Lt. Col. Timothy Webster, instructor pilot with the 96th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin AFB, Tex., reached his 3,000th flying hour in the T-38 trainer, announced base officials. Webster achieved this milestone on July 31 during a flight with a specialized undergraduate pilot training student, states an Aug. 15 base release. “I’ve always wanted to fly; it is interesting and not many people get to do it,” said Webster, who joined the Air Force Reserve in 1988 and went on active duty the following year, according to the release. “Flying 3,000 hours in the T-38 is a major accomplishment; only a few have attained it,” said Lt. Col. William Lee, 96th FTS functional check flight chief. (Laughlin report by A1C Jimmie D. Pike)
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.