USAF C-17 Globemaster III

Altus Air Force Base

The C-17 Globemaster III is the most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. It can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions. It can also transport ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations. It entered service in 1991. While the C-17 is no longer in production, the U.S. Air Force plans to continue operating this massive aircraft for many years.

The C-17 flying at the Texas Capital Air Show is based out of Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Each air show season they travel to select sites and put on a heart-pounding demonstration that shows off the incredible capabilities of the C-17 Globemaster III.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Cargo and troop transport
Wingspan: 169 feet 10 inches (to winglet tips) (51.75 meters)
Length: 174 feet (53 meters)
Height: 55 feet 1 inch (16.79 meters)
Cargo Compartment: length, 88 feet (26.82 meters); width, 18 feet (5.48 meters); height, 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 meters)
Speed: 450 knots at 28,000 feet (8,534 meters) (Mach .74)
Service Ceiling: 45,000 feet at cruising speed (13,716 meters)
Range: Global with in-flight refueling
Crew: Three (two pilots and one loadmaster)
Aeromedical Evacuation Crew: A basic crew of five (two flight nurses and three medical technicians) is added for aeromedical evacuation missions. Medical crew may be altered as required by the needs of patients
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms)
Load: 102 troops/paratroops; 36 litter and 54 ambulatory patients and attendants; 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms) of cargo (18 pallet positions)
Inventory: Active duty, 157; Air National Guard, 47; Air Force Reserve, 18