The United States Air Force invites the American public to observe flyovers of air refuelers over all 50 states, June 27, honoring 100 years of air refueling.
The Kansas portion of this global flyover effort comes from McConnell Air Force Base’s 22nd Air Refueling Wing and 931st Air Refueling Wing. Both units will fly over 3 missions focusing on Kansas, Colorado and California.
The Kansas mission consists of the Air Force Reserve’s 931st ARW flying a KC-46A Pegasus from McConnell, accompanied by a KC-135R Stratotanker from the Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing at Forbes Field in Topeka. The flight plan for June 27 will put these two aircraft over the following landmarks:
- 10:23 a.m., Lawrence – University of Kansas, downtown
- 10:28 a.m., Topeka – Kansas State Capitol
- 10:38 a.m., Manhattan – Kansas State University
- 10:52 a.m., Salina – KSU Aerospace and Technology Campus
- 11:15 a.m., Wichita – Wichita State University
- 11:16 a.m., Wichita – Downtown and Keeper of the Plains
The times provided are approximate, and the aircraft will fly over these locations at 2,000 to 2,500 feet above ground level. After the flyovers, the aircraft will then participate in air refueling operations, but at a much higher altitude.
Air refueling is the practice of transferring jet fuel from one aircraft to another in mid-flight. The aircraft providing the fuel is also known as a ‘tanker’ which effectively serves as a gas station in the sky.
The 22nd ARW will also fly several aircraft over Colorado, flying over landmarks in Pueblo, Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and the Air Force Academy. The 22nd ARW will also send one KC-46 to California, to participate in a mission flyover over the base where the first air refueling took place a century ago – Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
