Slideshow:  Start | Stop
«  |   Home  |   »
 
073-ANT0102


Object name C-17 Globemaster III on the sea ice
Caption New to the Antarctic fleet, the C-17 Globemaster III first landed on the sea-ice at McMurdo Station on 15 October, 1999. With a payload capacity of 60 tons, it is nearly three times that of the C-141 Starlifter, the workhorse of the Antarctic. It can also fly farther without refueling, allowing the plane to travel from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station and back without stopping to gas up — a total distance of around 5,000 miles. This eliminates the need for establishing a "point of safe return."
Copyright notice © Irma Hale