“A couple of us from the Boeing Hungary Team came up with the idea to take a night shot of the bird with all the lights turned on. To make sure the jet was properly illuminated, we placed additional light carts underneath the wings and the aft of the fuselage.”

– Tamas Fekete

Photo: Tamas Fekete and the Boeing C-17 maintenance team

PLACE: Pápa Air Base (Apron M, Spot M3)

DATE: Dec. 11, 2019

TIME: 1640 Central European Time

DISTANCE: 361 feet (110 meters) AGL (above ground level)

CAPTURED BY: Drone quadcopter

“Taking a picture like that is not a single-person mission, but teamwork. The local Boeing Team came together as one to get it done.”

– Tamas Fekete

C-17 Globemaster III

• A high-lift wing, four-engine, T-tailed military transport aircraft
• To combat COVID-19, operators have deployed C-17s to deliver personal protective equipment, carry critical medical supplies, repatriate citizens and transport patients.
• 275 in operation worldwide, including 222 operated by the U.S. Air Force out of 16 locations
• The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India and the 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability operate the C-17 Globemaster III as well.
• Cruise speed is approximately 450 knots (0.74 Mach) at 28,000 feet (8,534 meters).
• Can take off and land on runways as short as 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) and only 90 feet wide (27.4 meters) and can still turn around using a three-point star turn and its backing capability.
• Expected to reach four million flight hours in 2021, making it one of the fastest strategic airlifters to achieve this feat