new inertial navigational units integrated
with the existing analog autopilot. The
program was completed in late 2016,
and the whole fleet of KC-10s now
have unrestricted access to worldwide
airspace as well as new digital cockpit
displays which replaced the old
mechanical altitude director indicators.Training
Several operational training sorties are
flown each week. They usually consist
of multiple in-flight refueling events,
often with other aircraft from Travis suchas the Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy,
Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and KC-10s.
‘As well as performing air refueling
training missions with other Travis-
based aircraft’, said Budde, ‘we will also
regularly team up with other tankers,
transports and fighters from several air
force and navy bases across the West
Coast. These training sorties include
a full spectrum of activities ranging
from in-flight refueling to cargo upload
and download operations, approaches
and touch-and-go landings at Travis or
nearby airfields.’personnel work tirelessly to make sure
that all aircraft maintenance inspections
are up to date, upgrades are applied and
completed correctly, and spare parts
are repaired or replaced to ensure the
airframes are in safe flying condition.
‘The main challenge’, Budde explained,
is the constant tug of war between
who gets custody of the aircraft, as the
maintenance personnel can’t work on the
aircraft while we’re flying them, and we
can’t fly them while they’re being worked
on. While our aircraft are not always in
perfect ‘showroom’ condition, we have
great faith that the incredible safety focus
of the air force, in combination with close
co-operation between aircrew and the
maintenance personnel, ensures that
every time we leave the ground it’s with
safe, effective, mission-capable aircraft.’
All the KC-10s in the current USAF
inventory are ‘A’ models, meaning there
have not been any significant upgrades
to the engines or airframes since they
were delivered in the 1980s. However,
improvements have been made, most
significantly to the flight control systems
and avionics.
The most recent upgrades aboard the
KC-10 have been to the communications,
surveillance, navigation and air traffic
management system. This has brought
the 60th AMW’s KC-10s onto a par with
current commercial airliners, which is
vital as air traffic increases and airspace
becomes more cluttered around
the world.
The contract for the work was awarded
to Rockwell Collins in 2011. It included the
integration of a new flight management
system with military flight planning andWith a few KC-10s, you have the ability to
pick up an entire fighter squadron and move
it across the country or even an ocean — a feat I
continue to find extremely impressive
Above right:
On the flight line
is KC-10A serial
83-0078, while
another is in the
pattern.
Below: KC-10A
serial 79-1948,
callsign ‘Quest
66’, taxiing
for departure
at Travis for a
morning training
flight.TANKERS OF THE WORLD // KC-10 EXTENDER
86 June 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
84-87 Tanker series C.indd 86 19/04/2018 15:36