produced its last KC-135 in 1964, the aircraft remains in operation today, making it the oldest plane the Air Force still employs, though the branch plans to replace the fleet with Boeing KC-46 Pegasus next year.

The pilot flew the aircraft himself for years, serving in flight operations in Nicaragua and Panama, and participated in the Operation Desert Storm and in the Bosnia conflict before retiring from duty.

While staying clear from the dirty work of active combat, the service that Ross and other KC-135 pilots provided to the rest of the fleet was and continues to be invaluable to America’s abilities to fight from above.

“It’s truly a team effort,” Ross said. “We never have any kills, just assists. But we have a saying: no one kicks *** without tanker gas.”