The F-22A force at Tyndall AFB, Fla., the schoolhouse for Raptor pilots, has exceeded 5,000 flying hours in the new stealth fighter. The Tyndall force reached 5K on Sept. 20, according to an Oct. 13 Air Education and Training Command news release. Tyndall is the second base to achieve 5,000 hours, following the primary test site at Edwards AFB, Calif. Tyndall’s 43rd Fighter Squadron so far has trained 74 F-22 pilots.
Boeing’s receipt of the 10th lot contract award for the KC-46 Pegasus this week leaves just three lots left to complete the Air Force’s buy of the tanker, although a further buy of 75 additional aircraft as a “bridge” to the Next-Generation Aerial-refueling System (NGAS) seems increasingly likely.