2 KC-46 tankers delivered to Air Force

Working with aircraft manufacturer Boeing, McConnell maintenance airmen have been developing new technical orders for three years.

» CONTINUED COVERAGE: Trump nominates Wright-Patt leader for KC-46 appointment

“Some of us have been involved in this program for years and it has given us time to become experts as far as the technical data goes,” said Staff Sgt. Brannon Burch, 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron KC-46 flying crew chief, in an Air Force statement. “Knowing it is one thing, but having hands-on experience on our flightline is what we all crave. We’re just happy the wait’s over, and we finally get to get our hands dirty on the Pegasus – It’s almost surreal.”

Oklahoma’s Altus Air Force Base will also receive four planes to support aircrew training, Boeing stated.

The development of the KC-46 has seen challenges in recent years. In 2017, the Air Force marked the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker with three “deficiency reports” that have raised concerns, according to the service branch.

Wright-Patterson houses the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker program. The KC-46 can haul more than 212,000 pounds of fuel and can be configured to carry a maximum of 114 passengers, or 65 patients on an aeromedical evacuation mission.

5 MILITARY STORIES TO READ

• Why an incoming stealth fighter program could be a 'franchise that goes on forever' for Wright-Patt

• Vets twice as likely to fatally OD – what the Dayton VA is doing about it

• Ohio celebrates Wright Brothers: 'Thanks for the wind, North Carolina'

• 7 things to remember about Wright-Patt false active shooter scenario

• Trump nominates Wright-Patt leaders for appointment