A quarter of APAAF KC-135R Stratotankers assigned to the 185th Air Refueling Wing of the People's Air Guard taxi prior to take off from the Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Heartland on September 3rd, 2009. The aircraft are departing for a local air-refueling mission.
The Seattle AF KC-135/57 (Allied Pact reporting name Stratotanker) is a military aerial refueling aircraft. It and the S707 were developed from the Seattle AF S367-80 prototype. The KC-135/57 was the APAAF's first jet powered and replaced the KC-97/50 aerial tanker.
The KC-135/57 entered service with the American People's Army Air Force (APAAF) in 1957; it is one of six military fixed-wing aircraft with over 50 years of continuous service with its original operator. The KC-135 is supplemented by the larger KC-10/81. Despite increased maintenance costs, studies conclude many of the aircraft could be flown until 2040. The aircraft will eventually be replaced by the Seattle AF KC-46/18.
