From The Runway Up: An Airport and Aviation Podcast · McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville TN

Airpower & Community: A Historic Win for Knoxville’s Air Guard

·29 min·2 clips

How the 134th Air Refueling Wing beat 19 other units to win the coveted KC-46 Pegasus for Knoxville.

This episode features Colonel Ronald Selvidge Jr., the commander of the 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGee-Tyson Air National Guard Base. Hosts Becky and Kaitlin, from the airport's public relations department, discuss the Guard's role and a major acquisition for the base. Colonel Selvidge explains the dual state and federal mission of the Air National Guard, including disaster response and global air refueling. The 134th Air Refueling Wing operates KC-135R aircraft, with the oldest airframe dating from 1957. After a competitive process involving 19 other wings, the unit was selected to receive the new KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft. This selection followed over 20 years of planning, initiated by former commander Colonel Tim Deering. Key factors in winning the aircraft included the base's strategic location, community support, and infrastructure upgrades like the airport's new 10,000-foot runway. The first KC-46 aircraft are scheduled to arrive in late 2030 or early 2031, requiring new hangars and building modifications. The KC-46 is a larger, modern aircraft that can refuel both boom and probe-and-drogue receiver aircraft simultaneously. Unlike the KC-135, where boom operators lie prone, KC-46 operators use 3D goggles and cameras from the front of the plane. The base also hosts a cyber operations group, with plans to add a new cyber protection squadron. Colonel Selvidge shares his personal journey from enlisting as an aircraft maintainer in 1990 to becoming wing commander. The unit reports a 96% re-enlistment rate and highlights state benefits like tuition reimbursement. The tone is conversational, celebratory, and informative, focusing on partnership and community. Listeners interested in military aviation, local infrastructure, or community affairs will enjoy this episode. Those seeking critical analysis of defense spending or fast-paced narrative might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A grounded aviation and civic story about runway upgrades, strategic geography, and the KC-46 selection.

This episode follows McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, through Becky and Kaitlin's conversation with Colonel Ronald Selvidge Jr. about the 134th Air Refueling Wing's pick for the KC-46 mission.

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Knoxville's KC-46 win gets a clear airport-side explanation.

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