Like a Phoenix rising out of the Ashes.

Ten Ex U.S. Air Force KC-10A Extenders go up for auction to the highest bidder.

 

Article & Images: Jaryd Stock & Joel Thomas

 

 

 

The United States Government has confirmed that it is auctioning 10 retired U.S. Air Force (USAF) McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender tanker and cargo aircraft, offering opportunities for private aerial refuelling companies to bolster there fleets.

The aircraft type were formally retired from USAF service on September 26th 2024 with the last offical flight of the mighty KC-10 conducted at Travis Air Force Base, California. The jet, tail number 79-1948, took off from Travis at about 10:15 a.m. flying under the callsign “Gucci 10,” an ode to the “Gucci” nickname and motto at the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, the last unit to operate the jet. The wheels-up was the last of thousands in the KC-10’s 44 years of service since it first took to the air in 1980.

The retired aircraft were flown to the famous “Boneyard” in Arizona and are currently stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

 

 

All of these aircraft will need some considerable amount of work which will need to be carried out to make them airworthy again, and it is noted on the GSA website that has the Extenders up for auction states they are without there flying refuelling booms and some have one or more of their engines on the aircraft have been removed, most of the parts removed were used to support the remaining fleet of KC-10’s before the retirement of the type from USAF service.

Other works that will need to be carried out by the successful bidder will be to remove several components to essentially demilitarise the aircraft, GSA states that the buyer is responsible to signal its intent to participate in the auction and will be responsible to comply with all FAA requirements.

So which companies can benefit with acquisition of the aircraft which are currently at $500,000 USD each.

Omega has long been operating the K/DC-10 in its fleet to support U.S. and allied operations and exercises world wide, and supplemented their operations by acquiring two ex Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10’s in 2019.

This allowed Omega to operate a KDC-10 for the first time with a operational flying boom after operating a single DC-10 equipped with the WARP pod/ hose and drouge system on each side of the aircraft, that DC-10 has been in service with the company from the early 2000’s and by reports currently in storage.

With the boom offering a greater range in aircraft it can refuel especially aircraft with the boom receptacle which are primarily used by the USAF, acquiring a number of KC-10’s would greatly enhance Omega Air’s operations.

Another company in the private sector that caters to Air to Air Refuelling is Metrea which operate a total of eighteen KC-135R/RG Stratotankers that were acquired from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (4 aircraft)and Armée de l’Air (14 aircraft) making Metrea the world’s largest commercial aerial refueling fleet which eclipses all but four sovereign countries in terms of size and capability. 

Having several KC-10’s in Metrea fleet would greatly enhance the capability of the company as it has been noted an increase in operations especially in ferrying aircraft to and from the United States into the Indo-Pacific region.

Another company which does not have a dedicated air to air refuelling element but would possibly be interested in acquiring a further number of DC-10’s is 10 Tanker which is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

 

Already with a considerable amount of conversions that need to take place in order to get these aircraft flying again, 10 Tanker could hypothetically purchase more of these aircraft and undertake a considerable conversion to fit a tank to the underside of the aircraft like they have already done with the four DC-10’s they have in operation, but cost wise this prohibitive.

Another option albeit highly unlikely is a foreign nation allied with the U.S. which would have the means could possibly acquire all ten of the aircraft which would bolster their own tanker fleets, but also still support allied operations in their own region.

In any case the aircraft that are listed for auction are to be fair, old. There will have to be a lot of time and resources undertaken to get these aircraft flying again, as an example KC-10A serial 83-0077 was one of the first to be retired to the Boneyard back in September 2020, so that particular airframe has already been in storage for nearly five years.

Supply chains for the KC-10 are now becoming increasingly difficult as commercial operations have basically come to a halt, flying them as boom-equipped tankers might not be at all straightforward. Still, the capability the Extender provides, affectionately known as ‘Big Sexy’ by the crews that flew her, remains to this day unrivalled.

 

 

Tail numbers of the aircraft up for auction are:

• 86-0036 
• 87-0120 
• 83-0077 
• 87-0122 
• 79-1713 
• 79-1949 
• 86-0034 
• 83-0081 
• 87-0124 
• 79-0434

The KC-10 Extender, a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner, served the U.S. Air Force from 1981 until its retirement in September 2024. Over its 44-year career, the KC-10 played a crucial role in air mobility and refueling operations especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

There hasn’t been a air to air refuelling aircraft that can come close to matching the capability and the amount of fuel that can be offloaded to its receivers, than what the KC-10A Extender can achieve.

And even though the KC-46 Pegasus is the preferred tanker of choice by USAF and Air Mobility Command there may be a time in the future the airforce rues its decision not to find a like for like replacement of the mighty 10, especially in the Western Pacific theatre if tensions were to escalate further.

Having more of the KC-10 aircraft flying in the private sector may not be the preferable option many would like but in a time of crisis they would be valuable assets to have providing AAR and troop/ palletised cargo options for the U.S. Defence Forces and its allies.