TAMPA, Fla. — Aviation might be a male-dominated field right now, but one flight crew from MacDill AFB is shifting the gears on what it means to take the mission to the skies. 

Spectrum Bay News 9's Alese Underwood flew along with four female members of the 50th Air Refueling Squadron on a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. 

From start to finish, we got an inside look at what happens during a refueling mission. 

During the flight, the crew conducted refueling training with another all-female flight crew on a C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, SC.

“It’s a very unique opportunity, there’s not many of us that are actually around and in our squadron, I think there might be only two or three female pilots that we have and there are about five female boom operators,” said Pilot Capt Bianca Santos.

Senior Airman Kylie Strawser is one of the boom operators responsible for gassing up the plane below.

“It’s actually crazy to think about, especially when you see our engines and just how big everything is from the outside. It’s crazy to think ‘oh yeah I’m just in there’ and it’s just our normal day at the office,” said SrA Strawser.

After a safety briefing and a lot of checks, it was time for take-off.

It’s a moment Capt Santos holds close.

“My Dad was actually the biggest influence on me to go to pilot training and become a pilot. He, himself, is a pilot,” she said.

Becoming a pilot wasn’t always her plan, but she says it was meant to be.

“I did my very first flight when I went to the Academy and fell in love with flight there. From there I was like ‘know what, I can be a doctor at another time. For now, I want to be a pilot’,” she said.

While this all-female flight brings a unique sense of camaraderie, completing the mission is always the goal. 

The crew stays calm, serious, and cautious. 

“It’s a great feeling to know how much I’ve accomplished through this job and how many opportunities I’ve gotten at my age,” said SrA Strawser.

A few hours into the flight, and it’s her time to shine.

Since the flight happened at night, the inside of the plane goes pitch black. Clear blue skies aren’t always guaranteed on the job and they have to adapt and be ready. 

“I had never been on a plane before I joined the military and so I didn’t get to go anywhere too far out of DC where I grew up. So far I’ve been able to go to Hawaii, the Middle East, Germany, Spain, and England,” SrA Strawser said.

This type of work takes a lot of training, skill, and a true love for what you do.

“It’s possible, anything is possible really. It takes a lot to get to this position,” said Capt Santos.

After five hours in the air, it was time to come home from a day’s work.

Even though these women don’t get to fly like this together very often, they leave behind a message to inspire the next generation.

“If it’s something that you really want to do, just go for it. You’re going to have everybody telling you don’t do it or you’re not able to do it, but at the end of the day, if you think you can, you can,” Capt Santos said.