 There were 12 souls on board, however, no additional parachutes were loaded aboard for these observers' use, if necessary.The E-3 Aircraft Commander and the crew were into their 7th hour of a normal 14-hour mission.The refueling was uneventful, but rather than the normal post-A/R vertical separation maneuver, the E-3 commander asked if it would be OK to join the tanker off the right wing so the passengers could get some good pictures.