Flying low, tight maneuvers over deep blue Kinston-area skies on Wednesday were two United States Air Force KC-10 aircraft. The large tankers could be best seen here, as they flew over NC-58 at the end of the Kinston Region Jetport's runway, where they were practicing touch-and-go landing.
"The KC-10 is an aircraft capable of air to air refueling of all American and NATO aircraft. As well as being able to be refueled in air it self. It's capable of carrying equipment and troops to anywhere in the world," according to Jeff Pettitt, who was a crew chief on the KC-10's predecessor, the KC-135R.
The aircraft, which are capable of carrying 365,000 pounds of fuel, have flown over 1,390 missions since the onset of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, according to the official website of the Air Force (af.mil).