Photo: Boeing
We often bring you news of all the new combat airplanes, helicopters, and drones the U.S. Air Force (USAF) is on the verge of getting, because all of these things are pretty impressive pieces of engineering. But so are more utilitarian airplanes, especially the ones that keep breaking records and setting new flying standards.
The KC-46A Pegasus is not a spectacular plane in terms of design or firepower. But the Boeing-made machine, an evolution of the 767 jet, is brand new in the hands of the USAF, and the nation's airmen use it with such skill that it catches our attention from time to time.
You may remember how back in 2022 the airplane managed to make it into the spotlight twice thanks to its achievements. It first did so in May of that year, when it set the Air Mobility Command's (AMC) record for the longest duration flight in the organization's history - 24.2 hours. Then, in November, it flew non-stop for 16,000 miles (25,700 km), setting a new threshold to beat in terms of distance.
And now comes something even more impressive: the "world’s first non-stop, KC-46A westbound circumnavigation endurance flight."
The achievement was announced at the beginning of this month by the Air Force, with the flight departing and landing at the McConnell Air Force Basein Kansas. The flight was the culmination of months-long prep work, and will go down in history as Project Magellan.
The plane that was used for this achievement belongs to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, and its mission was part of the Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) effort conducted by the AMC to see what the limits of the tanker are.
We're not told the exact route the plane took for the mission, but we do know it was airborne for 45 hours. Two crews, comprising four pilots and two boom operators, were on board, but also a brigadier general.
The mission was not one that only required the plane to circumnavigate the world, but one that was also meant to prove that refueling other aircraft is possible in such conditions. As such, the Pegasus of Project Magellan was used to feed hungry military airplanes all along the route, including B-2 Spirit bombers, C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft, F-15E Strike Eagle jets, and another KC-46 tanker.
The Pegasus had to be refueled in turn, and it got its precious substance from other tankers, pre-positioned after they took off from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the UK, and the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
It was not only the plane that was under review during the mission but also the crew. Those on board were subject to a fatigue study and regularly had to run self-administered or on-demand tests, which were devised by an unnamed third-party contractor that previously worked "with elite sports professionals, NASA, and other international space station astronauts."
Moving forward, the AMC plans to continue pushing the Pegasus to its limits. The goal is to ultimately have crews of four pilots capable of flying the planes for up to 48 hours.
The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus was first flown in 2014, and it entered the McConnell AFB arsenal in 2019. In the long run the USAF plans to have a fleet of 179 such tanker ariplanes.
You may remember how back in 2022 the airplane managed to make it into the spotlight twice thanks to its achievements. It first did so in May of that year, when it set the Air Mobility Command's (AMC) record for the longest duration flight in the organization's history - 24.2 hours. Then, in November, it flew non-stop for 16,000 miles (25,700 km), setting a new threshold to beat in terms of distance.
And now comes something even more impressive: the "world’s first non-stop, KC-46A westbound circumnavigation endurance flight."
The achievement was announced at the beginning of this month by the Air Force, with the flight departing and landing at the McConnell Air Force Basein Kansas. The flight was the culmination of months-long prep work, and will go down in history as Project Magellan.
The plane that was used for this achievement belongs to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, and its mission was part of the Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) effort conducted by the AMC to see what the limits of the tanker are.
We're not told the exact route the plane took for the mission, but we do know it was airborne for 45 hours. Two crews, comprising four pilots and two boom operators, were on board, but also a brigadier general.
The mission was not one that only required the plane to circumnavigate the world, but one that was also meant to prove that refueling other aircraft is possible in such conditions. As such, the Pegasus of Project Magellan was used to feed hungry military airplanes all along the route, including B-2 Spirit bombers, C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft, F-15E Strike Eagle jets, and another KC-46 tanker.
The Pegasus had to be refueled in turn, and it got its precious substance from other tankers, pre-positioned after they took off from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the UK, and the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
It was not only the plane that was under review during the mission but also the crew. Those on board were subject to a fatigue study and regularly had to run self-administered or on-demand tests, which were devised by an unnamed third-party contractor that previously worked "with elite sports professionals, NASA, and other international space station astronauts."
Moving forward, the AMC plans to continue pushing the Pegasus to its limits. The goal is to ultimately have crews of four pilots capable of flying the planes for up to 48 hours.
The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus was first flown in 2014, and it entered the McConnell AFB arsenal in 2019. In the long run the USAF plans to have a fleet of 179 such tanker ariplanes.
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