USAF’s KC-46 Flies Full-Day Sortie: Sets New Record

The U.S. Air Force recently reported that one of its jet tankers, a KC-46, flew around the continental USA for just over 24 hours straight, more specifically, 24.2 hours and in the process, set a new record and revealed some insights on conducting long-haul missions. A crew of 11, which included 6 pilots, 3 fuel-boom operators, 1 physician assistant, 1 photographer, departed the McConnel Airforce Base in Kansas.

A spokesperson for the USAF stated that the objective was to “set a baseline for long-duration operations and establish a baseline or human, mechanical and mission factors to build from” for the future.

Apparently, it was also an opportunity for the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing to resolve some ‘major deficiencies on the airframe’. There were grumblings in other corners that this mission was frivolous, but the air force sees it as data collection for future use in mission operations, stating that “long-duration flights are inherently full of risk.”

According to its flight track, the aircraft then headed west towards Idaho, and Oregon, then proceeded towards San Francisco, Los Angeles, Arizona, Phoenix, New Mexico, Texas, then northbound to South Dakota, east to Minnesota then southeast Wisconsin, passing through New York, and Maine, and finally following the eastern coastline all the way down and up Florida as it made its way back to base.

FMI: https://usaf.mil, https://airforcetimes.com