Flyin' around the sandbox.

[adrianspeeder]

Well friends, when photobucket shit the bed with hosting, it kinda killed my motivation for posting trip pictures. Bloggers everywhere thought they would cave, and bring it back, but they are still holding strong with a 99buck a year ransom. Screw those guys. By popular demand for a third of that cost, gonna get back at this with a new website ADRIANSPEEDER for my image hosting.

Trip 137 2016-10-06 Haiti Photoset

Look at any worldwide disaster of flood, famine, fire, earthquake, tornado, typhoon, or hurricane, and before the network news cameras start rolling to get the first news coverage, there is already a C-17 quick-turning in the background for the next load. Last October, it was time to gas up the tanks, and head to the third world disaster of Hurricane Matthew bringing over 200k pounds of aid to Haiti in 2 trips. The jet didn't act up a bit, and I never unlocked the toolbox.











First stop was into Honduras where we worked out of, and was the collection point of supplies.



Gear down. Before landing check complete.



"It'll be like camping." Uhh, my camper is a lot nicer than this. "Where are we, Vietnam?" Just typical chair force lodging jokes. It was actually a nice setup with AC and Wi-Fi.



This place ain't bad at all. Got cold Colorado Kool Aid!



Short walk to dinner, but the menus weren't in English, or have pictures. Point and pick roulette didn't pick up anything good looking, but it turned out damn tasty.



Adrianspeeder

[Mr. Jones]

Adrian,
Good to hear from you,always enjoy your updates.....
Dan

[grump]

Welcome back Adrian, You're right about the food, it didn't look very good.

[adrianspeeder]

Aperture Priority, f/3.5, 0.60s, 28mm, ISO 1600.



Fired up, fueled, and ready to fill.



Aperture Priority, f/3.5, 0.33s, 28mm, ISO 100.



Winglets win wars.



Walk around inspection complete. Crank the noise makers.



So the setup was for international deliveries into the Port-au-Prince airport, then be packed for sling load under CH-47 Chinooks to get food and water to all the villages that were washed out of access. Our first load in was a one stop shop of everything to put a fleet of shithooks in the air.





The two young guys with pencils out for real world schoolhouse learning.



Haiti in sight.



Mud mess showing this high up.

[adrianspeeder]

Every hilltop was blown flat clean to ground level.



Mud mess.



Money making time for the drivers up front. Not being helped by completely overwhelmed controllers not used to the amount of traffic all heading inbound. We weren't behind on the aircraft, but for sure not in the best place position wise. If there is one thing we do the best, it's slow down and get down. Ye'haw!





"Reach 45 clear to land."



"The hell is that joker down there 2 o'clock low?" "Reach 45 is on the go avoiding traffic. Traffic is visual. Making left 360 in place." Afghanistan isn't even as wild west as this mess.



Roll tape take 2 has us parked, and ready to roll as soon as the junk's out the trunk.





Lets go Load, get your shit in one sack, we gotta go!

[adrianspeeder]

Thanks!

Putting the Cap'n to work standing ground for engine start scanning.



That's cute; they brought 5 pallets. We fit 18.



"Good single source of stable air off the APU, good hydro pressure, two fuel pumps, clear clocks, starting number one, button in, light on, timing."



Sexy lil piece of Boeing.



Way she goes!



Second stop of the day will be to go get and bring down some USAF combat controllers before these local clowns kill us all. Badass dudes that remind me of the quote in the movie On Deadly Ground. "He's the kind of guy that would drink a gallon of gasoline so he could piss in your camp fire. You could drop this guy off in the Arctic Circle wearing a pair of bikini underwear without his toothbrush, and tomorrow afternoon he shows up at your pool side with a million dollar smile and a fist full of pesos. This guy is a professional, you got me?" Totally smoothed out the flying operation within hour one of them on the ground running the show.



Day four or so had us at another pickup point for who knows what next, but if it fits, it ships.



Heavy duty hardware for a heavy duty distribution system.



Fat on gas, fat on cargo, max power takeoff, fighting for every foot into the air. Runnin' on the redline of EGT limits drinkin' at the rate of 60,000 lbs per hour.



"Reach 45; Departure control Kingpin; Can you give me your best rate of climb?" "I'm givin' er all she's got. We are a little fat today." Need more power!



Adrianspeeder

[ThinLizzy13]

Second stop of the day will be to go get and bring down some USAF combat controllers before these local clowns kill us all.

Nothing like red berets around. Make ya feel nice and safe.


You cycle through a bunch of different planes types? That must keep things exciting.

[adrianspeeder]

No, I've been C-17s for ten years now.

Next link in the distribution chain.



At one time, someone's pride of the fleet. Not many 727's still in the air.



Go do work!



Kind of a Vietnam feel of a Kodachrome color correction.



French scarebus that brought in a load of aid workers.



See ya!



Inbound traffic in sight, we're holding short.



If we can turn around out there, you can to chief. Lets get a move on! Slowest turn around ever.



Line up and wait, sling loading in progress.



Helo's clear, we gone!



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Minimum time back at home again, as the schedule is set to make a speed run into the desert. People on this one, so we need to put the erector set like seat kits together. Normally stored back on the cargo door folded up. If I ever see a hammer out when people are putting the centerline seats together, they'll get that hammer in the head. Even on the most clapped out, used for years, and worn latches can be put together easily with just a bit of soft touch.



Rant over as we are heading out with a load of peoples safely belted in.



Winter is coming and this will soon be snow. Too bad no skiing here.



Well well well, it's our favorite new copilot.
"You again friend?"
"My man!"
"Wait a minute Lt. What do you mean you've not been to Afghanistan before?"
"Chief, you should know this, I've only flown to places with you as the FCC."
"Fair enough. I need a new copilot!"



Game time. There's questionable characters in them there hills.



Rough side of town.



Scanning for threats while noting the weather of partly sunny with a chance of aluminum overcast.



The men that make the mission meaningful.



Welcome to the shitsville known as Afghanistan. Hero shot!



The jet has been quirky, takeoffs over the last two days have been late, we've run out of duty day once, and then the word is passed we are delayed again. What the hell now? Oh... Mission recut to the transport of a dignified transfer of a fallen soldier. Like she knew to rise to the occasion, the return flight in the direction of stateside flew without a hitch. We will get you to Dover AFB with pride, dignity, honor, and respect on your last flight home.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Aperture Priority, f/3.5, 3.00 s, ISO 100, 28-300 @ 28mm



Aperture Priority, f/1.8, 1/8 s, ISO 100, 50 @ 50mm



Aperture Priority, f/1.8, 1/8 s, ISO 100, 50 @ 50mm



Aperture Priority, f/1.8, 1/2 s, ISO 100, 50 @ 50mm



Well well well, an old friend from 5 years before with a wiring job from hell. Good to see it still flying out and about. Next stop home, and see what the next flight will be.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Here is an interesting trip where we were moving some important people around few stops over a few days in Florida. Got to spend a night with some family, and a copilot learned some tough training under an experienced commander while we went to a practice assault landing field to kill time on day 3.

Kickin' it with cousin Davey Gator.



Day two we all were invited to a fancy party. Hell yeah to free Coors Lite! Kickin' it with copilot snowflake.



Somewhere on a beach.





Kickin' it with the big boss!



Next day sunup startup.



Winglets win wars!



Workin' for a livin'.



Can't go forward; guess we'll back up and put on a show.



Light this candle!

[adrianspeeder]

This crew clicked.



"Can a man get a good safety one more time?" Yup, punch it!



"Where do these stairs go?" "They go up." "Well, so will we."



"Hey look, a snowflake!"



"Someone say snowflake?"



After the next stop, our important passengers were dropped off, and not needing a pickup for 8 more hours. Let's go do work LT!



Surf's up!





As much fun as that nice beach looked, it's time to go teach Lt some new tricks.

[adrianspeeder]

Aluminum overcast in the forecast.



Putting this big ole girl into a 3500ft by 90ft patch of ground at the heavyweights we can haul is an impressive feat of piloting made possible by the awesome engineering that makes the C-17 the best in the airlift business.



Not gonna make it on the first try. "Go around!" Hammer down! "Royal 451 is on the go."



Almost…



Practice makes perfect. Do it again.



Very nice training field. Jackson MS Air National Guard built this C-17 specific assault strip to give the operators of the community the most realistic controlled environment to push the upper limits of landing capabilities. I'd love to come back and do this again in the dark, blacked out, and on NVG's.



Watching the world go by, and getting paid to do it.



Bossman's turn to drive the boat, and show us how it's really done.



Nailed it, but he's been doing this since I was in middle school.



In the slickest example of instructing I can remember watching, and after a few more tries, LT was nailing the landing within 50 feet of the 500 feet landing zone. Now time to go back and pick up our passengers from their field trip.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Kick ass day learning how to put a big ole girl into a patch of pavement measuring 3500x90 feet.

Landing on 3500ft by 90ft at the heavyweights we can haul is an impressive feat of piloting made possible by the awesome engineering that makes the C-17 the best in the airlift business.

For the LT that never has seen something that small, and only a simulated box painted on a 12,000ft runway, it's a real world reality check.

When a young copilot gets the chance to fly with an experienced and seasoned commander at a C-17 purpose built 3500x90 foot runway, it is the perfect training opportunity of how to make this airplane do the unimaginable.

Jackson Mississippi ANG really put together an amazing training tool to practice at. By the end of the day, she was hitting less than 50ft from the middle of the 500ft zone.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Somewhere on a beach.





Keep it between the lines, and you're clear on the right.



All wrapped up with playing uber for the important people. Get us home Lt!



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Next trip, gotta head to Berlin!

Fernsehturm Berliner TV tower.





Loaded up and ready to ride.



Kraftwerk Reuter West coal burnin' power plant.



Been awhile for a selfie.



Silly ScareBuses clogging up the pattern. Move out the way!





Vintage Boeing 707 seen better days.



Ready to ride Cap'n. Jet is bolted together tight.



Pull those belts up snug one more time.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Last shot of Fernsehturm Berliner TV tower before heading west.



Made it across the ocean in rough weather, and the jet following behind us was also fighting for stability the whole way down.















Pretty paint job.



Second favorite style of shot of my big ole girl heading home.



Adrianspeeder

[adrianspeeder]

Welcome to sunny California! Fun to visit, but I could never live here.



Apple's Round Building Campus



Sunny in Sunnyvale



Levi's Stadium



Moffett Field's Hangars #2 & #3



Moffett Field's Hangar #1



Visiting the Google's. Tried to buy one, but the place was closed.



Hangar #3



Good morning big sexy!



Looks great in the morning sun.

[shipwrecked]

Visited Moffett Field in the mid 90’s when I was a teen. Had to take a c130 flight from there to Canada. Been inside one of those old flying ship hangers.

[adrianspeeder]

Loaded up and ready to ride.



Curves in all the right places.



It isn't often that we are outsized dramatically by something nearby. I can't even imagine the airships that used to go in there back in the day.



World's biggest scaffolding job.



California hills sure are pretty to look at, but time to go home and get on to the next one.



Adrianspeeder