Originally Posted by
RAFEngO74to09
.......The KC-10s are being retired first because they have extremely high operating costs to the USAF - the first one retired was in pretty poor shape too.......
RAFEng, any rumors on why 86-0036 was chosen as the first KC-10 to go? I always find it interesting how it is decided which go first based on fatigue life, which updates they have had and other factors: like the AF Concorde that was retired before the rest due to never being quite the same after a heavy landing and weighty repair; the B-1B's seemed to all be early blocks that had a few differences from later blocks, and the first C-5A retirements were the very early blocks plus 3 or 4 "problem children" that were know as maintenance pigs or with certain quirks.