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Volume 63, Number 29 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California January 29, 2016
www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase
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by Rebecca Amber with the Boeing Test and Evalua- Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Brandi Hansen
Staff Writer tion team, were 418th Flight Test
Squadron pilots, boom operators 7KH.&7DQNHU3URJUDPUHDFKHGDPDMRUPLOHVWRQH-DQZKHQLWVXFFHVVIXOO\GHPRQVWUDWHGLWV¿UVWHYHU
The KC-46 Tanker Program DQGÀLJKWWHVWHQJLQHHUVDVZHOO aerial refueling contact and fuel transfer with an F-16C from Edwards Air Force Base.
reached a major milestone Jan. as discipline engineers from the
24 when it successfully demon- 418th FLTS. An additional Ed- cording to Corneille, there was a and the FAA had to combine their the boom. In a current tanker, the
VWUDWHGLWV¿UVWHYHUDHULDOUHIXHO- wards F-16D served as a chase VLJQL¿FDQWDPRXQWRIFRRUGLQDWLRQ HIIRUWVWRDOORZWKH86$LU)RUFH boom operator executes refueling
ing contact and fuel transfer with plane for safety and test support. that had to take place. DLUFUHZVWRSDUWLFLSDWHLQÀLJKWRQ- by viewing the receiver aircraft
an F-16C from Edwards Air Force board the KC-46A and for the Air through a large sighting window
Base. This testing follows extensive ³7KH.&$LVÀ\LQJXQGHUD Force receivers to conduct aerial in the aft of the aircraft. Instead,
ground testing at Boeing’s pro- Federal Aviation Administration UHIXHOLQJÀLJKWWHVWZLWKWKH.& the KC-46 boom operator executes
The flight was the first in a duction facility in Everett, Wash., H[SHULPHQWDODLUZRUWKLQHVVFHUWL¿- 46A. refueling while stationed just be-
block of testing out of Boeing last December, and legacy tanker cate and the receiver aircraft are KLQGWKHÀLJKWGHFNLQIURQWXVLQJ
Field in Seattle, Wash., using the ground tests at Edwards last Sep- EHLQJÀRZQXQGHU86$LU)RUFH The new KC-46 comes with a remote camera system to view
boom system. tember. Both the KC-135 and airworthiness certifications,” he several big improvements. For
KC-10 were used to baseline the explained. instance, the new tanker uses a See TANKER, Page 5
The Pegasus passed 1,600 pounds KC-46A aerial refueling system’s remote vision system to operate
of fuel to an F-16 piloted by Lt. Col. performance under nominal and As such, the 412th TW, Boeing
Daniel Alix, 416st Flight Test Squad- worst-case conditions. Boom noz-
ron, who characterized the mission as ]OH¿WFKHFNVIRUERWKWKH)DQG
a complete success. C-17 receptacles were also con-
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The KC-46A is currently sched-
uled to arrive at Edwards AFB in ³,QÀLJKWERRPRSHUDWRUVIURP
early 2017 to continue aerial refu- the 412th TW and Boeing con-
HOLQJFHUWL¿FDWLRQVDQGVLPXODWRU GXFWHGÀXWWHUDQGIUHHDLUVWDELO-
data collection. In the meantime, ity testing, as well as handling
412th Test Wing personnel and qualities evaluations without a re-
assets have been hard at work in FHLYHUSUHVHQWDVEXLOGXSWR¿UVW
Washington. An instrumented contact,” said KC-46 test pilot Lt.
C-17 Globemaster III from Ed- Col. Daryl Corneille.
wards is also one of the six total
aircraft required to receive fuel Similar evaluations and tracking
LQÀLJKWLQVXSSRUWRIWKH.& exercises were conducted with the
program’s upcoming Milestone F-16C behind the KC-46A. Once
(MS) C Low Rate Initial Produc- the results of the evaluation were
tion decision. deemed satisfactory to the test
team, the pilot was cleared to
The test was a joint effort be- PDNHFRQWDFWLQÀLJKW
tween Boeing and Edwards AFB
personnel with a 412th TW pilot Like any test program, the KC-
in the cockpit of the instrumented $GLGQRWÀ\ZLWKRXWWKHWHDP
F-16C. Inside the KC-46A, along overcoming a few challenges. Ac-
Activities set to mark African American History Month
February is African American His- and luncheon, there will multiple op-
tory Month. portunities to participate:
The festivities will begin Feb. 2 Feb. 3: 5K Run/Walk at the Ros-
with the opening ceremony at the burg Fitness Center, 7:30-9 a.m.
Base Exchange and will end with a
luncheon at Club Muroc Feb. 25. Feb. 10 and 17: School Reading
Program at Branch Elementary
In 1925, the first Negro History
Week was announced by historian Feb. 1-29: Library display at the
Carter G. Woodson and the Associa- Base Library
tion for the Study of Negro Life and
History, today known as the Study of Feb. 18: Soul Food Tasting at the
African American Life and History. Airman and Family Readiness Cen-
ter, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The following year the event was
celebrated in February and celebrat- Feb. 20: Saturday Gospel Celebra-
ed the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln tion at Chapel 1, 2-4 p.m.
and Frederick Douglass. In 1976
the celebration was expanded and Feb. 25: Luncheon at Club Muroc,
the first African American History 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Month was observed.
Read more about African American
In between the opening ceremony History Month at www.africanameri-
canhistorymonth.gov/.
