Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review 4-1-16

Putting the KC-46 Pegasus through its paces

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Edwards AFB, Calif.

As the Air Force gets ready for the arrival of Courtesy photograph
its newest aerial refueling and strategic military
transport aircraft, a diverse group of airmen is Lt. Col. John Mikal, a KC-46A Pegasus test pilot, is part of the team that’s putting the tanker through a series of critical pre-production tests at
working hard to make sure the KC-46A Pegasus Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
is ready to meet the service’s needs. Lt. Col.
John Mikal is one of them. 10 and KC-46 flight test and aerial refueling program,” Col. Chris Coombs, the KC-46 sys- bility of the next-generation of tankers to the
ÀLJKWWHVWIRU$LU)RUFH7HVW&HQWHUSURJUDPV tem program manager at the Air Force Life ZDU¿JKWHUVXSSRUWLQJRXUJOREDOPLVVLRQVIRU
Mikal, a reservist KC-135 Stratotanker in- Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson years to come.”
structor pilot assigned to the 370th Flight Test On Jan. 24, the KC-46 successfully completed $)%2KLRVDLGDIWHUWKDWÀLJKW³:HKDYHKDG
Squadron, is also a KC-46 test pilot and member LWV¿UVWLQÀLJKWUHIXHOLQJGHPRQVWUDWLRQDVLW plans on paper and data from simulation labs, After the refueling test with the F-16, the KC-
of the team that’s putting the Pegasus through a passed 1,600 pounds of fuel to an F-16C Fight- EXWWKLVLQÀLJKWGHPRQVWUDWLRQVKRZVZHDUH $KDGDUREXVWLQÀLJKWUHIXHOLQJGHPRQVWUD-
series of critical pre-production tests. ing Falcon. truly making progress on bringing this capa- tion schedule for the next few weeks. The test
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Boeing developed the KC-46 from its 767 jet “These are exciting times for the KC-46A Boeing photograph by John D. Parker connect to a light/fast receiver aircraft. The re-
airliner and is scheduled to deliver 179 of the maining tests with the boom were scheduled to
DLUFUDIWWRWKH$LU)RUFHE\7KH¿UVW A KC-46 refuels AV-8B Harrier II March 1, 2016. use an A-10 Thunderbolt II as the light/slow re-
combat-ready tankers are scheduled to be deliv- ceiver and a C-17 Globemaster III as the heavy
ered by August 2017. receiver.

To meet that timeline, Boeing is working Mikal said the KC-46 test aircraft will be
closely with the Air Force to put the KC-46 spending a lot of time at Edwards AFB in the
WKURXJKLWVSDFHV7KHFRPSDQ\¶V¿UVWWHVWDLU- coming months as it goes through aerial refuel-
craft, a Boeing 767-2C, touched down at Ed- LQJFHUWL¿FDWLRQWHVWLQJZLWKDKRVWRI$LU)RUFH
ZDUGV$LU)RUFH%DVH&DOLIIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH and coalition aircraft.
Oct. 15 for several days of fuel onload fatigue
WHVWLQJ'XULQJWKHVHWHVWVWKH.&ÀHZLQ “There are about 18 different aircraft that
close formations with a KC-135 and KC-10 Ex- need to be tested as they take on fuel from the
tender to see how the aircraft performed in dif- KC-46,” he said. “A lot of that testing will take
ferent aerial refueling positions. While no fuel place here at Edwards, and I am ready to help
was passed, Boeing engineers were able to test out with that testing however I can.”
the stress and strain on the Pegasus.
Edwards AFB continues to be the premier
0LNDOÀHZDVWKHDLUFUDIWFRPPDQGHURIWKH EDVHIRUÀLJKWWHVWLQJWKH$LU)RUFH¶VQHZHVW
.&GXULQJWKH¿UVWDHULDOUHIXHOLQJPDQHX- capabilities, and the Air Force Reserve’s 370th
vers of a KC-46 behind a KC-135 and in close FTS continues to support when needed.
formation with both the KC-10 and KC-46 on
2FW7ZRGD\VODWHUKHÀHZDVDSLORWDERDUG The KC-46A Pegasus is intended to replace
the KC-46 during an aerial refueling receiver WKH $LU )RUFH¶V DJLQJ WDQNHU ÀHHW ZKLFK KDV
onload fatigue test behind a KC-10. He was the been refueling aircraft for more than 50 years.
¿UVW$LU)RUFHUHVHUYLVWWRÀ\WKH&WKH With more refueling capacity and enhanced ca-
commercial test variant of the KC-46. SDELOLWLHVLPSURYHGHI¿FLHQF\DQGLQFUHDVHG

“It was a tremendous honor to participate in See TANKER, Page 2
and conduct KC-46 testing with the test team,”
Mikal said. “The KC-46 will be an amazing
operational aircraft, and I’m humbled to have
the opportunity to be a part of this amazingly
talented test team.”

Mikal isn’t the only Air Force reservist from
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46 testing. The 370th has two KC-46 initial cad-
re boom operators — Master Sgts. Aaron Ray
and Scott Scurlock — who will be taking part in
Pegasus refueling testing in the coming months.

The 370th FLTS is an embedded Air Force
Reserve unit with a mission of providing KC-
135 aerial refueling test support to both opera-
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Edwards AFB’s 412th Test Wing. The Reserve
unit also leads management and execution of
the business effort mission at Edwards AFB,
which utilizes operational Air Mobility Com-
mand KC-135 and KC-10 tankers to support
URXWLQHUHIXHOLQJRIQRQWHVWFRQ¿JXUHGWK
TW receiver aircraft.

Since some 370th FLTS pilots are test pilots
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boom operators, they augment the KC-135, KC-

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