First International Tanking

Posted 7 August 2015
Photo by Chad Bellay


An Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) KC-767A aerial refueling tanker crew successfully completed its first US Air Force F-35A boom receiver certification refueling flight on 29 July 2015 at Edwards AFB, California. Italy's KC-767A is the first international tanker to undergo refueling certification trials with a US aircraft. During the flight, the KC-767A and its military aircrew completed twenty-five boom contacts with the F-35A and successfully offloaded 16,000 pounds of fuel. Italy operates a fleet of four KC-767A tankers, which are a derivative of the Boeing 767 commercial aircraft. The Italian tankers are stationed at Pratica di Mare AB, near Rome. US Air Force test pilot Maj. Charles Trickey flew F-35A test aircraft AF-4 during the flight. This was Flight 461 for AF-4.

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