The Boeing Model 367-80 makes its first flight, with company pilot A.M. “Tex” Johnston in command. The aircraft is the prototype for the Air Force’s C/KC-135 series and the progenitor of the 707, which will become the first civilian jetliner to see wide use.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…