C-17 Globemaster III

This week, our Travel pics series is J for Jets.

For Friday, it’s the C-17 – or Globemaster III.

This aircraft was designed to fill the role left by the C-130 Hercules turbo-prop cargo and transport plane, and the larger C5 Galaxy.

Just a bit smaller than a Boeing 747, the  Globemaster III was proposed in the early 80s, but it took well over a decade before it came into production.

The last completed plane was produced in 2014.

Australia own six C-17s – and uses them for resupply missions to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for supply of humanitarian aid throughout our region.

They are operated by Number 36 squadron, and are based at Amberley air base near Ipswich.

I was at the nearby Watts Bridge Historical Airfield for an air show in 2016 when this C-17 Globemaster III was flown over at minimal height – giving the thousand-or-more plane-spotters some amazing picture and video.