[sukhoi-30mki]

A KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a SR-71 Blackbird at an unknown location. The KC-135 has been in the Air Force’s inventory since 1957, serving in many of our nation’s conflicts and supporting the Air Force's Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission, over the past six decades. (Courtesy photo)

[equaviator]

Selfridge ANGB, MI

[Yo-Yo]

Would that milestone be that every single crew member serving on the KC-135 is older than the aircraft itself?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A retired USAF Lt. Colonel told me it took three 135s to fill up a B-52 for a prolonged patrol.

[RayChuang88]

The KC-135 is still viable because the USAF was able to use a large number of parts salvaged from scrapped Boeing 707 airliners and retired older KC-135's to keep them going. And the availability of the CFM56 high-bypass engine also extended their lives tremendously.

However, I do think the KC-135 fleet will soon heading for its sunset years as the KC-46 replaces them. The initial order for 100 planes could be expanded to possibly another 150 to 200 planes, which will allow the complete phase out of the KC-135 fleet.

[ducttape45]

ping for later

[AlaskaErik]

I flew as a passenger on a KC-135 from Elmendorf to Ramstein. It was the coldest, most miserable flight I’ve ever been on. If you stood up, your head was in 80 degree heat while your feet were in 35 degree cold. Then the urinals started overflowing, so we couldn’t use them anymore. If I ever fly Space A, I’m avoiding the 135.

[AlaskaErik]

In fact, it is often said throughout the tanker community that the last mother of the last pilot of the KC-135 has not been born yet, which is a testament to the experience and professionalism of the maintenance personnel that work on the aircraft.

And as we say in the C-130 world, when the last KC-135 goes to D-M, it'll be a C-130 that flies the crew home. Same with the C-5 and C-17. BTW, the first C-130 flew two years before the KC-135, in August 1954.

[PeteePie]

Who remembers the deafening roar and pitch-black smoke from the water injected J-57s when a flight of these took off on a SAC Alert?

[commish]

Watching one of these do a “Water” takeoff is a sight to behold. The black clouds coming from the engines and the accompanying roar is almost as impressive as an SR-71 full afterburner takeoff.

[Crossfeed]

Two of us in our F-105D’s lined up behind a KC135 water wagon
at Hickham Rwy 8, and had to wait about a minute for the black smoke to clear before we rolled to catch him.
Once airborne the refueling was a piece of cake as we were matched in cruising speed. The KC topped us off and dropped into Wake while we continued to Anderson at Guam.
A great improvement over KB-50 refueling.
Sometime in 1964.

[vetvetdoug]

I was the customs inspector for McGee Tyson during the late 1970’s until 1983 (E-6 Veterinary 908) and met 135’s returning from overseas. The 134th pilots and aircrews there were very professional and efficient.