The Gran Canaria airport witnessed these days the visit of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster, one of the largest aircraft of the US army
Last Monday, the Gando air base in Gran Canaria received a visit from the imposing C-17 Globemaster III of the United States Air Force. A technical stop whose main purpose was to refuel before continuing its journey to its base in the United States.
The C-17 Globemaster III, produced by McDonnell Douglas and currently part of Boeing, is a high-capacity military transport aircraft designed to meet the strategic and tactical mobility demands of the United States Air Force. Its design allows it to transport bulky loads and make landings on short runways and in adverse conditions.
According to the information collected by the United States Armed Forces about this winged beast, the C-17 has a length of 53 meters and a wingspan of 51,75. It is equipped with four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines, each rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. In addition, it has thrust reversers that divert the air flow upward and forward to prevent the entry of dust and debris.
Thanks to its large cargo cabin, the C-17 can transport everything from tanks and helicopters to supplies and troops. Its ability to operate on small runways and its advanced design, which includes wings with slotted flaps, make it a key aircraft for missions such as troop transport, medical evacuation and parachute drop.
Without going any further, this plane was one of those used to evacuate troops, embassy staff, American citizens and vulnerable locals from Afghanistan in record time in 2021, when Joe Biden decided to demilitarize the country in the face of the advance of the Taliban militias. that a few months later they managed to take the capital, Kabul, and announced their intention to proclaim the reestablishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Four days before passing over Gran Canaria, one of these aircraft was spotted flying over Baghdad, Iraq . However, the flight that landed in Gran Canaria originated in Ramstein, Germany , home to the U.S. Air Force Headquarters in Europe.
