McConnell crew makes 45-hour non-stop refueling trip

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Airmen stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita have completed a 45-hour non-stop trip around the world on a refueling mission.

The 22nd Air Refueling Wing conducted a Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) for the KC-46A Pegasus, the newest tanker aircraft to enter service. The mission consisted of Col. Brent Toth, aircraft commander; Capt. Cody Donahue, instructor pilot; Capt. Daison Batangan, instructor pilot; Capt. T.J. Buckley, instructor pilot; Master Sgt Jonathan Lauterbach, instructor boom operator; Master Sgt Patrick Murray, instructor boom operator; Capt. Jacob Heyrend, flight surgeon; Staff Sgt Alejandro Melendez, flying crew chief; and Staff Sgt Dustin Shaffer, flying crew chief.

The two crews worked in shifts, with one resting while the other continued the mission. In addition to endurance training, the crews trained on the beyond-line-of-sight communication systems, and refueling their own aircraft, which took on 440,000 gallons during the mission, supported by six additional tankers from McConnell.

Two KC-135R Stratotankers and four KC-46 Pegasus tankers had previously been stationed along the flight path to support the mission. The aircraft refueled in the air four times during its non-stop flight.

“Obviously, it’s a long flight, so there was a bit of fatigue,” said Master Sgt. Lauterbach. “However, we had the flight surgeon on there and a really great plan to mitigate the fatigue throughout the flight, and we had a good plan going in with all of our receivers and tankers.”

The mission, which began on June 29 and ended Monday afternoon back at McConnell Air Force Base, is now the longest flight for the KC-46 Pegasus. The previous record was a 36-hour nonstop mission conducted by the 157th Air Refueling Wing, which was stationed at Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire in Nov. 2022.

It is the second endurance record for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, which completed a 24-hour-13-minute flight in May 2022 .

“Just knowing we have the capability to do this is huge. I think being able to fly and operate with two basic crews throughout 44 hours of operation proves that it can be done,” said Lauterbach.

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