A former U.S. Air Force KC-10A Extender has been brought out of storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and returned to flight, according to publicly available flight data and federal records. The aircraft, now registered as N82247, is owned by private aerial refueling provider Omega Air and flew to San Antonio International Airport, the company’s primary operating base.
Spotter photos posted on social media captured the jet’s departure from the boneyard. FAA documents list Omega Air as the owner, and tracking services showed the subsequent flight to San Antonio.
The aircraft previously served as Air Force tail 86-0034 and entered storage on May 12, 2023, service records show. The Air Force procured 60 Extenders between 1979 and 1987 and lost one in an accident in 1987.
The last of the remaining 59 airframes was retired in September 2024. Based on the DC-10 airliner, the KC-10A was built to refuel via boom or probe-and-drogue.
KC-10A Extender joins Omega amid rising refueling demand
N82247 currently lacks the KC-10A’s tail-mounted refueling boom. That aligns with conditions tied to a batch of 10 Extenders the Air Force auctioned last year in non-flyable condition, each missing one wing engine and, for the early retirees among them, booms that had been removed to supply parts for the fleet still in service at the time.
An Air Force spokesperson said that to restore those aircraft to flight, the buyer would need to source engines and obtain a Boeing fly-away kit to seal the boom opening. Omega Air could install new booms on some of the ex-Air Force KC-10As or operate others as probe-and-drogue-only tankers.
The company already flies two former Dutch KDC-10s, which are similar to the KC-10A, a converted DC-10 used for probe-and-drogue refueling, and several Boeing 707-based tankers.
Some of the acquired airframes could be used for cargo or cannibalized for spares, though aerial refueling remains Omega’s core business. The company has been approached for additional details on its plans for the incoming Extenders.
Even without booms, ex-USAF KC-10As would significantly expand Omega’s capacity. Demand for commercial aerial refueling support has increased in the United States and abroad, providing the U.S. military with options to offload non-combat tasks and ease pressure on government tanker fleets.
This helps preserve availability for combat and higher-priority missions at a time when the Air Force’s tanker force has faced persistent strain, compounded by technical and other issues affecting the KC-46 transition.
The Air Force’s full retirement of the KC-10A fleet remains contentious. Despite age, the Extender offered considerable flexibility and could carry more fuel than the KC-46 now replacing it.
Omega’s acquisition reflects the continuing utility of the platform, and at least one prospective operator in North Africa has also shown interest in obtaining former Air Force Extenders.
For now, the return of N82247 to the skies marks a second life for a KC-10A Extender in the private sector after just over two years in storage.