The United States Air Force, created in 1947 as the Department of the Air Force under the National Security Act, was once part of the U.S. Army. Originally known as the Aeronautical Division, they later became the Air Service in 1918, changing again to the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1926, and finally, before separating, were called the U.S. Army Air Force.
Since its inception, America’s Air Force has always been the most powerful air power in the world, with a total of 5,209 active aircraft as of today, of which many older aircraft are found. (These are the largest air forces in the world.) The Air Force is currently working to replace planes such as the B-2 Spirit with the Northrop Grumman-developed B-21 Raider, but there are still plenty of aircraft that are defying time and remain in service.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2022 USAF & USSF Almanac: Equipment, published in Air and Space Forces Magazine to determine the U.S. Air Force’s oldest aircraft. We excluded aircraft used as trainers. All information is from the almanac. All of the aircraft on this list are at least 34 years old. Seven of the 10 oldest planes are intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications aircraft and all are at least 57 years old. These plane types account for about half of the 30 oldest Air Force planes in service. (Also see, the most expensive planes in the U.S. Air Force.)
Other categories represented among the oldest aircraft in the Air Force inventory are transport planes and fighter/attack jets. The latter category includes the A-10C Thunderbolt II, with 141 planes in active service, the most on the list. The second-most on the list is the KC-135R Stratotanker with 138 aircraft. The venerable B-52H Stratofortress is the second-oldest plane on the list at 59.80 years. There are 58 B-52Hs in active service for the Air Force.
Here is the oldest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force
30. B-1B Lancer
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Average age in 2022: 34.40 years
- Aircraft in service: 45
- Active Air Force: 45
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Bomber
29. LC-130H Hercules
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Average age in 2022: 36.06 years
- Aircraft in service: 10
- Active Air Force: 0
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 10
- Type: Transport
28. C-12F Huron
- Average age in 2022: 36.25 years
- Aircraft in service: 3
- Active Air Force: 3
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Transport
27. QF-16A
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Average age in 2022: 36.27 years
- Aircraft in service: 66
- Active Air Force: 66
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Fighter/attack
26. C-21A Learjet
- Average age in 2022: 36.50 years
- Aircraft in service: 19
- Active Air Force: 19
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Transport
25. F-15D Eagle
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Average age in 2022: 36.55 years
- Aircraft in service: 23
- Active Air Force: 9
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 14
- Type: Fighter/attack
24. F-15C Eagle
Source: Stocktrek Images / Getty Images
- Average age in 2022: 36.72 years
- Aircraft in service: 209
- Active Air Force: 87
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 122
- Type: Fighter/attack
23. KC-10A Extender
- Average age in 2022: 36.79 years
- Aircraft in service: 48
- Active Air Force: 48
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Tanker
22. TU-2S Dragon Lady (trainer)
Source: Work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee/Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Average age in 2022: 36.92 years
- Aircraft in service: 4
- Active Air Force: 4
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
21. C-12D Huron
- Average age in 2022: 37.43 years
- Aircraft in service: 6
- Active Air Force: 6
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Transport
20. U-2S Dragon Lady
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Average age in 2022: 38.85 years
- Aircraft in service: 27
- Active Air Force: 27
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
19. A-10C Thunderbolt II
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Average age in 2022: 40.30 years
- Aircraft in service: 281
- Active Air Force: 141
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 140
- Type: Fighter/attack
18. TH-1H Iroquois (trainer)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Average age in 2022: 40.53 years
- Aircraft in service: 28
- Active Air Force: 28
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Helicopter
17. E-3G Sentry (AWACS)
- Average age in 2022: 41.37 years
- Aircraft in service: 21
- Active Air Force: 21
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
16. E-3B Sentry (AWACS)
Source: U.S. Air Force / Public Domain
- Average age in 2022: 43.53 years
- Aircraft in service: 10
- Active Air Force: 10
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
15. C-12C Huron
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Average age in 2022: 45.17 years
- Aircraft in service: 16
- Active Air Force: 16
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Transport
14. EC-130H Compass Call
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Average age in 2022: 47.09 years
- Aircraft in service: 9
- Active Air Force: 9
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
13. E-4B NAOC
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Average age in 2022: 47.38 years
- Aircraft in service: 4
- Active Air Force: 4
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
12. UH-1N Iroquois
- Average age in 2022: 49.59 years
- Aircraft in service: 63
- Active Air Force: 63
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Helicopter
11. RC-135U Combat Sent
- Average age in 2022: 56.65 years
- Aircraft in service: 2
- Active Air Force: 2
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
10. RC-135V Rivet Joint
- Average age in 2022: 56.94 years
- Aircraft in service: 8
- Active Air Force: 8
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
9. RC-135W Rivet Joint
- Average age in 2022: 58.08 years
- Aircraft in service: 12
- Active Air Force: 12
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
8. WC-135R Replacement of WC-135C
- Average age in 2022: 58.55 years
- Aircraft in service: 2
- Active Air Force: 2
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
7. TC-135W (trainer)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Average age in 2022: 59.30 years
- Aircraft in service: 3
- Active Air Force: 3
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
6. WC-135W Constant Phoenix
- Average age in 2022: 59.40 years
- Aircraft in service: 1
- Active Air Force: 1
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
5. KC-135R Stratotanker
- Average age in 2022: 59.46 years
- Aircraft in service: 340
- Active Air Force: 138
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 202
- Type: Tanker
4. RC-135S Cobra Ball
Source: U.S. Air Force / Public Domain
- Average age in 2022: 59.47 years
- Aircraft in service: 3
- Active Air Force: 3
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
3. NC-135W (test bed)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Average age in 2022: 59.50 years
- Aircraft in service: 1
- Active Air Force: 1
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 0
- Type: Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/battle management/command, control, and communications
2. B-52H Stratofortress
Source: Endrudphotography / iStock via Getty Images
- Average age in 2022: 59.80 years
- Aircraft in service: 76
- Active Air Force: 58
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 18
- Type: Bomber
1. KC-135T Stratotanker
- Average age in 2022: 61.59 years
- Aircraft in service: 54
- Active Air Force: 30
- Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: 24
- Type: Tanker
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