ST. LOUIS, Oct. 10, 2000 -- The U.S. Air Force today christened a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft as the "City of St. Louis" at The Boeing Company facilities in St. Louis.
"The Boeing St. Louis team is the largest supplier for the C-17," said Jerry Daniels, president, Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems. "This program is key to the long-term growth of our operations here -- and to the economy of this region.
"Our employees here play a crucial role, not just in building parts for the aircraft, but also in helping to meet one of our customer's top priorities -- making the aircraft affordable," added Daniels.
The U.S. Air Force has dedicated several C-17s to people, places and events with a tie to the airplane, aviation or military airlift. Other sites honored include Long Beach, Calif.; Charleston, S.C.; Altus, Okla.; Los Angeles and Middle Georgia (Macon).
More than 2,000 Boeing employees in St. Louis work on the C-17. They make the cargo ramp; cargo door; cockpit, including the flight deck; main landing gear pods and pylons. In addition, St. Louis employees fabricate and assemble 10,000 detail parts for delivery to Boeing in Macon, Ga., and its final assembly facility in Long Beach.
The C-17 is the only airplane that can carry up to 85 tons, fly intercontinental distances and land on airfields as short as 3,000 feet.
The C-17 Globemaster III is the newest, most flexible military cargo aircraft. It can deliver troops rapidly and carry all types of cargo either to main operating bases or directly to forward bases. It also is able to perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions. The inherent flexibility and performance characteristics of the C-17 improve the ability of the total airlift system to fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.
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