UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
When the United States Air Force noted that the KC-135 tanker was too small for some operations, it evaluated the 747 and the DC-10 (Lockheed did not offer a TriStar - tanker) as possible future tanker aircraft. The smaller DC-10 won the contract not only because of its better field performance, but the USAF wanted to show its trust in the DC-10 which has suffered from the image in the media due to a series of accidents. On December 19th 1977, the DC-10 was chosen and an order for two aircraft called KC-10A extender was placed. Further orders were placed an brought the fleet to 60 KC-10A tankers.
The first KC-10 was introduced in 1981 and the aircraft were assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. and the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif. Air Force Reserve. Unfortunately, one aircraft, 82-0192 was lost on September 17th 1987 in a fire. The other 59 aircraft are still operated in different missions. It has to be noted that the KC-10A has the advantage that it can be refueled by another tanker aircraft too.
Following aircraft were operated by or for the United States Air Force:
Registration | Aircraft | Fleetnr./Name | Operated from - to | Where is it now? |
79-0433 | 48200/ 311 | 01.10.1981 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-0434 | 48201/ 333 | 17.03.1981 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1710 | 48202/ 359 | 30.07.1981 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1711 | 48203/ 360 | 28.08.1981 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1712 | 48204/ 361 | 22.09.1981 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1713 | 48205/ 363 | 24.10.1981 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1946 | 48206/ 373 | 26.05.1982 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1947 | 48207/ 375 | 21.06.1982 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1948 | 48208/ 376 | 28.07.1982 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1949 | 48209/ 377 | 08.09.1982 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1950 | 48210/ 378 | 08.09.1982 - now | ACTIVE | |
79-1951 | 48211/ 380 | 18.11.1982 - now | ACTIVE | |
82-0190 | 48212/ 382 | 06.04.1983 - 17.09.1987 | WRITTEN OFF | |
82-0191 | 48213/ 383 | 25.04.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
82-0192 | 48214/ 384 | 23.05.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
82-0193 | 48215/ 385 | 28.07.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0075 | 48216/ 386 | 25.08.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0076 | 48217/ 387 | 21.09.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0077 | 48218/ 388 | 03.11.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0078 | 48219/ 389 | 13.12.1983 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0079 | 48220/ 390 | 28.02.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0080 | 48221/ 391 | 28.03.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0081 | 48222/ 392 | 08.06.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
83-0082 | 48223/ 393 | 20.07.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0185 | 48224/ 394 | 06.09.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0186 | 48225/ 395 | 16.10.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0187 | 48226/ 396 | 28.11.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0188 | 48227/ 397 | 19.12.1984 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0189 | 48228/ 398 | 05.02.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0190 | 48229/ 399 | 16.03.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0191 | 48230/ 400 | 22.04.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
84-0192 | 48231/ 401 | 05.06.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0027 | 48232/ 402 | 21.08.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0028 | 48233/ 403 | 02.08.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0029 | 48234/ 404 | 04.09.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0030 | 48235/ 405 | 19.09.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0031 | 48236/ 406 | 11.10.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0032 | 48237/ 407 | 04.11.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0033 | 48238/ 408 | 03.12.1985 - now | ACTIVE | |
85-0034 | 48239/ 410 | 04.02.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0027 | 48240/ 411 | 27.02.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0028 | 48241/ 413 | 04.04.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0029 | 48242/ 414 | 25.04.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0030 | 48243/ 415 | 15.05.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0031 | 48244/ 417 | 23.06.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0032 | 48245/ 418 | 18.07.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0033 | 48246/ 420 | 27.08.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0034 | 48247/ 421 | 30.09.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0035 | 48248/ 423 | 31.10.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0036 | 48249/ 424 | 02.12.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0037 | 48250/ 425 | 24.12.1986 - now | ACTIVE | |
86-0038 | 48251/ 426 | 31.01.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0117 | 48303/ 427 | 02.03.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0118 | 48304/ 428 | 17.04.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0119 | 48305/ 429 | 26.05.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0120 | 48306/ 430 | 30.06.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0121 | 48307/ 431 | 21.08.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0122 | 48308/ 432 | 17.11.1987 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0123 | 48309/ 439 | 25.08.1988 - now | ACTIVE | |
87-0124 | 48310/ 441 | 01.11.1988 - now | ACTIVE |
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