Globemaster reaches 2 millionth flying hour milestone

PFC. Vonza Abney, a parachute rigger assigned to the 101st Sustainment Brigade, secures lines for a bundle of fuel on C-17 Globemaster III at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 10, 2010. The Globemaster fleet has surpassed 2 million flying hours since production began in 1993. The airframe accumulated 1 million flying hours between 1993 and 2006. Private Abney is a native of Hinesville, GA. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

Globemaster reaches 2 millionth flying hour milestone

Bundles of fuel are loaded on a C-17 Globemaster III at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, for an airdrop, Dec. 10, 2010. The Globemaster fleet has surpassed 2 million flying hours since production began in 1993. The airframe accumulated 1 million flying hours between 1993 and 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

Globemaster reaches 2 millionth flying hour milestone

Left to right: Staff Sgts. Paul Trowbridge and Jason Fatjo, C-17 Globemaster III loadmasters, watch bundles of fuel parachute towards the ground over Afghanistan, Dec. 10, 2010. The Globemaster fleet has surpassed 2 million flying hours since production began in 1993. The airframe accumulated 1 million flying hours between 1993 and 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

C-17 hits 2 million hours on mission from here

Published Feb. 17, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Christian Jadot
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Approximately 2 million hours ago, it was the year 1792. Great Britain recognized the American Colonies' independence, George Washington instituted the Order of the Purple Heart, and Mozart's opera "Das Entfuhrung aus dem Serail" opened.

And more than 2 million flying hours ago, the first C-17 Globemaster took flight.

On Dec. 10, the C-17 Globemaster III airframe surpassed 2 million flying hours over the skies of Afghanistan when an aircraft with the call sign "Moose 75" deployed from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron from an air base in Southwest Asia.

"We were conducting a combat airdrop mission resupplying coalition forces with fuel," said Capt. Rick Kind, the pilot of the historic mission. "The airdrop used low-cost, low-altitude chutes to deliver 70,000 pounds of fuel to a remote location."

While the hours accumulated by the entire C-17 fleet included planes flown by international partners, roughly 94 percent of the total hours were flown by U.S. Air Force C-17s.

"This milestone shows that the Air Force is using the C-17 for what it was designed to do - deliver cargo and passengers strategically and tactically, directly to the war fighters," Captain Kind said. "We had no idea we were on this mission until we showed up that morning. It was definitely an honor. My crew got to enjoy the media, and pictures with a nice banner specifically made for our flight, but this milestone really goes out to all the C-17 bases and especially maintenance for keeping all these aircraft flying."

Since 2002, Captain Kind has personally logged more than 3,000 hours flying the C-17.

"In my perspective, combat airdrops in Afghanistan are some of the best flying I've ever known," the captain said. "We're making a difference with U.S. and coalition troops out on the ground in middle of nowhere. Anything they need -- which in this case [was] fuel -- we deliver."

The C-17 plays an important role in the Air Force's airlift capability, and will continue to be a primary source of the Air Force transportation mission in the future. An additional 223 air frames were ordered in 2009, with the finally delivery date anticipated for 2013.

Other members of the aircrew for the 2 millionth hour mission included: Capt. Patrick Murphy, Capt. Jordan Leicht and Senior Airman Carrie Symons, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Paul Trowbridge, from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; and Staff Sgt. Jason Fatjo from Joint Base Charleston, S.C.