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BY TOMICHEN 10 August, 2005: Officials from March Air Reserve Base have taken delivery of the first C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to be based in California and used by California citizen airmen.
Christened "Spirit of California," the plane flew to its new base near Riverside, California, 65 miles east of the Boeing Long Beach factory where C-17 aircraft are assembled and where the delivery function was held.
Said Maj. Gen. Duignan of the 4th Air Force: "We're proud and excited to receive the Air Force Reserve Command's first C-17 here at March. It's an extraordinary aircraft that increases our ability to accomplish our Total Force, global-reach mission, which is critical to the war on terrorism. March is the first reserve wing with the Globemaster III and it will continue to demonstrate the capacity of our citizen airmen to serve America."
This plane is the US Air Force's 138th operational C-17 and the first of eight scheduled to be delivered to March ARB by January 2006. The new C-17s will be maintained by the Air Force Reserve Command's 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March.
The C-17 family has clocked over 850,000 flying hours – and in the global war on terrorism, has flown missions for over 1,400 consecutive days – with record-setting reliability rates. With a payload of 160,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles, and land on dirt runways in 3,000 feet or less.
BY TOMICHEN
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