United States Air Force Aircraft lands in Regina

It was an unusual sight in the skies and on the ground at the Regina International Airport on Friday afternoon.

Two United States Air Force Aircraft landed and stayed overnight. The planes are KC-135 stratotankers air-to-air refuelling aircraft.

The tail boom can be lowered and extended to transfer fuel to other air force jets.

One of the planes flew in from Fairchild Air Force Base back in Spokane, Wash.

For some of the crew, it was their first time setting foot on Canadian soil, but they have flown over Canada many times on their various missions.

Two KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from the United States Air Force’s 92nd Air Refuelling Wing landed at the Regina International Airport on Friday. (Gareth Dillistone)

The KC-135 is known for being a flying gas station, but it can also transport passengers. On Saturday, the planes will carry 50 Royal Canadian Air Force student pilots down to Texas for a month long training mission.

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Casey Born, captain of the USAF 92nd Air Refuelling Wing, said their main job is to give gas to other planes in the air, not necessarily transporting people.

“Because we have a large deck, we have a lot of seats available, so we can do that. We can take some cargo as well that needs to be transported between bases. So our main job is to air refuel jets in the air, so they can do their job,” he said.

A KC-135 can carry a total of about 200,000 pounds of fuel, some for its own engines and some to give away. At the end of their training in Texas, the Canadian Air Force Student Pilots will be returned to 15 Wing Moose Jaw aboard stratotankers of the 92nd air refuelling wing.