What?

OK…. here’s what that means:

McDonnell Douglas / Boeing U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport plane on President Of The United States support duty.

There are only so many characters I can use in the title of a post, and sometimes, you just have to work with what you have to work with.

Anyway…

I had my camera at work today (D-5100 and Tamron 18-270mm), and, as luck would have it, it was in my hands when I looked up to see a C-17 on approach to BUR (Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA).  It was big.  It was quiet.  And, I managed to get my lens cap off and snap a few before it was too late.  The President was in town, and the C-17 provides logistic support (limousines, etc.) when the President travels.

This is only the third time I’ve seen a C-17, and the first time that I was able to photograph one.  It’s not something you see every day, that’s for sure.  This one is flown by the Air Mobility Command at Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA.

The first time I saw one was while I was driving south on I-5 from Seattle to Vancouver, WA.  It was on final approach to Joint Base Lewis-McChord which is south of Tacoma, WA.  Final approach means that the plane is low, and let’s just say that a C-17 can cast a shadow over your car and get your attention in a way few things can.  It’s not something you expect if you’re not from that area…

You can learn more about the C-17 from the Air Force website and also our friends at Wikipedia.

As I was surfing the web to learn more about the C-17, I came across an article published last week in the Los Angeles Times about the C-17 plant in Long Beach, CA.  The last C-17’s are being completed now and the plant is closing.  Airplanes can last a long time – the Air Force plans to be flying C-17’s into the 2040’s and beyond, and there just isn’t an everyday market for BIG cargo planes.  Another piece of history is written…