A KC-10 Extender refuels an F-35A from the 461st Flight Test Squadron while a B-2 stealth bomber and three F-16s wait their turn during a recent training mission. The planes were on various test missions when they all flocked to the KC-10 to refuel in midair via the tanker’s boom. Photo by Christian Turner/Air Force.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
