AMC celebrates 100th year of air refueling with community flyovers across the US

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  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) --  

The United States Air Force will conduct flyovers across 50 states on June 27 to honor 100 years of aerial refueling excellence. More than 150 tankers from 26 Total Force installations are scheduled to participate with KC-135 Stratotankers, KC-10 Extenders and KC-46 Pegasus aircraft.

Today’s U.S. Air Force air refueling capabilities deliver unrivaled rapid global reach for U.S. forces, allies and partners around the globe. Aerial refueling serves as a force multiplier, increasing the speed, range, lethality, flexibility and versatility of combat aircraft. Tankers also carry cargo and passengers, perform aeromedical evacuations, and enable strategic deterrence for the United States.


“Air refueling propels our nation’s airpower across the skies, unleashing its full potential,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander. “It connects our strategic vision with operational reality, ensuring we can reach any corner of the globe with unwavering speed and precision. Air refueling embodies our resolve to defend freedom and project power, leaving an indelible mark on aviation history.”

Innovation and tenacity, characteristics that fuel our Airmen today, were what drove aviators to deliver a game-changing capability 100 years ago.
A KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft connects with an F-15 Strike Eagle test aircraft from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on Oct. 29th, 2018. The 418th Flight Test Squadron is conducting refueling tests with the fighter at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Although Edwards has almost every aircraft in the Air Force's inventory for flight testing and system upgrades, the base does not have F-15s, so the 40th Flight Test Squadron from Eglin is assisting with the KC-46A refueling tests. The KC-46A Pegasus is intended to start replacing the Air Force's aging tanker fleet, which has been refueling aircraft for more than 50 years. With more refueling capacity and enhanced capabilities, improved efficiency and increased capabilities for cargo and aeromedical evacuation, the KC-46A will provide aerial refueling support to the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied nation aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt Michael Jackson).

The KC-46A Pegasus represents the beginning of a new era in aerial refueling, providing vital capability to the U.S. Air Force and joint partners. The United States Air Force will conduct flyovers across 50 states on June 27, 2023, to honor 100 years of aerial refueling excellence. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Michael Jackson)
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A 92nd Maintenance Squadron Airman inspects a KC-135 Stratotanker after it lands prior to a hot pit refueling operation at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, March 25, 2021. Hot pit refueling occurs nearly immediately after an aircraft lands, maintaining one engine remaining on during the refueling. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kiaundra Miller)

A 92nd Maintenance Squadron Airman inspects a KC-135 Stratotanker after it lands prior to a hot pit refueling operation at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., March 25, 2021. The United States Air Force will conduct flyovers across 50 states on June 27, 2023, to honor 100 years of aerial refueling excellence. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Kiaundra Miller)
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A KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., takes off

A KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., takes off for an exercise Red Flag-Nellis 21-3 mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 3, 2021. The United States Air Force will conduct flyovers across 50 states on June 27, 2023, to honor 100 years of aerial refueling excellence. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)
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In the continued pursuit of advanced capabilities and increased endurance, U.S. Army Air Service aviators pulled off the impossible on June 27, 1923. On that day, 1st Lt. Virgil Hine and 1st Lt. Frank W. Seifert, flying a DH-4B, passed gasoline through a gravity hose to another DH-4B piloted by Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter, accomplishing the first aerial refueling.

One hundred years later, the United States Air Force celebrates these Airmen and looks to the next generation to bring diversity of thought, push boundaries and find solutions beyond the status quo.

This critical capability is essential for the Department of Defense’s most vital missions. To remain relevant in the current and future security environments, the Air Force is in the process of recapitalizing its tanker fleet. The ongoing acquisition of the KC-46A and accelerating the pursuit of the next-generation air refueling system, announced in March, is propelling forward the capability developed and entrusted to Airmen a century ago.

“As we embark on the next 100 years of air refueling, we will continue to strengthen our air mobility excellence,” Minihan said. “We must leverage the remarkable capabilities of air refueling to preserve peace, protect freedom and bring hope to the world. As Mobility Airmen, we write the next chapter of air refueling.”

AMC salutes the visionaries who’ve done the impossible, while inspiring the next generation of dreamers and out-of-the box thinkers for the challenges ahead.