Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus conducts an air refueling test mission with a F-16 Fighting Falcon over the skies of Southern California. Aerial refueling is one of the core components of the U.S. Air Force. This mission allows our aircraft that don't have that much fuel to fly for much longer durations. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus conducts an air refueling test mission with a F-16 Fighting Falcon over the skies of Southern California. Aerial refueling is one of the core components of the U.S. Air Force. It allows our aircraft that don't have that much fuel to fly for much longer durations.

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus conducts an air refueling test mission over the skies of Southern California. Rigorous planning goes on before any any aircraft come together in the refueling envelope. The partnership of Boeing and the U.S. Air Force includes the development of Flight Test Procedures (FTP’s) and multiple safety reviews of those procedures. (Photo Courtesy of Boeing)

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus assigned to the 418th Flight Test Squadron conducts an air refueling test mission with a F-16 Fighting Falcon over the skies of Southern California. Refueling is the magic of air mobility. It is a joint effort between Boeing, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Test Center, 418th Flight Test Squadron and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to successfully complete the mission.

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus assigned to the 418th Flight Test Squadron conducts an air refueling test mission with a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress over the skies of Southern California. Receivers come in many types of aircraft depending on this mission.

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus conducts an air refueling test mission at night with a F-16 Fighting Falcon using the Remote Vision System 2.0 over the Southern California coast. It is a joint effort between Boeing, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Test Center, 418th Flight Test Squadron and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to successfully test the RVS 2.0 update. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A KC-46 Pegasus conducts an air refueling test mission with a F-16 Fighting Falcon over the skies of Southern California. Operating a specialized boom from the back of a KC-46, In-flight Refueling Specialists pump thousands of gallons of jet fuel into aircraft in need of fuel. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

A Boeing maintainer guides a KC-46 Pegasus out of of the flight-line to conduct an air refueling test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. It is a joint effort between Boeing, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Test Center, 418th Flight Test Squadron and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to successfully complete the mission.

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

Get a never-before-seen inside look at the KC-46 and the aerial refueling mission! Refueling is the magic of air mobility. Join us as we showcase the aerial refueling mission need, how AR receiver testing takes place, the challenges and unique conditions of this test and the extraordinary partnership behind it all. Part 2 premiers May 3rd, 2023, as we showcase the complexity of flight test with receiver aircraft!

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Refueling the Mission Part 1: Refueling is the Magic of Air Mobility

Published April 26, 2023
By Adam Bowles
412th Test Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --

Get a never-before-seen inside look at the KC-46 and the aerial refueling mission: the magic of air mobility!

Join us as we showcase the aerial refueling mission need, how AR receiver testing takes place, the challenges and unique conditions of this test and the extraordinary partnership behind it all.

It is a joint effort between Boeing, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Test Center, Air Force Material Command, 418th Flight Test Squadron and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to successfully complete the mission.

Part 2 premiers May 3rd, 2023, as we showcase the complexity of flight test with receiver aircraft!