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Of course they did. Lack of flight planning on the part of the crew. What the heck is the Air Force Academy doing flying around sport teams in a C-17? There's other aircraft in the inventory more suitable to the mission. If you're going to use a C-17, go into Tinker and charter a bus.
Empty weight is 282,500 and probably had around 20,000 lbs. reserve fuel. That would leave 7500 lbs. for payload. They could feasibly have been under 310,000.
Looks like Stillwater is gonna get a new runway courtesy of the Defense Department.
Why did they use a C-17 anyway? Bit of overkill for a basketball team, coaches & staff.
All I can figure is that they have a C-17 squadron that needs the flight time. This doesn't seem to be a one off occasion. There's evidence that the Academy uses C-17's for their other teams as well. Being most teams they play are located in smaller college towns, with ill equipped airports, it doesn't seem like a good idea.
As proven in the various middle east conflicts, the C-17 can get in and out of a lot of remote places. That doesn't mean you have to apply the same criteria to small civilian airports in the U.S. in peace time.
Looks like Stillwater is gonna get a new runway courtesy of the Defense Department.
Why did they use a C-17 anyway? Bit of overkill for a basketball team, coaches & staff.
It certainly seems like the USAF, or those running the academy, wanted their cadets in the newest system. While it is sold as a go almost anywhere mover, in combat they wouldn't damage a runaway except in the most extreme emergencies
It certainly seems like the USAF, or those running the academy, wanted their cadets in the newest system. While it is sold as a go almost anywhere mover, in combat they wouldn't damage a runaway except in the most extreme emergencies
"The newest system"? The C-17 is hardly a comfortable means of travel. Bare bones interior with no sound insulation and few windows. It's the equivalent of throwing seats in a semi-trailer, and using it for a bus. If it was good for that purpose, than the Air Force wouldn't have a squadron of Boeing airliners at Andrews.
There are chart supplement publications that are to be reviewed in preflight flight planning. Every airport has an individual entry, with detailed information to inform the pilot of the facility's capabilities and limitations. Weight bearing capacities of all runways are listed. How the C-17 is used in a combat environment is irrelevant to this discussion. An analogy would be you driving a race car at 200 mph on a public highway, and telling the arresting officer, that the car is driven at that speed on a racetrack.
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