An AWAC That Day Couldn’t Keep The Dragon Away (Outbound E-3G Sentry v inbound 100ARW)

00:00 - E-3G Sentry slowly taxi’s to await clearance on R28 01:43 - 58-0125 -100 ARW "The Reluctant Dragon" arrives back on R10 after its first sortie in 3 months! 02:51 - E-3G Sentry begins moving and prepare for a smoky takeoff 05:22 - Our "D-less" Tanker taxis back to its designated hardstand (with Sentry engines still echoing in background) 09:34 - Tanker settles into position on hardstand and awaits ground checks by crew 13:38 - Engines spool down before complete system shutdown As is always the case with military plane spotting, you never know what you’re going to get on any given day. On this occasion, my intentions were solely based around catching 58-0125 ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ from the 100ARW. I first filmed this plane, from the base, back in July ‘26, doing an air test after rework from Tinker. To date, that tanker has not been airborne, so I was eager to see what it would look like after a 3 month hiatus. It would have been a straight forward arrival, from the KC-135, on R10, had an unexpected departure, from a rare and infamous classic Boeing E-3G Sentry, already on the tarmac, eagerly waiting to depart on R28, not slightly scuppered my plans. The runway change, was a bonus for me, but was also likely to have repercussions, if the tanker’s arrival was given priority. And we knew it was due because ground crew were gathering near the hardstand, which threatened to completely block our view of the AWACs departure. After what seemed like an eternity, the tanker arrived, as planned on R10, and graciously snaked into position, waiting its turn to then grant the mucky, noisy, smokey ‘ole visitor her departure. And boy… she didn’t disappoint. And, while the AWAC may have tried to hijack this spotting session, I was still determined to let ‘The Dragon’ have his moment. Even if, as you’ll see from the footage, he is not sporting his once infamous nose art, an D. (Least not at present). But, livery aside, it was worth sticking around for to hear those beautiful Pratt and Whitney’s spool down, making it an afternoon well spent. We did stay, well into darkness, for two more returning tankers from the 100ARW. But my phone's not suitable for night filming, so you’ll just have to take me at my word when I say they to were equally satisfying to watch, at work, in the dark. ________________________________________________________________________________ If you would like to see 58-0125 The Reluctant Dragon's air test check back in July 2026 Check out this link -    • The Reluctant Dragon’s maiden flight since...   ________________________________________________________________________________ A gentle reminder: I usually make shorts - I don't film to compete with the top streamers, just record the things that make me smile. This was filmed on an old iPhone with a steady hand. Be kind :) If you appreciate military aviation please consider giving the video a like and/or subscribe for more military aviation videos/shorts from the Hall.