USAF Crew Sets Record With 24-Hour KC-46A Pegasus Flight

The record-breaking sortie was an endurance test of the U.S. Air Force tanker that’s replacing the aging KC-135 fleet.

Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 04:09 PM ET

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The aircrew from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing’s 24-hour flight pose for a group photo at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The aircrew took a group photo before embarking on a 24-hour sortie in a KC-46A Pegasus, completing the Air Mobility Command’s longest flight. [U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Brenden Beezley]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus completed a record-breaking 24.2-hour, 9,000-mile endurance flight, marking the longest ever recorded for Air Mobility Command.
The mission tested the tanker's refueling capabilities and gathered crucial data on the feasibility, risks, and human factors, such as crew fatigue, during extended flight operations.
Crew members managed fatigue through rotating shifts, onboard rest facilities, and specialized monitoring tools like the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale to ensure safety and collect data for future long-duration missions.

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When does a flight become too long? Three hours? Six? Half a day? The aircrew of an U.S. Air Force aerial refueler recently recalibrated the concept of a truly longhaul flight by flying a KC-46A Pegasus for 24.2 hours during an endurance test of the tanker replacing the service’s aging KC-135 Stratotanker fleet.

The record-breaking 9,000-mile flight, which marked the longest ever recorded for the Air Mobility Command (AMC), began May 5 when the crew from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing departed McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, the command announced this week.