Congressman Frank Lucas is highlighting some of the energy-related issues that he was involved in over the past several days, including a visit from a Director of one White House Office.
In his weekly update, the Republican Representative explained:
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An Oklahoman who stopped by my office was Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier. A proud Oklahoman and long-time public servant, Dr. Droegemeier is a meteorologist and was the former Secretary of Science and Technology serving in Governor Mary Fallin’s administration. Before his tenure in the Fallin Administration, Dr. Droegemeier was the Vice President of Research at the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier now serves as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. As director, Dr. Droegemeier will advice the President and others within the Trump Administration regarding scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy as well as environmental and health-related issues related to the federal government. As Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I look forward to working very closely with my fellow Oklahoman on these issues.
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ICYMI: KC-46A Pegasus lands in Oklahoma
by Dale Denwalt | NewsOK
 ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE – The U.S. Air Force’s next-generation refueling tanker arrived for the first time in Oklahoma on Friday.
The first KC-46A Pegasus tanker landed just after 5 p.m. under a cloudy sky as dignitaries from Oklahoma, the Pentagon and Boeing Corp.’s Seattle headquarters waited on the tarmac.
The tanker represents a significant upgrade in the Air Force’s arsenal and will be capable of refueling dozens of aircraft in varying conditions. Pegasus crews will train at Altus, but the aircraft will be stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas. When maintenance and repairs are needed, the aircraft will be taken to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City.
Altus serves as a hub for pilots training to fly large aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster and the KC-135, which is a predecessor to the Boeing-designed Pegasus.
“Now, with the arrival of this aircraft, every person who will fly the KC-46 will come through Altus,” said Maj. Jake Piranio, who is one of the first pilots selected to fly the Pegasus.
The Pegasus is a military version of Boeing’s 767, which has previously been configured for commercial passenger and cargo use.
It will partially replace the six-decade old KC-135 Stratotanker.
“The KC-46 brings a lot of modernization and connectivity we never had before,” Piranio said. “The amount of networks we can connect to, the information we have access to, what we can gather but also transmit to other entities has been unparalleled in the tanker community before, so it’s going to be an incredible tool.”
Despite their large size, refueling tankers typically have a small aircrew consisting of two pilots and a boom operator, who manually guides the refueling device into place so other aircraft can link to it.
Master Sgt. Jon Lauterbach has already trained on his new aircraft’s refueling boom with Boeing instructors.
Unlike crews on the Stratotanker, Lauterbach and other KC-46A operators will sit upright at a video screen rather than lying prone staring out a window.
A refueling session can last minutes or hours, depending on the mission.
Piranio said some flights, where dozens of fighter jets are being moved across the world, can leave a boom operator on their stomach for 10 hours straight to keep the fleet topped off with fuel.
“That is one of the biggest things I am looking forward to,” Lauterbach said. “I’m looking forward to being able to sit down, because it does have stresses on your back.”
The Pegasus can be converted for several uses aside from its refueling role. It can hold pallets of cargo and also serve as a medical air transport.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt was at the Air Force Base to welcome the Pegasus.
He said the presence of KC-46 crews in Oklahoma is an asset to the state, and he praised the community for supporting the base. Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, and James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, and U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, flew aboard one of the tankers from Seattle along with senior Air Force officials.
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