The mighty Boeing C-17 Globemaster, with a wingspan of 169 ft 9.6 in (51.755 m), is now visiting St. Helena Airport in the South Atlantic. No, the C-17 is not being exiled like Napoleon was in the early 1800s to St. Helena, but rather it is conducting a United Kingdom Royal Air Force capability demonstration.
South Africa's Airlink has served St. Helena Airport since October 14, 2017, flying a weekly service with its Embraer 190AR, with the AR standing for advanced range (aka Embraer 190-100IGW). However, there are times when the British need to haul heavy equipment to the remote overseas territory, which is why one of the Royal Air Force's eight C-17s paid a visit.
According to the St. Helena Independent, the C-17 registered ZZ177 arrived on May 19 to undertake four approaches, a fly-past over James Bay and finally a full-stop landing. During the last approach, the aircrew also did a bit of showmanship, showing off the undercarriage to the gathered spectators before landing.
Read our other military-themed stories
The landing showed off the C-17's incredible capabilities by using only about 2,516 feet (767 meters) of the runway, just about half its total length. St Helena's runway is around 5,036 feet (1,535 meters) long.
After a full stop landing and a more acute turnaround than the weekly Airlink E190, the C-17 crew and personnel, numbering about 20, had a picture with the airport CEO Gwyneth Howell. For the airport that was once branded the 'world's most useless,' St Helena continues to prove its worth.
The C-17 Globemaster is a Boeing-built military airlifter that first flew on September 15, 1991. Two hundred seventy-nine aircraft were built between 1991 and 2015, with the overwhelming majority (222) in service with the US Air Force. However, C-17s can also be found with the air forces of the following countries:
The C-17 Globemaster - called Globemaster III - in United States Air Force service is an undeniable sign of national commitment to a cause. With 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms) of maximum payload, the C-17 can haul military tanks as well as large industrial equipment anywhere in the world with aerial refueling. Without aerial refueling, the C-17's range is around 2,780 mi (4,480 km).
Below you can listen to The Fighter Pilot Podcast interviewing US Air Force Major Courtney "Voodoo" Vidt about the mighty C-17:
The C-17 is best known for Operation Allies Refuge, or to the Brits, Operation Pitting, the relatively successful evacuation from Afghanistan as the Afghan Government collapsed in late 2021. Thousands and thousands of refugees crammed into many aircraft - but mostly C-17s, including on one record-setting mission - to flee the totalitarian Taliban forces.
For the C-17s, flying into Kabul International Airport surrounded by mountains without modern Western navigation equipment required aircraft that could not just navigate but also which had the lift and thrust to fit into tight spaces. The C-17 was the right aircraft for the job, with its 4 × Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines based on the Boeing 757's engines, and each engine packing 40,440 lbf (179.9 kN) of thrust attached to a high lift wing.
Read our other stories about the C-17 Globemaster
Ultimately the C-17 can land on short runways and take freight long distances. The C-17 can be on a mission of humanitarian assistance or supporting warfighting just as easily.
What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments.