The Air National Guard’s 126th Air Refueling Wing at Scott AFB, Ill., reported a black letter flight Monday, the first in the history of the unit. The accomplishment came when members from the 126th Air Refueling Wing Maintenance Squadron and 906th Air Refueling Squadron flew a KC-135 Stratotanker on a complete mission “with zero discrepancies,” according to a press release. Black letter flights are extremely rare because they require not only an entirely safe flight, but the absence of any irregularity within the mission whatsoever. “A [discrepancy] could be a decal missing on a plane,” said Maj. Tim Huchel, 126th Maintenance Squadron commander, according to the release. Huchel said the last black letter flight took place two years ago at McConnell AFB, Kan. The achievement is even more impressive in the case of the 126th because the KC-135 is more than 50 years old.
Sticker Shock Drags Out USAF’s E-7 Negotiations with Boeing
April 18, 2024
While a deal on the E-7 Wedgetail airborne battle management jet may come soon, negotiations are stuck on the high price Boeing is asking for the development jets, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said recently.