The A-10 Thunderbolt II, QF-4 Phantom, F-16 Falcon, and F-22 Raptor will fly the airshow circuit in close formation with World War II aircraft again this summer. The Air Combat Command Heritage Flight will perform with warbirds, including the A-36 Apache, F-86 Sabre, P-40 Warhawk, and P-47 Thunderbolt, said ACC officials. The 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., plans to host two days of training early next month to certify that both civilian and ACC pilots are prepared to safely perform at shows across the United States and Canada. Formed in 1997, the heritage flight aims to fly at 40 to 60 formation performances with World War II-, Korean War-, and Vietnam War-era aircraft, preserving the service’s link with its history. In 2010, the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation was formed as a benevolent funding stream to perpetuate the flight’s mission. (Davis-Monthan release) (Heritage Flight webpage)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.