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KC-46 delivery becomes a personal win

Boeing employee watches his Air Force pilot son take off, highlighting cross-functional collaboration and mission readiness.

September 14, 2026 in Community, Defense

Boeing employee Eric Thorley waves as the KC-46 delivered to his son’s squadron taxis down the runway for departure. Boeing employee, Eric Thorley, waves as his son, Lt Zachary Thorley, departs following a KC-46 delivery.

A KC-46 delivery became a personal milestone for Eric Thorley, a 20-year Boeing employee who has supported the KC-46 program for more than a decade. He watched his son, 1st Lt. Zachary Thorley, a U.S. Air Force KC-46 pilot, and his squadron depart in a KC-46A Pegasus.

  • “Just knowing my son’s flying one of our products, it gives me some pride,” Eric Thorley, Cybersecurity Lead, said.

Why it matters: This was a proud moment for Eric and his son, and it shows the real people behind Boeing’s work. It also reflects how many teams come together to deliver an aircraft the Air Force can count on when it matters most.

Voice of the customer: Lt. Thorley grew up near Seattle and earned his private pilot license at 17. Eric, an aviator-turned-Boeing professional, came to Boeing after an Air Force career as a pilot and later in cybersecurity.

  • “Having this opportunity to get out here and have this experience with him, being able to pick up the aircraft and have this connection between the two of us has been something I’ve been looking forward to for a while,” Lt. Thorley said.
Boeing employee Eric Thorley and his son, 1st Lt Zachary Thorley, pose arm in arm on the flight line, in front of the KC-46A Pegasus delivered to Lt Thorley’s squadron. Boeing employee Eric Thorley and his son, 1st Lt Zachary Thorley, stand in front of the KC-46A Pegasus delivered to Lt Thorley’s squadron.

Message to the KC-46 program: “I just wanted to say thank you for your dedication, your expertise, your sacrifice, and your work every day to deliver this aircraft so that I can use it to defend our country,” Lt. Thorley said.

  • Eric added: “Thank you everybody in Boeing for delivering this to my son. This really matters.”

Operating the KC-46: The KC-46A Pegasus is the world’s most advanced multi-mission aerial refueling aircraft, with more than 100 tankers in service worldwide providing global reach, survivability and operational flexibility.

  • The tanker can be converted between cargo, passenger and aeromedical evacuation modes.
  • Carrying up to 212,000 lb. of fuel, it supports the full spectrum of missions while layered defensive systems detect, avoid and defeat threats.
  • Supports coalition operations worldwide for F-35, F-18, AV-8, F-16, F-15QA and P-8. 
  • Advanced Battle Management System integration deliver tactical information and improved situational awareness to the joint force.

Bottom line: Crews and operators across the Air Force and partner services consistently demonstrate the tanker’s capabilities in combat support, humanitarian relief and aeromedical evacuation, proving the KC-46A fleet a linchpin of 21st-century mobility operations.