# First CC177 Operational Mission



## Globesmasher (30 Aug 2007)

While we flew our first "humanitarian" mission only 11 days after delivery .......

The first "operational mission" launched out of Trenton just 14 days after official delivery ceremonies on Sunday 12th Aug.
It landed in Kandahar 17 days after the ceremonies.
92,000 lbs of freight in one delivery for the important folks prosecuting the mission out there on the pointy end.

Rarely does this sort of thing occur after taking delivery of a new complex piece of equipment.
A true testament to the quality and efficacy of what we have, as a Nation, just purchased.

I'd like to see the naysayers try to beat that sort of mission deadline.
I doubt any other aircraft or program could have done any better.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070829/c17_afghanistan_070829/20070830/

*Canada's C-17 transport plane lands in Afghanistan*
Updated Thu. Aug. 30 2007 10:02 AM ET

Canadian Press

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- In the pitch darkness of night, the Canadian military's new C-17 transport plane touched down softly at Kandahar Military Airport on Wednesday in southern Afghanistan. 

The pilots landed the giant carrier with its lights extinguished, guided solely by night-vision goggles.

"We took a tactical approach with the night-vision goggles, with the airplane lights turned off, with the engines idling,'' said Maj. Jean Maisonneuve, chief check pilot at 429 Transport Squadron, 8 Wing, in Trenton, Ont.

"In a way, we're sort of pioneers.'' 

The gigantic, 200-tonne bird of steel is expected to have an effect on Canadian troop confidence as they continue to battle with Taliban insurgents, Maisonneuve said in a short interview shortly after landing.

"This plane will have a positive impact on the morale of the troops. Speaking with my colleagues, I can tell you that everyone is happy to know that we have modern tools at our disposal and a better (transport) capacity than before,'' he said.

The C-17, a four-engine military transport plane built by Boeing, is phenomenal.

It is a little more than 52 metres long, seven metres wide and has a 52-metre wingspan. The inside is about 16 metres tall.

The new planes can carry four-times the amount of cargo of the Hercules C-130 transport planes, formerly the largest planes in the Canadian fleet. The C-17s are designed to replace some of the aging Hercules fleet.

The C-17s can also travel twice as fast, reaching up to 80 per cent of the speed of sound, and have a cruising speed of 1,000 kilometres an hour.

In its giant belly, the plane can carry 77,000 kilograms of cargo, including vehicles, and can transport up to 100 soldiers.

"We could say that a C-17 is capable of doing the work of six Hercules,'' Maisonneuve said.

The planes have not come without their controversy and certainly didn't come cheap.

In total, the four planes purchased by the Canadian government will cost about $3.4 billion, a bill that caused a tremendous political upheaval in the House of Commons.

Former defence minister Gordon O'Connor justified the purchase of the four planes as they would make it easier to transport large quantities of materials for humanitarian missions abroad in the future, as well as help at home.

Last week, the C-17 made its inaugural flight by transporting aid equipment to Jamaica to help in the aftermath of hurricane Dean.

But on Wednesday, the giant grey-blue plane's delivery to Kandahar included 35,000 kilograms of equipment destined for Canadian troops. It was scheduled to depart for Canada just a few hours after landing. 

The second C-17 purchased by Canada is slated to arrive in November 2007 and two others in the spring of 2008.

The last point is incorrect.
Delivery of 177702 is scheduled for Oct 11th right now with Boeing.
No delay is anticipated nor expected.

..... time for some sleep.


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## Nfld Sapper (30 Aug 2007)

Globesmasher said:
			
		

> While we flew our first "humanitarian" mission only 11 days after delivery .......
> 
> The first "operational mission" launched out of Trenton just 14 days after official delivery ceremonies on Sunday 12th Aug.
> It landed in Kandahar 17 days after the ceremonies.
> ...



Good job GM.

 :cheers:


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## Old Sweat (30 Aug 2007)

Where's the A400?

Congratulations to all concerned, especially to all the unsung folks working behind the scenes at all the necessary tasks nobody ever hears of.


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## karl28 (30 Aug 2007)

> Where's the A400?
> 
> Congratulations to all concerned, especially to all the unsung folks working behind the scenes at all the necessary tasks nobody ever hears of.



Plus 1  Old Sweat 

         The one question that has pondered my mind is why not phase the Herc out completely with  more C-17 or is that just way to expensive ?


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## I_am_John_Galt (30 Aug 2007)

This is a great start!

I was down at Boeing's final assembly plant in Everett yesterday (2 X 787 in the queue!) and they really seem to be getting their act together, unlike a particular European competitor ...



			
				karl28 said:
			
		

> Plus 1  Old Sweat
> 
> The one question that has pondered my mind is why not phase the Herc out completely with  more C-17 or is that just way to expensive ?



Not so much cost, but just as the Herc wasn't cut-out to be a one-size-fits-all solution to tactical and strategic airlift, neither is the C-17 (different tool, different job).


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## karl28 (30 Aug 2007)

I_am_John_Galt  

      Thanks for the reply  I am by no means an expert at all on this topic and was more curious than any thing  .      I guess if I asked in a different way like  wouldn't  having more C-17  that  can carry bigger loads of cargo make more sense than buying new C-130 J ?  Thanks for any reply but like I said I am not an expert  just curious cause the C-17 seems like a great aircraft to have from the reports that I have read here on this site


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## aesop081 (30 Aug 2007)

karl28 said:
			
		

> I_am_John_Galt
> 
> Thanks for the reply  I am by no means an expert at all on this topic and was more curious than any thing  .      I guess if I asked in a different way like  wouldn't  having more C-17  that  can carry bigger loads of cargo make more sense than buying new C-130 J ?



No 

As amazing as the C-17 is, it cant do everything and cant be everywhere all at once.  We cant afford to replace every single C-130 we have with a C-17 yet we have aan amazing requirement for airlift.  While the few C-17s we have / will have are busy with Afghanistan, we have other ops ongoing that require transport aircraft in other parts of the world and here at home. Its not a simple question of cargo capacity, by saying that you are over-simplyfying.


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## I_am_John_Galt (30 Aug 2007)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Its not a simple question of cargo capacity, by saying that you are over-simplifying.



It's kinda like the difference between a moving truck and a bunch of 4X4 pickup trucks ....


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## Cronicbny (30 Aug 2007)

I was convinced the purchase was a good one when it was announced. 

The fact that they've already begun operational use makes me confident that my convictions were well founded.

Congrats to all involved. 

IN ARDUA NITOR


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## karl28 (30 Aug 2007)

CDN Aviator  and   I_am_John_Galt 
       Thanks for the info was more curious than anything . Like I stated was most definitely not an expert on the topic  so your info is greatly appreciated .


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## Globesmasher (31 Aug 2007)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> Congratulations to all concerned, especially to all the unsung folks working behind the scenes at all the necessary tasks nobody ever hears of.



OS:

Yes absolutely.  I'm the lucky one .... while I worked hard on the project I also get to fly the thing, take it to airshows and enjoy life with it.  However, there was a very dedicated staff buried in cubicles in Ottawa working in the Project Management Staff that broke their backs working on this project - they still are as a matter of fact.

All the credit is due to them and their efforts .... and rarely do they get to see the light of day from their cube farm.
If it wasn't without their labour ..... this would have never come to fruition.


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## zipperhead_cop (31 Aug 2007)

Any chance we would see one of our own Hercs being freed up to be converted to a Spector, or other such ground support gun ship?


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## aesop081 (31 Aug 2007)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> Any chance we would see one of our own Hercs being freed up to be converted to a Spector, or other such ground support gun ship?



The CC-130E are only fit to be turned into pop cans.....the CC-130H arent far behind........


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## zipperhead_cop (31 Aug 2007)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> The CC-130E are only fit to be turned into pop cans.....the CC-130H arent far behind........



Darn.  What about the new ones being purchased?  Or is that not a go at this point?


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## aesop081 (31 Aug 2007)

zipperhead_cop said:
			
		

> Darn.  What about the new ones being purchased?  Or is that not a go at this point?



Humm.....we DO need airlift you know


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## cameron (2 Sep 2007)

Very good job to all involved, cheers. :cdnsalute:


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## IN HOC SIGNO (2 Sep 2007)

this is great news. a piece of kit acquired and pressed into service in record time in this era. BZ to all


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## I_am_John_Galt (6 Sep 2007)

Cool pic of the day (not ours, but a great demonstration of it's capability (esp. vis-a-vis Airbus)):







> *Hitchin a Ride*
> 
> A Chinook CH-47D juts out from a C-17 Globemaster III’s cavernous cargo bay Aug. 30 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Employees from Sikorsky Support Services Inc., the 3rd Battalion of the 126th General Support Aviation Battalion, and National Guard units from New York and Maryland loaded the aircraft for overseas deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Rob Bussard)



http://www.dailyaviator.com/?p=1245


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## IN HOC SIGNO (6 Sep 2007)

Hopefully we will be transporting the very same cargo in a few months time eh?? New Chinooks in our new planes!! WOO HOO! ;D


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## cameron (6 Sep 2007)

Wow! even though i've read a lot on the Globemaster I had no idea they could carry Chinooks.  Those planes are incredible.


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## Good2Golf (6 Sep 2007)

IN HOC SIGNO said:
			
		

> Hopefully we will be transporting the very same cargo in a few months time eh?? New Chinooks in our new planes!! WOO HOO! ;D



All for that!  *fingers crossed*

G2G


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## I_am_John_Galt (6 Sep 2007)

IN HOC SIGNO said:
			
		

> Hopefully we will be transporting the very same cargo in a few months time eh?? New Chinooks in our new planes!! WOO HOO! ;D



My sentiments exactly ...  8)


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## tech2002 (6 Sep 2007)

Awesome job !!


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## karl28 (7 Sep 2007)

WOW I cant believe what this airplane is capable of doing it should make life a bit easier for the CF for years to come to bad we couldn't get more than the four we had bought .


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