The results are in from the pilots who are defining operational deployment procedures for the Air Force Special Operations Command new CV-22—they like it big time. One of the two pilots from the 8th Special Operations Squadron, veteran MC-130H Combat Talon II pilot Lt. Col. Darryl Sheets, describes flying the tilt-rotor Osprey in airplane mode to being in a “C-130 sports car.” He says the CV-22 is “three times more responsive and is a joy to fly,” including being “extremely stable in hover and in transition between the two modes.” The other airman, veteran Army and Air Force helicopter pilot, Capt. Paul Alexander is accustomed to hovering but relishes the speed and altitude he can achieve in the Osprey. “It’s been a lot of years since I look forward to every flight I take,” says Alexander.
Tennessee Guard to Receive Eight KC-46s
Nov. 20, 2025
The Air Force has tapped McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base as its preferred location for the next base to host KC-46 aerial refuelers, replacing the KC-135s that have been there since the 1970s.
