Warbird Information Exchange

I'm sure that Brad could enlighten us more.

Because the USAF don't use Flight Engineers any more. Less eyes in the cockpit.

Of course it wasn't the pilots fault, the sun was in has eyes.

I guess the C-17 production line is being kept open for new spare parts now

Cause to me it looks as though the gear doors are all open... anyone else seeing that?

C-17 GSP team supports aircraft recovery

A team of more than 120 crash recovery, emergency management, aircraft engineers and maintainers removed a crippled C-17 Globemaster III from the runway at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan on Feb. 2, 2009.The aircraft received damage on Jan. 30 when it landed without the landing gear extended.

Boeing received word of the damaged Charleston Air Force Base C-17 and immediately sprang into action by deploying C-17 Field Service engineer Robert "R.B." Baldwin to the scene from Al-Udied Air Base, Qatar.

"Our team was under tremendous pressure to clear the runway to allow combat operations to resume," said Baldwin. "Despite this pressure, we successfully got the jet off the ground, lowered the gear, towed it to a ramp parking spot and set the stage for the Engineering, Repair and Modifications team to fix the aircraft enough to fly back to the Long Beach Depot Center facility in California for permanent repairs."

While personnel were in Bagram clearing the aircraft from the runway to resume flight operations, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command contacted C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership leadership to immediately begin mobilizing their contingency plans for recovery operations.

The Boeing recovery team was led by Tom Butler, C-17 Recovery and Modifications (RAMS) Team manager, who was also part of the P-96 recovery, a similar incident at Bagram Air Base in 2005. His previous experience and knowledge of in-theatre logistics and working conditions proved invaluable to this recovery. The team comprises Boeing personnel from the Long Beach Depot Center, multiple domestic Air Force main operating bases, and an Air Force Supply troop from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. to help manage the parts requirements.

The C-17 suffered major damage to the fuselage belly area, the main landing gear pods and the hydraulic systems; and sustained fire damage as a result of the hydraulic fluid igniting.

The Boeing engineers and RAMS team were in Bagram for 45 days performing the temporary repairs necessary to put the aircraft in a condition that would allow a Boeing flight crew to perform a ferry flight to return to Long Beach for permanent repairs. During this time they encountered snow storms, dust storms and even had to take shelter in a bunker for two and a half hours while the base weathered a rocket attack.

"This team showed their willingness to endure many hardships to ensure that the aircrew received the safest aircraft possible," said Butler. "While the circumstances that took our team to Bagram Air Field, were unfortunate, the camaraderie and work experience shared was invaluable."

Joe Burgess, director of C-17 Maintenance, Modifications and Depot Partnering, explains what sets this support team apart: "This is what our customer expects -- the unique commitment of GSP, Engineering and Flight Operations personnel in Long Beach and our forward-deployed Boeing personnel in the field are what make this Performance Based Logistics contract effective for the Air Force."

The aircraft arrived safely in Long Beach on April 20 and is currently undergoing depot maintenance tasks in addition to receiving permanent repair of the damage resulting from this incident.

"Our skilled personnel will return this aircraft to a fully mission-capable condition for a fraction of the cost of a new C-17, allowing them to keep vital resources at their disposal," said Burgess.