Scott pilots chosen for KC-46 Pegasus program

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sarah Hall-Kirchner
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
Two members of Team Scott are among 46 pilots and 33 boom operators from the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard, and active duty who were selected as KC-46 Pegasus initial operational test and evaluation aircrew.

Capt. James Quon and 1st Lt. Cody Hoylman, both 906th Air Refueling Squadron executive officers and KC-135 co-pilots, were among the active duty co-pilots chosen for the initial aircrew.

"All the co-pilots in our squadron decided to apply, so we put our packages together and sent them up," said Quon.

A large smile spread across his face as he explained that he didn't expect to get chosen for the opportunity.

"I was shocked to be chosen for the program and pretty excited. Going from one of the oldest aircraft in the Air Force inventory to the newest is a great opportunity. Our KC-135s are from 1958 through 1964. They are well maintained, but it will be nice to learn a new aircraft."

Hoylman expressed similar feelings about being chosen as a co-pilot for the initial KC-46 aircrew.

"It's an honor," said Hoylman. "Everyone wants to be part of a new program, so it's a great opportunity. The KC-135 is an older plane, and this is an opportunity to be involved with the next generation refueler."

The members chosen for the program will be the team who will get the KC-46 through the initial operational tests and evaluations, which will validate the aircraft's capabilities, said Maj. Samuel Ensminger, Air Mobility Command Deputy Chief of KC-46 Requirements.

The KC-46 is a specially equipped Boeing 767-2C, which has been specifically made for military purposes.

Some of the initial pilots, co-pilots, and boom operators have already completed the initial training, said Ensminger. For them, initial training is approximately one month of training on the 767 aircraft, followed by three weeks of training on the differences of the KC-46 from the 767. Eventually, this training will be followed-up by about three weeks of flight training, once the KC-46 starts flying.

"More [will be] trained over the next year and a half in preparation for the first aircraft delivery at McConnell Air Force Base during the late summer of 2016," said Ensminger.

As it currently stands, the Air Force plans to buy 179 KC-46s between now and 2027, said Ensminger. These aircraft will initially be based at Altus, McConnell, and Pease Air National Guard Base.

Altus will serve as the initial training base for pipeliners, he said. The training will entail approximately three to four months of academic, simulator, and flight training.

Developed by Boeing in Mukilteo, Washington, the aircraft is set to replace the KC-135 Stratotanker, which has been actively employed by the military since 1956.

"Boeing anticipates the first flight of the commercial 767-2C, which our jet will be based on, before the New Year," said Ensminger. "The first KC-46 flight [is expected to be] in April 2015."