KC-46 Completes Record-Setting Sortie | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-10.06.25

AirborneNextGen-
10.07.25

Airborne-Unlimited-10.08.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-10.09.25

AirborneUnlimited-10.10.25

Wed, May 18, 2022

KC-46 Completes Record-Setting Sortie

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

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.13.25): Homing [ICAO]

Homing [ICAO] The procedure of using the direction-finding equipment of one radio station with the emission of another radio station, where at least one of the stations is mobile, >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (10.13.25)

Aero Linx: European Regions Airline Association (ERA) The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) represents a diverse membership of over 50 airlines and more than 150 associate>[...]

ANN FAQ: Q&A 101

A Few Questions AND Answers To Help You Get MORE Out of ANN! 1) I forgot my password. How do I find it? 1) Easy... click here and give us your e-mail address--we'll send it to you >[...]

NTSB Prelim: CubCrafters Carbon Cub

While On Short Final, About 300 Ft, The Pilot Performed A Forced Landing Near Trees On September 7, 2025, about 0932 eastern daylight time, a CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX airplane, N4>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.14.25): Severe Icing

Severe Icing The rate of ice accumulation is such that ice protection systems fail to remove the accumulation of ice and ice accumulates in locations not normally prone to icing, s>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC