The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is the US Air Force's main strategic airlifter, a four-engine jet that can carry tanks, troops and cargo into short runways. It flies from bases across the US, often with the REACH callsign.
C-17 at a glance
- First flight
- 1991
- Length
- 174 ft (53.0 m)
- Wingspan
- 169 ft 10 in (51.8 m)
- Engines
- 4 × Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofans
- Crew / capacity
- 102 paratroopers or ~170,900 lb (77,500 kg) cargo
- Cruise speed
- ~450 kt (518 mph) / Mach 0.74–0.77
- Service ceiling
- 45,000 ft
- Range
- ~2,400 nmi with heavy payload
How to recognize the C-17
The C-17 is a massive, gray, four-engine jet with a high wing and a T-tail. From the ground it looks like a flying warehouse.
- Wing: mounted high on the fuselage, with a downward droop (anhedral) and upturned winglets.
- Engines: four turbofans on pylons under the wing; on landing you may see thrust reversers open.
- Tail: a tall T-tail with the horizontal stabilizer on top.
- Fuselage: wide and short for its size, with a rounded nose and a rear loading ramp under an upswept tail.
- Landing gear: main gear in big pods on the lower fuselage.
- Color: usually dark or light gray.
- Sound: a deep, powerful roar, louder than most airliners at low altitude.
The C-130 is smaller, with four propellers. The 747 also has four engines, but no T-tail, a low wing and a hump.
Seen from below, the C-17's wing has a moderate sweep and a large flap system along the trailing edge, and the engines hang well forward of the wing. On approach it flies a steep, slow path with flaps and slats fully extended, and on the ground its huge rear ramp and cargo door are visible when open. The winglets point upward and slightly outward.
Where and when you'll see it
Air Mobility Command and Air National Guard and Reserve units fly C-17s from bases including Charleston (South Carolina), Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (New Jersey), Dover (Delaware), Travis (California), Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Washington), Altus (Oklahoma), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Anchorage), Hickam (Honolulu), and Guard and Reserve units in Memphis, Jackson, Pittsburgh, Martinsburg and Newburgh. They fly cargo and troops worldwide and practice landings and airdrops at home.
Cruise is often FL280 to FL350. On ADS-B, C-17s often show the REACH callsign; others fly with ADS-B off or limited data. See why some planes don't show up.
C-17 crews practice assault landings, airdrops and air refueling around their bases and on training routes, so you may see one flying low and slow or circling an airfield for repeated approaches. They also fly frequent overnight missions to Europe and the Pacific.
Easily confused with
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules: The C-130 is smaller, with four propeller-driven turboprops.
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker: The KC-135 has a low swept wing, no T-tail and a refueling boom under the tail.
Quick facts
- Production ended in 2015 after 279 C-17s were built for the US and other countries.
- It can land on runways as short as about 3,500 ft and back up on the ground using thrust reversers.
- The engines blow exhaust over the large flaps, increasing lift for short, steep approaches.
C-17 questions
What does the REACH callsign mean?
REACH is the callsign for Air Mobility Command airlift missions, used by C-17s and other military transport aircraft.
How big is a C-17?
About 174 ft long with a 170 ft wingspan, roughly the size of a large widebody airliner.
Cities where it's a regular
Philadelphia · Riverside · Seattle · Charlotte · San Antonio · Sacramento · Pittsburgh · Virginia Beach · Oklahoma City · Memphis · Honolulu · Anchorage
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for C17 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.