boeingkc135

KC-135A-BN, s/n 58-0085. 300th KC-135 built. Delivered to 917th ARS, 95th BW Biggs AFB, TX 1959. Nicknamed "Paso del Norte" (shown in photo). Upgraded to KC-135E 1986. Assigned 336th ARS, 452nd ARW (AFRES). Nicknamed “California Dreamin”. Flew in Desert Storm. Upgraded to KC-135R 1997. Still active with 912th ARS, 452nd AMW (AFRC) March ARB, CA.

Republic F-105D Thunderchief, USAF Ser. No. 62-4343, refueling from Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, USAF Ser. No. 62-3532. This F-105D would be lost to 37mm ground fire near Yen Bai, North Vietnam on August 8, 1966. The pilot, Korean War ace (6 aerial victories), Maj. James H. Kasler (1926-2014) safely ejected and was captured by the North Vietnamese. He was subsequently held and tortured until his release on March 4, 1973. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Kasler aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=151772 The KC-135A would be retired to the Davis-Monthan AMARG (AMARC) boneyard on August 5, 1993, where it still sits today (February 2016), used as a source for spare parts for other KC-135s still in operation. Here are two more recent photos of 62-3532 at AMARG by Flickr users Alan Wilson (photo taken on February 9, 2014), and Jason Grant (photo taken January 27, 2013):

Boeing KC-135A (USAF Ser. no. 55-3127) modified to JKC-135A configuration by the US Air Force's BIG SAFARI office, and named SPEED LIGHT BRAVO for observation of Soviet testing of the 100 megaton "Tsar Bomba" nuclear bomb. Additional modifications and sensors were added to the aircraft at Convair / General Dynamics' Ft. Worth facility between October 22-27, 1961. The aircraft would be made in time ready to observe the dropping and detonation of the Tsar Bomba (also nicknamed "Big Ivan") on October 30, 1961. While yield of the Soviet bomb was "dialed down" to 50 megatons, SPEED LIGHT BRAVO would fly close enough to the detonation that it would suffer scorching along side of the fuselage "facing" the explosion, as well as made radioactive, resulting in the aircraft's disposal. No ill-effects relating to radiation were experienced by the crew manning the aircraft at the time of the detonation, nor were any experienced in the subsequent years. Ref: The History of Big Safari, 2014, by Col. Bill Grimes (USAF Ret.), see pages 46-51. www.amazon.com/History-Big-Safari-Bill-Grimes/dp/1480804568