KC-135 Visits Yellowstone Airport

June 8, 2022

 

On June 8th, 2022, the Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker, 151st Air Refueling Wing, Salt Lake City, Utah, stopped by Yellowstone Airport and completed two touch-and-go's! This was a "Fini Flight" (or last flight of career) for a Lieutenant Colonel, who is headed into retirement.

The KC-135 was first introduced in 1957 as the largest aerial refueler in the Air Force and the world's first jet-powered tanker. The KC-135 can carry 200,000 pounds of fuel and up to 83,000 pounds of cargo and personnel. Each engine can produce 13,750 pounds of thrust and can travel at a top speed of 600 miles per hour at 30,000 feet. During the Vietnam conflict, the KC135s made about 813,000 aerial refueling and during the Persian Gulf War, the KC-135s transferred 278 million pounds of fuel.