Tucson, AZ: Universal Records South artist Joe Nichols joined the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard for a refueling mission on Thursday, April 17th as part of the Arizona Air National Guard's partnership with Country Thunder USA. Footage of the flight will be aired at a later date on CMT Insider.
Nichols began his flight experience on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. starting off with a fitting for his personalized fighter pilot gear that included a flight suit, helmet, oxygen mask, and G-suit. After receiving his issued flight gear, he reported for simulator training to learn safety procedures for his back-seat ride. He took off in the F-16 Fighting Falcon from Tucson International Airport approximately at 1 p.m. and returned one hour later.
In addition to the F-16 flight, the Arizona Guard's 161st Air Refueling Wing in Phoenix flew numerous Country Thunder event staff and media in a KC-135 Stratotanker. Both aircraft performed an aerial refueling to further demonstrate the capabilities and teamwork within the Arizona Air National Guard.
