aviation - the past, present and future of flight

at Lakenheath. It was a low-cost initiative

created to increase tactical pro ciency

between the British and American  ghter

forces based in the UK, with tankers from

Mildenhall playing an important role, refuelling

48th FW F-15C Eagles and RAF Typhoons.

The exercise and deployment work are

in addition to the unit’s duties of supporting

transit  ights, and smaller, more routine,

training sorties. For example, on May 23

the team supplied air-to-air refuelling to

three new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning

IIs on their delivery  ight to Norway. The

48th Fighter Wing’s F-15 Eagles are also

regular customers.

It’s interesting to note that although the

100th is extremely active supporting the

USAF and NATO over a wide area, the wing

doesn’t deploy away as a complete unit, and

the norm is for missions to be conducted

from Mildenhall. When the aircraft are

temporarily based away, it’s rarely more than

one or two KC-135s, leaving the bulk of the

unit at their home station to carry out the

usual daily taskings.

KEEPING THEM FLYING

Although the KC-135 has been in service

for six decades, it’s still a highly reliable

asset and is set to continue plying its

trade for many years to come – possibly

into the 2040s. Engineers serving within

Mildenhall’s 100th Maintenance Group are

responsible for keeping the tankers in fully

serviceable condition and perform major

inspections and overhauls.

Every  ve years – possibly sooner

depending on airframe hours and usage –

each KC-135 goes through an approximate

seven-month periodic depot maintenance

(PDM) major overhaul programme. This is to

perform evaluations, inspections, repairs and

maintenance beyond the capacities of ‘ eld’

units to undertake. During the PDM, which

is carried out at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, the

CFM-56 turbofan engines, refuelling boom

and  ight controls are removed and inspected,

and then repaired or replaced as necessary.

Once the aircraft is put back together, it is

almost as good as new, and is returned to the

Stratotanker pool for reassignment to a unit.

The 100th Maintenance Group’s Senior

MSgt Christopher Neldner, gave an insight

into the upgrades the  eet has undergone,

and to the challenges of working on an

analogue aircraft in a digital age.

“Our oldest aircraft dates back from 1958,

and the youngest is from the early 1960s. The

KC-135 is no different to any other airplane

in that we are always trying to make it better

46 Aviation News incorporating Jets July 2018

A 100th ARW KC-135 performing a dry contact with a C-17 during an

aerial-refuelling training exercise over Germany on October 19, 2017.

USAF/Airman 1st Class Luke Milano

The Red Flag Tanker Task Force KC-135s at Nellis in February 13, 2018. The aircraft from

Mildenhall, 63-7999/D, is the second aircraft from the right. USAF/2nd Lt Daniel de La Fé

A German Euro ghter hooked up to a Mildenhall-based KC-135 via a multi-point

refuelling system pod on October 24, 2017. USAF/Airman 1st Class Benjamin Cooper

Col Kenneth T Bibb Jr, left, and Capt Justin Skinner perform their

pre ight checklist before a  ight to Morón Air Base in Spain. USAF/

Senior Airman Kate Maurer

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