I was a KC-10 boom operator from 1986-1999. To everyone that ever worked on them, (as the McConnell-Douglas promotional video said) "KC-10, Promises Delivered." To all of my former Gucci Boys, "BOOM STOWED, LEAVING POSITION."
i assume they have an underfloor galley as in a dc10? an where is the refueling fuel located? At this time im tracking the last kc10 on flight radar an it has just flown over ozzie
No galley below. All the available space below was converted to fuel storage. We could offload from any tank. With the upper center wing tank we could hold 365,000lbs of fuel. We never used it because it always leaked so our "max" fuel load was 356,000lbs.
The KC-10, along with the C-5 Galaxy, are among the most comfortable aircraft to fly on for Space-A travel. My dad being a Marine in 2006, I flew a KC-10 on Space-A from Kadena AB, Japan to Singapore (Paya Lebar RSAFB), marking my first visit to The Lion City. Farewell KC-10s of McGuire AFB, NJ '94-'23.
Truly sad to see that the air force chose to retire this workhorse. I am a proud former KC-10 crew chief and have so many fond memories of working on these both at our home base as well as on countless tdy's both in country and overseas.
KC-10 Maintainer 89-97 Saw the World, met great people and had awesome times while assigned at Seymour and McGuire. It’s bittersweet to see this fine aircraft retire.
as a retired flight engineer with the 32 ARS I have several hundred hours on that same aircraft at Barksdale AFB in the 80's. They should have never retired the KC-10's.
I Will miss the KC 10 As it is Based off the DC-10 and is Has been in service for 30 Years This Aircraft Deserves to be in service And I love the sliding Door And To The KC-10 We will never forget you❤
Av geek here watching this with a heavy heart knowing that on Thursday, the last Big Sexy remaining, 79-1948, will be taking off for the last time from Travis Air Force Base for the boneyard. Military plane spotting and air shows won’t be the same without her. 😢 You served well old girl. 🫡
You can thank Boeing for their shady practices. After buying McDonnell Douglas they decided to stop production of parts for the KC10/DC10. They then focused on parts for the 707/KC135 and the other aircraft derived from that design. Now they're putting it all in the KC-47/737 to force their hand to buy a new tanker. The KC10 is a fantastic jet with the best safety record of any refueler. They were just too good and Boeing had to kill it.
Unbelievable, I was stationed at March AFB when the first 4 Brand New KC10's arrived in early 1983. Tail Numbers Were 1948,1949, 1950 and 1951. It's Sad to see them Retired, they are a Great Refueling Tanker!
I was the Air Force Fuel System instructor for the KC-10 when they first came out in 1982. I wrote the training class from preliminary tech orders because they weren't even published yet. I then went to Barksdale AFB and March AFB where they were first assigned to train new mechanics. Wow, do I feel old now.
Thank you for this tribute, great airmen and women. My father was a principle engineer at McDonnell-Douglas in cargo systems, and the KC-10 was his handy work. Much love 🫡💛
One of the coolest things I saw was 3 F-22s take off from Mcchord followed by A KC-10 Followed by 3 more F-22s while i was sitting in the tacotime drive thru. I miss living around the base.
I was an instructor pilot on the -10 from 1994-2011…retired from the 70th ARS at Travis… I still miss my old girl.. I had over 6000 hrs in her when I flew her for the last time in May 2011… She served this country well..
I was stationed at Dover Afb when these birds were brand new. They had beautiful paint jobs. It doesn't seem like it was over 40 years ago. I guess they put serious hours on those air frames in the gulf wars.
Sad to see this. I worked jet engines on the KC-10 for 10 years at Barksdale and McGuire. Memories of the fix it trips, TDYs, deployments came flooding back. Sometimes it was tough but was living the dream and didn't know it.
As an American av-geek who is considering an Air Force career as a tanker pilot, it’s sad to see the KC-10s go. They will most likely be out of service in September 2024 at its final base at Travis AFB. On the bright side we still have the KC-135, but I still don’t like the KC-46 because the 767 doesn’t look right as a tanker aircraft to me, but that’s just my opinion. RIP KC-10 Extender 🫡
September 26 is confirmed to be her last day of service. I hope they’ll have a live stream of her taking off for the last time that day for anyone who doesn’t have base access. She will be missed. 😢
Crew dog on 79-1946 .(89'-93')... really good airframe. Retirement has 'save Boeing with new contract' written all over it. Pretty sure you could retro fit newer-effeicent engines...
The problem was that they could no longer get the parts they needed to keep it properly maintained. When the airline industry replaced theirs there wasn't enough demand for the parts to justify keeping the factory open. The Mcdonald Douglas DC-10 had been in service for 42 years and newer technology passed her by. The last one in passenger service was retired in 2014. Amazing that the military could keep theirs going for 20 years after that. The KC-46 has a fly by wire fueling boom with 3 drouges allowing one aircraft to refuel all refurelable aircraft with one plane. The boom and refueling operator will be in a room directly behind the flight deck and can do their job from a sitting position. The K-46 will also have the capability to refuel without the need of a boom or refueling operator sometime in the near future.
i saw this thunder past my roof top here in new zealand!! after taking some cruddy pics as it took off Got many great shots Hope it doesnt end up as soda cans
KC-135s are too old.. They just keep modernizing them. They have had TONS of crashes.. it's first crash was even before the commercial 707's first crash! Yet KC-10s still do perfectly, and they haven't even been modernized!
USAF should have bought the A330 MRTT. Airbus/Northrop Grumman won the competition fair and square. Hoping that the new Airbus/Lockheed partnership will win the LMXT contract.
The USAF actually wanted the KC-45, but Boeing just practically BEGGED them to use the KC-46. It's absolutely outrageous. If one selected a specific aircraft, let them choose that aircraft!
They also have a ton of KC-135s.. I even saw some C-141s (?) last month, they retire these planes and the C-141 is probably the most costly aircraft in their lineup! Edit: My dad misidentified a C-5 for a C-141.
@@captaincarl2079 Well.. I might've been wrong. I saw what atleast looked like a C-141, judging by the engines. They looked like 707 engines. It had a camouflage livery.
truly a sad moment for such a great plane we will all forever miss you kc-10
It still flies at Travis tho…
Bro its lasr maded KC10 , not last flight @matheo9246
I was a KC-10 boom operator from 1986-1999. To everyone that ever worked on them, (as the McConnell-Douglas promotional video said) "KC-10, Promises Delivered."
To all of my former Gucci Boys, "BOOM STOWED, LEAVING POSITION."
i assume they have an underfloor galley as in a dc10? an where is the refueling fuel located? At this time im tracking the last kc10 on flight radar an it has just flown over ozzie
No galley below. All the available space below was converted to fuel storage. We could offload from any tank. With the upper center wing tank we could hold 365,000lbs of fuel. We never used it because it always leaked so our "max" fuel load was 356,000lbs.
The KC-10, along with the C-5 Galaxy, are among the most comfortable aircraft to fly on for Space-A travel. My dad being a Marine in 2006, I flew a KC-10 on Space-A from Kadena AB, Japan to Singapore (Paya Lebar RSAFB), marking my first visit to The Lion City. Farewell KC-10s of McGuire AFB, NJ '94-'23.
Truly sad to see that the air force chose to retire this workhorse. I am a proud former KC-10 crew chief and have so many fond memories of working on these both at our home base as well as on countless tdy's both in country and overseas.
Love you to Joe. We should have a reunion eventually
KC-10 Maintainer 89-97
Saw the World, met great people and had awesome times while assigned at Seymour and McGuire.
It’s bittersweet to see this fine aircraft retire.
KC-10 not only outperformed the KC-135 but also outperforms the KC-46 if it ever meets minimum criteria
So true....
That's a real statement.
Truly another classic move of theirs, retiring what does best for the job and probably will soon complain that they "have nothing that works."
Really Sad actually 😢
as a retired flight engineer with the 32 ARS I have several hundred hours on that same aircraft at Barksdale AFB in the 80's. They should have never retired the KC-10's.
They beat them up during those two stupid wars. Only FedEx still has them???
such a shame, the heavy lifter of the air refueling fleet, nothing can carry as much gas, cargo and passengers.
not enough money to keep them. ukraine and israel get the money, our feats of engineering do not. isgraceful.
I Will miss the KC 10 As it is Based off the DC-10 and is Has been in service for 30 Years This Aircraft Deserves to be in service And I love the sliding Door And To The KC-10 We will never forget you❤
I helped bring these online at March AFB back in '82. They even let us put nose art on them.....I remember one named Pegasus....
Good news! The March Field Air Museum has 0185. Our plan is to put her back in her 1980's color scheme.
but we all know 79-1946, 'The Bad Boy" was the leader at March AFB.
hermosa y formidable maquina .MCDONNELL DOUGLAS
Av geek here watching this with a heavy heart knowing that on Thursday, the last Big Sexy remaining, 79-1948, will be taking off for the last time from Travis Air Force Base for the boneyard. Military plane spotting and air shows won’t be the same without her. 😢 You served well old girl. 🫡
The politics of the USAF. Gotta love it!
You can thank Boeing for their shady practices. After buying McDonnell Douglas they decided to stop production of parts for the KC10/DC10. They then focused on parts for the 707/KC135 and the other aircraft derived from that design. Now they're putting it all in the KC-47/737 to force their hand to buy a new tanker.
The KC10 is a fantastic jet with the best safety record of any refueler. They were just too good and Boeing had to kill it.
Unbelievable, I was stationed at March AFB when the first 4 Brand New KC10's arrived in early 1983. Tail Numbers Were 1948,1949, 1950 and 1951.
It's Sad to see them Retired, they are a Great Refueling Tanker!
ah yes, 188. I remember it breaking... alot
What do you mean? There is one flying over Saudi Arabia right now
They are all retired from McGuire AFB which is what this video is about, Travis AFB in CA is still flying them for about another year
Most beautiful plane ever
I was the Air Force Fuel System instructor for the KC-10 when they first came out in 1982. I wrote the training class from preliminary tech orders because they weren't even published yet. I then went to Barksdale AFB and March AFB where they were first assigned to train new mechanics. Wow, do I feel old now.
Thank you for this tribute, great airmen and women. My father was a principle engineer at McDonnell-Douglas in cargo systems, and the KC-10 was his handy work. Much love 🫡💛
One of the coolest things I saw was 3 F-22s take off from Mcchord followed by A KC-10 Followed by 3 more F-22s while i was sitting in the tacotime drive thru. I miss living around the base.
My dad was a flight engineer for the KC-10.
I was an instructor pilot on the -10 from 1994-2011…retired from the 70th ARS at Travis… I still miss my old girl.. I had over 6000 hrs in her when I flew her for the last time in May 2011… She served this country well..
C5 galaxy, C17, kc135, kc46, and c130s farewells to kc10😢
I was stationed at Dover Afb when these birds were brand new. They had beautiful paint jobs. It doesn't seem like it was over 40 years ago. I guess they put serious hours on those air frames in the gulf wars.
Sad to see this. I worked jet engines on the KC-10 for 10 years at Barksdale and McGuire. Memories of the fix it trips, TDYs, deployments came flooding back. Sometimes it was tough but was living the dream and didn't know it.
😢😢😢😢 I gave my youth to this airplane. LOVE YOU ALL
to those who are sad do know yes they were officially retired but we still fly them lol
As an American av-geek who is considering an Air Force career as a tanker pilot, it’s sad to see the KC-10s go. They will most likely be out of service in September 2024 at its final base at Travis AFB. On the bright side we still have the KC-135, but I still don’t like the KC-46 because the 767 doesn’t look right as a tanker aircraft to me, but that’s just my opinion. RIP KC-10 Extender 🫡
September 26 is confirmed to be her last day of service. I hope they’ll have a live stream of her taking off for the last time that day for anyone who doesn’t have base access. She will be missed. 😢
Dc10: goodbye my brohter
KC-10: see ya kid, at least I didn’t crash as much as you
@@Lethal_E828it’s not really important but kc-10 shoud be the kid, considering it’s a modified version of dc-10
yup, i broke a few things on these.
Crew dog on 79-1946 .(89'-93')... really good airframe. Retirement has 'save Boeing with new contract' written all over it. Pretty sure you could retro fit newer-effeicent engines...
The problem was that they could no longer get the parts they needed to keep it properly maintained. When the airline industry replaced theirs there wasn't enough demand for the parts to justify keeping the factory open. The Mcdonald Douglas DC-10 had been in service for 42 years and newer technology passed her by. The last one in passenger service was retired in 2014. Amazing that the military could keep theirs going for 20 years after that. The KC-46 has a fly by wire fueling boom with 3 drouges allowing one aircraft to refuel all refurelable aircraft with one plane. The boom and refueling operator will be in a room directly behind the flight deck and can do their job from a sitting position. The K-46 will also have the capability to refuel without the need of a boom or refueling operator sometime in the near future.
Вместо него будет Б777?
i saw this thunder past my roof top here in new zealand!! after taking some cruddy pics as it took off Got many great shots Hope it doesnt end up as soda cans
And the crew was picked up at the Boneyard by a KC-135 to fly them home.
why would we want to fly on that shitty baby tanker?
KC-135s are too old.. They just keep modernizing them.
They have had TONS of crashes.. it's first crash was even before the commercial 707's first crash!
Yet KC-10s still do perfectly, and they haven't even been modernized!
USAF should have bought the A330 MRTT. Airbus/Northrop Grumman won the competition fair and square. Hoping that the new Airbus/Lockheed partnership will win the LMXT contract.
I gotta agree with you. The KC-46 has been problematic at best. Who thought moving the boom operator's station up front was a good idea?
@@gordonbergslien30
Right?
The USAF actually wanted the KC-45, but Boeing just practically BEGGED them to use the KC-46.
It's absolutely outrageous. If one selected a specific aircraft, let them choose that aircraft!
Wait, these things are retired? I just saw one take off from Fresno.
(All the Mcguire KC10s are retired or transferred)Travis is the last base now, and they'll start getting rid of the rest soon
They retire these yet B-52's are still flying. Go figure
b52 are flying until 2050
They also have a ton of KC-135s..
I even saw some C-141s (?) last month, they retire these planes and the C-141 is probably the most costly aircraft in their lineup!
Edit: My dad misidentified a C-5 for a C-141.
@@dumbpIing C141's have LONG been retired
@@captaincarl2079
Well.. I might've been wrong.
I saw what atleast looked like a C-141, judging by the engines. They looked like 707 engines.
It had a camouflage livery.
@@captaincarl2079 So has dad.