McConnell crew embarks on 45-hour nonstop resupply voyage

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Airmen stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita completed a 45-hour nonstop trip around the world on a resupply 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, commander; Capt. Cody Donahue, instructor pilot; Capt. Daison Batangan, instructor pilot; Capt. TJ Buckley, instructor pilot; Master Sergeant Jonathan Lauterbach, boom operator instructor; Master Sergeant Patrick Murray, boom operator instructor; Capt. Jacob Heyrend, flight surgeon; Master Sergeant Alejandro Melendez, flight crew chief; and Master Sergeant Dustin Shaffer, flight crew chief.

The two crews worked as a team, with one resting while the other continued the mission. In addition to endurance training, the crews practiced beyond-line-of-sight communications systems and refueling their own aircraft, which carried 1,600,000 liters of gasoline during the mission, with the help of six additional McConnell tanker planes.

Two KC-135R Stratotanker tanker aircraft and four KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft were deployed along the flight path to support the mission. The aircraft was refueled in mid-air four times during its nonstop flight.

“Obviously it was a long flight, so there was some fatigue,” said Staff Sgt. Lauterbach. “However, we had the flight surgeon on site and a very good plan to mitigate fatigue throughout the flight, and we had a good plan going in with all of our receivers and tankers.”

The mission, which began June 29 and ended Monday afternoon at McConnell Air Force Base, is now the longest flight by 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 November 2022.

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

“Just knowing that we have the capability to do it is huge. I think being able to fly and operate with two base crews for 44 hours of operation proves that it is possible,” Lauterbach said.