Aircraft Information
> Aircraft Make: Boeing. Model: KC-135. Nickname: Stratotanker
> Aircraft Mil Civ Description: Large Jet
> FAA Category and Class: Airplane multi-engine land
> Engine Description: Quad jet
Aircraft Experience
> As of: 9/2/2021
> Number of Hours Flown: 1
> Number of Times Flown: 1
> Other Aircraft Models Associated: n/a
First Flown Information
> Sequence First Flown: 98
> Date First Flown: 7/29/1998
> Location First Flown: NAS Patuxent River, MD (KNHK)
> Who and/or What Organization First Flown With: USAF Flight Test (on a USAFTPS field trip)
Recollections: My brother flew these airplanes for many years in the USAF and when one came to NAS Patuxent River (serving as transportation for a USAFTPS class on their field trip), I had the opportunity to finally fly this venerable airplane.
My time in the seat was relatively short but–since we were flying with a USAF test pilot–we were able to do stalls and patterns. My second landing pattern was conducted with the stability augmentation system off and it was then I got to see the famous “dutch roll” characteristics of this machine (and why that SAS was so critical). I was doing ok until I got in close to the runway, when the magnitude of the roll (the dutch roll on the KC-135 has a very high roll-to-yaw ratio) excursions increased enough that I decided it was time to go around. Great flight!
(c) af.mil
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