Tsk tsk! In the Navy we had a flap over that pen pocket, that's what the velcro is for! If you looked like that and I was giving you a check ride, that's points off, safety of flight.

 

Yeah, I keep mine on. Course if we are in a maneuver that the pens come out, that's the least of our worries of the moment.

Adrianspeeder

 

That's not the point - the point is getting the pens caught if you brush up against something in an emergency situation.

 

Thanks!

Putting the Cap'n to work standing ground for engine start scanning.



That's cute; they brought 5 pallets. We fit 18.



"Good single source of stable air off the APU, good hydro pressure, two fuel pumps, clear clocks, starting number one, button in, light on, timing."



Sexy lil piece of Boeing.



Way she goes!



Second stop of the day will be to go get and bring down some USAF combat controllers before these local clowns kill us all. Badass dudes that remind me of the quote in the movie On Deadly Ground. "He's the kind of guy that would drink a gallon of gasoline so he could **** in your camp fire. You could drop this guy off in the Arctic Circle wearing a pair of bikini underwear without his toothbrush, and tomorrow afternoon he shows up at your pool side with a million dollar smile and a fist full of pesos. This guy is a professional, you got me?" Totally smoothed out the flying operation within hour one of them on the ground running the show.



Day four or so had us at another pickup point for who knows what next, but if it fits, it ships.



Heavy duty hardware for a heavy duty distribution system.



Fat on gas, fat on cargo, max power takeoff, fighting for every foot into the air. Runnin' on the redline of EGT limits drinkin' at the rate of 60,000 lbs per hour.



"Reach 45; Departure control Kingpin; Can you give me your best rate of climb?" "I'm givin' er all she's got. We are a little fat today." Need more power!



Adrianspeeder

 

That's 2.5 gallons per second! Close to 10 bucks of the taxpayer's money!

 

Cost is about $16.5K an hour.

Adrianspeeder

 

That sounds right, averaged out.

 

Next link in the distribution chain.



At one time, someone's pride of the fleet. Not many 727's still in the air.



Go do work!



Kind of a Vietnam feel of a Kodachrome color correction.



French scarebus that brought in a load of aid workers.



See ya!



Inbound traffic in sight, we're holding short.



If we can turn around out there, you can to chief. Lets get a move on! Slowest turn around ever.



Line up and wait, sling loading in progress.



Helo's clear, we gone!



Adrianspeeder

 

Minimum time back at home again, as the schedule is set to make a speed run into the desert. People on this one, so we need to put the erector set like seat kits together. Normally stored back on the cargo door folded up. If I ever see a hammer out when people are putting the centerline seats together, they'll get that hammer in the head. Even on the most clapped out, used for years, and worn latches can be put together easily with just a bit of soft touch.



Rant over as we are heading out with a load of peoples safely belted in.



Winter is coming and this will soon be snow. Too bad no skiing here.



Well well well, it's our favorite new copilot.
"You again friend?"
"My man!"
"Wait a minute Lt. What do you mean you've not been to Afghanistan before?"
"Chief, you should know this, I've only flown to places with you as the FCC."
"Fair enough. I need a new copilot!"



Game time. There's questionable characters in them there hills.



Rough side of town.



Scanning for threats while noting the weather of partly sunny with a chance of aluminum overcast.



The men that make the mission meaningful.



Welcome to the ****sville known as Afghanistan. Hero shot!



The jet has been quirky, takeoffs over the last two days have been late, we've run out of duty day once, and then the word is passed we are delayed again. What the hell now? Oh... Mission recut to the transport of a dignified transfer of a fallen soldier. Like she knew to rise to the occasion, the return flight in the direction of stateside flew without a hitch. We will get you to Dover AFB with pride, dignity, honor, and respect on your last flight home.



Adrianspeeder

 

Aperture Priority, f/3.5, 3.00 s, ISO 100, 28-300 @ 28mm



Aperture Priority, f/1.8, 1/8 s, ISO 100, 50 @ 50mm



Aperture Priority, f/1.8, 1/8 s, ISO 100, 50 @ 50mm



Aperture Priority, f/1.8, 1/2 s, ISO 100, 50 @ 50mm



Well well well, an old friend from 5 years before with a wiring job from hell. Good to see it still flying out and about. Next stop home, and see what the next flight will be.



Adrianspeeder

 

Here is an interesting trip where we were moving some important people around few stops over a few days in Florida. Got to spend a night with some family, and a copilot learned some tough training under an experienced commander while we went to a practice assault landing field to kill time on day 3.

Kickin' it with cousin Davey Gator.



Day two we all were invited to a fancy party. Hell yeah to free Coors Lite! Kickin' it with copilot snowflake.



Somewhere on a beach.





Kickin' it with the big boss!



Next day sunup startup.



Winglets win wars!



Workin' for a livin'.



Can't go forward; guess we'll back up and put on a show.



Light this candle!

 

This crew clicked.



"Can a man get a good safety one more time?" Yup, punch it!



"Where do these stairs go?" "They go up." "Well, so will we."



"Hey look, a snowflake!"



"Someone say snowflake?"



After the next stop, our important passengers were dropped off, and not needing a pickup for 8 more hours. Let's go do work LT!



Surf's up!





As much fun as that nice beach looked, it's time to go teach Lt some new tricks.

 

Aluminum overcast in the forecast.



Putting this big ole girl into a 3500ft by 90ft patch of ground at the heavyweights we can haul is an impressive feat of piloting made possible by the awesome engineering that makes the C-17 the best in the airlift business.



Not gonna make it on the first try. "Go around!" Hammer down! "Royal 451 is on the go."



Almost…



Practice makes perfect. Do it again.



Very nice training field. Jackson MS Air National Guard built this C-17 specific assault strip to give the operators of the community the most realistic controlled environment to push the upper limits of landing capabilities. I'd love to come back and do this again in the dark, blacked out, and on NVG's.



Watching the world go by, and getting paid to do it.



Bossman's turn to drive the boat, and show us how it's really done.



Nailed it, but he's been doing this since I was in middle school.



In the slickest example of instructing I can remember watching, and after a few more tries, LT was nailing the landing within 50 feet of the 500 feet landing zone. Now time to go back and pick up our passengers from their field trip.



Adrianspeeder

 

Kick *** day learning how to put a big ole girl into a patch of pavement measuring 3500x90 feet.

Landing on 3500ft by 90ft at the heavyweights we can haul is an impressive feat of piloting made possible by the awesome engineering that makes the C-17 the best in the airlift business.

For the LT that never has seen something that small, and only a simulated box painted on a 12,000ft runway, it's a real world reality check.

When a young copilot gets the chance to fly with an experienced and seasoned commander at a C-17 purpose built 3500x90 foot runway, it is the perfect training opportunity of how to make this airplane do the unimaginable.

Jackson Mississippi ANG really put together an amazing training tool to practice at. By the end of the day, she was hitting less than 50ft from the middle of the 500ft zone.


Adrianspeeder

 

Somewhere on a beach.





Keep it between the lines, and you're clear on the right.



All wrapped up with playing uber for the important people. Get us home Lt!



Adrianspeeder