Air Force celebrates 100 years of air refueling
Published 8:56 am Friday, June 16, 2023
- U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Rainer, crew chief with the 186th Air Refueling Wing Fuels Management flight, connects a fuel hose to a KC-135 during a Large-Scale Readiness Exercise (LRE) at the Combat Readiness Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, on March 1. The LRE is designed to test airmen’s capabilities and response to adverse situations in a deployed environment.(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Alexandria Fulton)
The United States Air Force invites the American public to join on June 27 to observe flyovers of its air refuelers above communities across the country and around the world, honoring 100 years of aerial refueling excellence.
The flyover beginning from Key Field Air National Guard Base, Mississippi, will feature the KC-135R, and other fighters and cargo aircraft from a three-state area. The route of flight will be visible from landmarks in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, with the planes being visible from the Threefoot Hotel about 9:15 a.m., in Pascagoula and Waveland about 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m., Natchez and Vicksburg about 10:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. and Jackson about 10:50 a.m.
With 100 years of experience, today’s U.S. Air Force air refueling capabilities deliver rapid global reach for U.S. forces and our Allies and partners through the mobility air forces fleet of KC-46, KC-135 and KC-10 tankers. 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 air power 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.”
On June 27, 1923, 1st Lt. Virgil Hine and 1st Lt. Frank W. Seifert, flying a DH-4B, passed gasoline through a hose to another DH-4B flying beneath it carrying Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter, accomplishing the first aerial refueling. A century later, the United States Air Force celebrates these airmen’s tenacity and innovative will that is still thriving in airmen’s spirits today.
“As we embark on the next 100 years of air refueling, we will continue to strengthen our air mobility excellence,” said Minihan. “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.”
For more information, contact Maj. Dusty Culpepper, Public Affairs Officer, at 601-484-9422 or at dustin.culpepper@us.af.mil.
