Check Six – 1991: C-17 Globemaster III First Flight

On this day, September 15, 1991, the McDonell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III made its first flight. The wide-bodied heavy lifter, designed to use short and unimproved runways, resulted from the Department of Defense’s Cargo Experimental (C-X) program initiated in 1979.
Douglas test pilot William Casey (pilot) and Lt Col George London (co-pilot) flew the new transport from the Douglas facility in Long Beach to the Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB.
The 204th Airlift Wing, part of the 154th Wing, has flown C-17s since 2006.
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