151st Air Refueling Wing – Boeing KC-135E-BN Stratotanker 57-1510
LOGAN — The United States Air Force and the Utah Air National Guard are inviting Utahns to observe flyovers of their air refuellers Tuesday morning. The event taking place at select locations around the world honors 100 years of aerial refueling.
In Utah, the 151st Air Refueling Wing from Hill Air Force Base, will begin flying over select locations in the state, beginning with Utah State University at 9:40 a.m. From USU, the squadron will then continue south over Lagoon, the Utah State Capitol Building and other sites, finishing just after 12 p.m. over Park City.
Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander said, “Air refueling propels our Nation’s air power across the skies, unleashing its full potential. It connects our strategic vision with operational reality, ensuring we can reach any corner of the globe with unwavering speed and precision. Air refueling embodies our resolve to defend freedom and project power, leaving an indelible mark on aviation history.”
According to a press release, U.S. Army Air Service aviators completed the first successful aerial refueling on June 27, 1923. On that day, 1st Lt. Virgil Hine and 1st Lt. Frank W. Seifert, flying a DH-4B, passed gasoline through a hose to another DH-4B flying beneath it carrying Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter.
One hundred years later, Tuesday’s flyovers by the Air Force celebrates those Airmen’s tenacity and innovative will that is still thriving in Airmen’s spirits today.
Minihan said, “As we embark on the next 100 years of air refueling, we will continue to strengthen our air mobility excellence. We must leverage the remarkable capabilities of air refueling to preserve peace, protect freedom, and bring hope to the world. As Mobility Airmen, we write the next chapter of air refueling.”