The Air Force plans, in January, to name a new-build C-17 the Spirit of Ronald Reagan. The aircraft will be dedicated at ceremonies in California. The first person honored with a C-17 dedication was Bob Hope, in recognition of his many years of entertaining troops overseas. USAF has named other C-17s for noteworthy individuals, such as Medal of Honor recipient Air Force Sgt. John L. Levitow, and for bases, cities, states, regions, and even groups, such as the Spirit of America’s Veterans, and concepts, such as Spirit of Freedom. Look here for a list of approved names for active duty C-17s.
The Air Force’s nascent KC-Z program, aimed at developing a next-generation family of systems for aerial refueling, will look to launch its analysis-of-alternatives study in 2024, years earlier than originally planned. Originally, the analysis of alternatives for KC-Z was set for “maybe in the 2030s,” Paul Waugh, program executive officer…