The C-17A Globemaster is a U.S. Air Force aircraft initially designed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. It is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines allowing it to travel at speeds up to 450 knots. The aircraft features in-flight refueling capabilities, making global flight a possibility. The C-17A is operated by a crew of three: two pilots and one loadmaster in charge of the safe loading, transport, and unloading of important aerial cargo. The aircraft can support over 170,000 pounds of cargo and has room for 102 troops.
The Globemaster is the primary strategic lift aircraft for global transport of troop and equipment for the U.S. Air Force. It is capable of rapid and strategic delivery of any type of cargo to main operating bases or the forward bases in a given deployment zone. The flexibility of the C-17 improves the ability of the total airlift system to address the global air mobility needs of the United States Armed Forces. The primary advantage of the C-17A, among many others, are its reliability, maintainability, and ability to operate in tight conditions. The Globemaster was designed to land on runways as short as 3,500 feet and as narrow as 90 feet. Additionally, due to its engine thrust reversers, the C-17A can back up and turn around quickly even on small runways at forward operating bases.
The aircraft entered service in 1995 and is currently used by the United States Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command. The C-17A is also used by a number of foreign operators including the Australian Air Force, Canadian Air Force, Indian Air Force and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. In 1997 McDonnell Douglas, the manufacturer of the C-17A, merged with Boeing, who continued to produce the C-17A until 2015.
