KC-135

At the far north end of the flight line is a KC-135A Stratotanker, tail number 56-3595.

The KC-135 first entered service in 1957, and variants of it are still flying, and it may see service until the 2040s. When the SR-71 was flying, the 56 KC-135As were modified to the KC-135Q configuration, carrying JP-7 to refuel the Blackbird.

I primarily photographed this plane because NASA at one time operated a number of KC-135s, without their refueling equipment, to train astronauts in zero-G operations. In this role, the plane was nicknamed the "Vomit Comet."

Aerial view. It appears that the plane has been repainted since I photographed it in 2008.