Second Boeing KC-46 tanker back in the air

Published 4:46 pm Thursday, March 10, 2016

EVERETT — A Boeing KC-46 test plane was back in the air Thursday after cutting short its flight the day before.

The aerial refueling tanker took off from Boeing Field International in Seattle at 2:37 p.m. Thursday and is currently flying over Eastern Washington. It is scheduled to land at Paine Field in Everett just before 5 p.m.

The day before, the plane’s flight plan had it going from Boeing Field to the airport at Moses Lake. However, the plane returned to the airport shortly after takeoff for a non-emergency.

It is the second KC-46 tanker, which Boeing is developing for the U.S. Air Force. Due to earlier development and production delays, the company has shortened its flight test program and already started initial, low-rate production in order to meet its first delivery deadline in 2017.

Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.