AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. -- One of the oldest and rarest air fuel tankers got some upgrades earlier in November at Fairchild Air Force Base.
The KC-135 model has been around since the 1950s. Other Air Force bases are ditching this model for the new KC-46 aircraft. Fairchild officials said the KC-135 is not going anywhere anytime soon.
“They will have some kinks to work out in the beginning to get it to the point where it's completely reliable all the time and the 135 has been through those battles if you will," said evaluator pilot, Major John Chappelle.
Chappelle said this is the first aircraft out of the 30 on base to get the Block-46 upgrade, the newest in modern aviation technology.
Officials said the upgrade will give the aircraft a new internal system.
“We used to have a bunch of gauges right here, these are all of our engine instruments that's now computerized. So it's now more precise as to what we're actually getting out of it," said Major Chappelle.
They will also be getting a new autopilot system, improved displays and a new weather system. Chappelle said these upgrades will make the aircraft nearly invincible.
Fairchild officials said they might take the old KC-135s from other Air Force bases that are getting rid of them. They said they will find out if they get the new KC-46 model by 2017.
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