In celebration of the 100th anniversary of air refueling, two F-35A fighters from Hill Air Force Base conducted air refueling operations with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Utah Air National Guard over various locations in Utah on June 27. 

As part of Operation Centennial Contact, the flyovers spanned from Logan to Cedar City, Utah, and more than 150 aircraft flew across all 50 states to honor the first successful air refueling that took place on June 27, 1923. 

On that historic day, Army Air Service 1st Lieutenants Virgil Hine and Frank Seifert accomplished the first aerial refueling by passing 75 gallons of fuel through a gravity hose from their DH-4B biplane to another DH-4B piloted by Capt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. John P. Richter. 

This monumental moment from a century ago remains significant today as it paved the way for aerial refueling, a crucial capability that has shaped history and remains essential for modern military aircraft in defending our nation.