Aerial refueling
Videos
Aerial refuelling, also referred to as air refuelling, in-flight refuelling, air-to-air refuelling, and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft to another while both ai
A KC-135 Stratotanker refuels an F-16 Fighting Falcon using a flying boom
Chinese Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-16, and Xian YY-20 in an aerial refueling formation
Capt. Lowell Smith and Lt. John P. Richter receiving the first mid-air refueling on 27 June 1923
The US Air Force Boeing B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II being refueled by grappled-line looped-hose during the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by air (1949)
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
Videos
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fusela
A KC-135R (above) refuels an F-15C Eagle (below)
A KC-135A refueling a B-52D during the Cold War: Both aircraft types were operated by the Strategic Air Command.
In November 1957, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay tested the first KC-135 on a long-haul flight from Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A nose-on view of several re-engined KC-135R aircraft taxiing prior to takeoff: The new engines are CFM56-2 high-bypass turbofans.