Civic leaders from the Panama City area flew on a KC-135 Stratotanker at Tyndall AFB June 16.

Civic leaders from Bay County were accompanied by several commanders to see Tyndall’s F-22 Raptors in flight.

“My first KC-135 experience was phenomenal, and watching how the men and women of the U.S. Air Force refuel other aircraft while airborne was a sight to see,” said Jennifer Vigil, Destination Panama City president and chief executive officer. “Anyone who has the opportunity to climb aboard one of these aircraft should definitely take it. My biggest takeaway from the entire flight is how important coordination and teamwork are when refueling an F-22 Raptor.”

The 91st Air Refueling Squadron, assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, provided the KC-135 for the mission. Attendees were allowed to operate the boom system on the aircraft, which is used to manually refuel military aircraft while in flight.

In addition, guests were flown around the surrounding area and were educated on the mission of the KC-135.

“The experience from the flight was excellent,” said Peter Sostheim, Vittles Co. Inc. president. “Given that the aircraft is more than 50 years old, the flight had a really great view and the staff did a great job exercising their skills. This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.”

Base-sponsored events are offered to civic organizations and schools to educate the community about the U.S. Air Force and Tyndall AFB missions. Tours are not available to individuals or families.

“There is a lot of coordination that goes into making these trips possible,” said Tom Bonifay, 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs community engagement coordinator. “These events are used to strengthen relations between the installation and community. We do this by demonstrating our mission of training and projecting unrivaled combat airpower.”