First KC-46A Pegasus tanker for the US Air Force takes to the air

The first of 18 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft scheduled to enter service with the US Air Force in 2018 took to the air for the first time at Paine Field, Washington on December 5, 2017. Boeing has already flown three engineering and manufacturing development and two low-rate initial development aircraft, but this is the first intended to go straight to the user from the factory gate.

KC-46A serial number 16-46007 (c/n 41855) took off at 10:32hrs and flew for 3 hours 29 minutes. During the flight, Boeing test pilots took the tanker to a maximum altitude of 39,000ft (11,887m) and performed operational checks on engines, flight controls and environmental systems as part of the Federal Aviation Administrationapproved flight profile.