To help answer some of the questions posted here: 1) The Thrust Reversers can be deployed in flight to Idle Rev only. The initial VVI is between 15000-20000. In a tactical descent around 9000VVI is maintained. This crew more than likely planned the approach to a high speed initial, but could have easily planned for a high speed straight in. Hope that helps!
As someone who has been in a C-17 my best description for it is basically an airliner. Of course it doesn’t really has sound dampening since you always wear 1 layer of ear protection as a passenger and another layer as a crew member (headphones in addition to the earplugs given)
I did some flight test on C-17's. First time did a tactical decent from 30000 feet down to 10000 feet. All 4 thrust reversers on. I was amazed at our rate of decent, but they had full control. Still on of my favorite aircraft.
Having done one tour back in 1970-71 in Vietnam, our initial arrival at Tan Son Nhut airbase outside Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) was via one of these "tactical approaches". The wild part? the aircraft/pilot doing this type of approach was a charter DC-8 passenger jet and its normal pilot/flight crew. About a half hour from our scheduled arrival time, the captain comes on the pa and calmly says "The base is under attack, so we'll be doing a combat approach.. Was exciting to say the least!!
Hard to read numbers, but I think at the start of the dive they were at 12500 doing maybe 220. Then just shortly before leveling off I read 2600 ft doing 223 IAS and -6140 vv and doing this while in full trust reverser the whole time. When he leveled off I couldn't read the numbers clearly but it was below 1900ft with - 5600vv. Wonder what will happen if I try this in my 737ngx.
@cnknguyen Correct. They applied thrust reverser mid air to slow the aircraft down as much as possible. That's what caused it to shake, if your on the ground while they do that its a very distinct and cool sound to hear.
It greatly increases drag, allowing the aircraft to decend much steeper without picking up to dangerous amunts of speed, the rate of decent is therefor very great. C-17s use this tactic in war zones where they have to minimise exposure times to threats (such as shoulder launched SAMs) by getting from cruise altitude to the ground as fast as possible. At 1:29 you can see the pilot pull the thrust leavers into the reveres section, and a few seconds later they kick in (aircraft begins shuddering)
With the Air Force Art Program, I was privelaged to be just where this was shot, in order to gather info for a painting...I can attest that these guys are superb professionals and they flew that big jet like it was a fighter. I loved the experience, with the exception of my stomach. Looking out the side window and not seeing a horizon and just the Pacific below me (hard banking turn) was one highlight.
yes, the C17 is very heavy and the reverse is very effective so that really plays with the lift big time. they lost some real altitude there with just a slight use of reverse. I imagine that takes a lot of experience as you probably might get into real trouble if you don't know how to use that reverse in the air and use too much /too close to the ground. Interesting and effective technique.
I liked this video for various reasons. The title 'tactical approach' got me looking. I'm a British pilot with military knowledge and understand that the tactical approach involves maintaining height until the steepest controlled descent can be made to the touchdown point. If your interested in this look at Lockheed C130 (Hercules in the UK) approaches into Sarajevo during the Bosnian war, I think the RAF crews hit on the idea of using reverse thrust on the turboprops, but I'm willing to accept they probably got it from you guys. Likewise, you in the US really bought into the Harrier Jump Jet. We developed this into what we thought was the ultimate development - the all weather Sea Harrier - and then sold it to you. You looked at it afresh and developed an air combat roll for an agile, high subsonic fighter using the vectored thrust in dogfights. Finally, the British Army took a while to take to the Boeing CH-47 (we call it the Chinook) but they still use them and after a few decades of using and improving them have decided they are "really rather good" and can make them do things the designer never dreamt of. Nice to share
Looks like a lot of fun. I was on the first flight of the C-17, and on many of the other firsts (like the first in-flight T/R deploy) San Clemente was a required first flight alternate airfield(reason we scrubbed the 14 SEP attempt).
Way back in 1960, Navy Patrol Squadrons VP-46 and VP-42 used to go out from NAS North Island at San Diego to make rocket firing practice runs on the end of San Clemente Island not shown in this video. There was a large rocky formation on the other end of the island known as Castle Rock aka China Hat. This video sure brings back memories....THANX!
Thats the HUD or Heads up Display. It Provides concise flight information (speed, glide slope, altitude, alerts, and other information critical to the flight. Its flashing because of the refresh rate and the Camera seeing it (the flight crew doesn't see it flashing, much like filming a Television).
Military ATC back in the day....USAF jets are more fuel efficient at altitude than in a full traffic pattern....just sequence them in and they will be there ....from above to landed about that fast....
@andyskateboarder Tactical landing is meant to get the aircraft down on to the ground as fast as possible (within limits of course) in order to limit the aircrafts vulnerability to enemy fire. Tactical landings are also applicable for approaches that require taking rough/mountainous terrain into account.
@RangerRuby There was no intent to land. We shot a altitude restricted low approach into the airfield. Afterward, flew around the channel islands and then back to March ARB where a different type of tactical approach was shot called the TAC EAST, and finally landed on runway 32.
They do employ reverse thrust during a tactical descent, helps them get down as fast as possible and helps manage speed more effectively than airbrakes alone.
They are training for a tactical approach basically the plane will drop rapidly onto the runway so it does not get hit by missiles. The missile launch sound you heard may of been a laser designation targeting the plane and telling the pilots to perform the rapid altitude drop.
Regarding the display at 3:26: The left hand column is speed in knots and the right hand column is altitude in feet. The center is an artificial horizon, and it shows they have almost 15 degree nose down angle. As to why the altitude numbers increase vertically and the air speed decrease, I do not know. My guess would be to help distinguish the two columns, as many accidents can trace their cause to mis-reading indicators.
I was stationed on San Clemente Is. from 1968 to Aug 1969. Much different back then, only Navy was there. My main job was to keep the transceivers online and help maintain the TACAN Unit and the LowFreq Beacon. We did have some Marines spend two weeks in the mud as it rained most of the time they were there.
@Turnex parts of the descent were more than 6000fpm i'm sure. and they don't use a particular rate, its speed on pitch.. use pitch to keep constant airspeed..
@thomas997 The pilot was demonstrating the defense features on the aircraft. The rate of descent was not announced but we got down there pretty quick, and it was in a military training area off the coast of California.
That was pure amazing and is the reason why I want to become a C-17 Pilot! BTW, I grew up in San Clemente and it would be ironic if I ever had the opportunity to shoot that approach.
Join the Marine infantry and I'm sure you'll get the opportunity to go to san clemente Island if you stay west coast. I can't guarantee you'll like it though 😂
As a Professional Soldier, any time any large troop carrying plan was to land (even this way), you would usually have at least 2 fighter planes riding escort. That way, if the cargo plane (which could be carrying several hundred Soldiers) could not 'miss' a missile, the fighter craft was/is suppose to soak up the hit. Thoughts?
A practice approach for a tactical landing in a high threat environment. You really don't want to slam her into the runway at that sink rate if you don't have to. Lots of stress on the airframe.
he means the airspeed ticker is the other way around than the normal ones, being the lower airspeed on the bottom and faster on the top of the current speed, seeing how they have the altitude ticker going top to bottom as they increase altitude, but airspeed going bottom to top as they increase speed
This is a tactical approach, as I understand it you try to keep as high as posible until you are almost over the airport (which is a secured area) then go down as fast as posible, circle around within the secure perimeter and land. Seems like a good technic to me.
It was a bit of a fly by, I’m not a pilot but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist either to know this stuff, 5.06 watching and longer typing this crap on how I didn’t get to watch what I expected to watch....it might be me, I Love all videos so not complaining...still giving a thumbs up
Interesting video. These guys are from the 729th Airlift Squadron, 30 years ago I was a Loadmaster in that squadron when they flew C-141s at Norton AFB, CA in the 445th Military Airlift Wing
If I'm seeing the instrument right, the right side is altitude, and the left is the rate of descent, or VERTICAL speed downward. Pull up to get towards zero and level flight. Looks like a good design to me?
Yea, apparently that technique is used during tactical descents (you can see the effect at 1:32 as the lift begins to depart the wing) on some aircraft mostly turboprops for rapid descent, also some turbojets (the older Tupolevs offer the possibility to unlock the reverser whilst in flight - actually there are clips on youtube of russian TU-154s opening the reverser 2-3 m above the runway. I imagine that might come in handy if you catch some sudden lift 1-2 seconds before touchdown). cool stuff.
In case anyone's wondering, when he zooms in on the multifunction display @ 3:20, you can see the primary flight data display which shows airspeed, altitude, etc. The altitude indication is the vertical scale on the right side. The aircraft's vertical velocity (VV) is displayed directly below that.
It sure the hell beats a C-130 being seated cheek to cheek... I remember coming into Kuwait on mid-tour in 2007 in February. That thing was blazing hot inside, having to pee really bad, and being in the front of the plane. Ain't worth the effort to climb over everyone to use the bucket in back of the plane.
Was most impressed to see some C-17s showing some Marines what fun looks like a couple years back at the former Castle AFB. IMPRESSIVE airplane! Pilots not too shabby either!
Apparently you're not familiar with the term "tactical descent". The C-17 does in fact have the ability to use thrust reversers mid-flight. This gives it the capability to descend at up to 10,000fpm safely. Look it up, its impressive.
Military planes seem to drop on to the airstrip. (Enemy fire avoidance I suppose.) The Space Shuttle always seemed to be falling too fast until the last minute before it pulled up and landed smoothly.
Sat in the cockpit of a C17, the RAF C's are based at Brize Norton, where my ATC Squadron is based, so we basically get free access to them, 99 sqn is just over the road, possibly the coolest place to be based, along with the C130 Hercules's, VC10's, TriStars, and the new Voyagers!
San Clemente was a primary alternate landing site for the first flight of the C-17. We needed to scrub our first attempt due to weather over San Clemente. Thankfully a "sucker hole" opened for Sunday, 15 SEP 91. This looks like a fun ride.
As much as I like this video showing off this country's rock star pilots including the ones in this video, these pilots are better then many others from my perspective & I think they really are better flyers than many pilots these day's so I recommend going if you ever get the opportunity!
A high approach is designed to minimize exposure to enemy ground fire. It is unusual to see a control stick in a large transport aircraft. I love it !!
most airliners can't use the reverses until there the main wheels are on the ground anyway (except some russian planes i think), the c-17 can use them in flight and the air force does allow it because its a huge advantage when making decents like this into combat zones
I beleive in this case the reversers were deplyed, even if only at idle reverse. You can see the throttles get pulled up and back at 1:28 into the reverse range. Also you can see what i beleive to be the flap handel (behind and right of the throttles) it is all the way foward (ie flaps retracted). The C-17 is one of the few jets which can go into reverse inflight. Also unlike most airliners the reversers delfect both the bypass air AND the core flow, giving exceptional reverse thrust performance
First of all, we were doing a media press flight prior to our airshow at March ARB. With passengers on board we cannot do touch and goes and that sure as hell was not an overhead pattern, you seem to know a little about pilot stuff so you should know that! Second of all, it was demonstration purposes only, 10k in 10 miles is no big deal, we did that multiple times getting racked and stacked going into Haiti. BTW- you are right, Anchorage never should have happened.
Nah, the 17 has a secondary holding lever up on the front, to make it easier to adjust power at less power setttings.. Thrust reversals are even further in the front.
This is AWESOME! I paused at 3:29, VSI -5800 FPM and almost 15 deg. Attitude nose down =) I can only manipulate this on simulator =) Thanks for sharing captain!
Please tell me if that C17 that landed at Peter O Knight airport was a mistake or a planned short field landing. I fly and dont know how you can mistake a 3500' private airport as a 12000' AF base.
He thres the throttle in revrrse in flight?? Coolest thing ever! Im surprised the rediculous amount of drag didnt stress out the airframe of that beauty. They dumped some serious altitude. Love the Missile launch call out. Was expecting puff of smoke coming from the island with a telephone pole flying up.
It's a tactical approach, meaning they come in high and fast to avoid any ground-based weapons fire. You can hear the pilot say towards the beginning that this is how they land in Iraq, at night with no lights on.
DC-8! wow, that must have been very exciting, but you would hope the crew were properly trained how to do combat approaches. could the DC-8 use thrust reverse in-flight? The DC-8 is full of suprises, I read somewhere that they could even go supersonic (intentionaly) in a shallow dive without damage, and has on at least 1 occasion
I get that it was a tactical descent demo only, but i doubt they could have landed even if they wanted too on that approach. Way too much airspeed. He's doing 225 kts and -6000 ft/min at 2000ft msl altitude by the time they got 3/4 down the runway.
I hope to one day fly for the RAF but whenever I fly on holiday on a commercial airline, my ears pop really painfully and I can't hear much for up to 10 minutes after landing. Does this happen when you're flying the plane yourself? Do you get used to it if that's the case?
awesome tac descent! how fast were you dropping? 10000 fpm? why did the "missile launch" annunciation happen? were you over hostile territory? where was this?
DId you know that the entire cockpit can be ejected from the C-17? It takes only one person to dump all the cargo out of the aircraft while inflight. I threw a football from one end to the other in the cargo bay during a flight test.
Since I am not a pilot so forgive me for asking this, but looking at the horizon and airstrip during approach, doesn't look like the airplane is coming down in a spiral pattern, but previously I had read that the tactical landing involves coming down in a spiral. This one seems to be more like plummeting down along a straight line. Is this usual, or just that my observation is poor ?
Not at all! The original mechanical vertical tape instruments in the C-141 and C-5 had the same setup and it makes a lot of sense. Think of it this way - when you raise the nose of the airplane, you head for the numbers higher up on the scales; higher altitudes and lower speeds. that is the way it was originally set up. I flew both the C-141 and the C-5 for thousands of hours and that design was quite effective. I was actually surprised to see them change it on the civilian cockpits.
A fast, steep approach to avoid your time in the air over the target/airport (unfriendly zone.) Since the C-17 is very large and rather defenseless, its best friend is to minimize its own exposure to ground fire.
@lwc242 thanks, saw the PFD, that's amazing. they were pitching down about 15 degrees maintaining 220-230 knots using reverse thrust. are those ground proximity aurals in the background (e.g - sink rate?)? wow, wow, wow, autothrottles in reverse thrust, that's beast!
The C-17 is unique in its ability to initiate full thrust reversers in flight...freaky how fast it can "fall out of the sky" while under control
I landed into Iraq in a C-17 and more an a few land, it is scare how it just dives and recovers right before landing.
@@01Lisler Where is the proof it did not like the c-17
@@01Lisler You don't make a claim then expect people to do research to back up YOUR claim.
@@koc988Welcome to the internet
Please note that it’s infact light idle reverse in flight, not full.
This is how to test your loadmaster's work.
3Gs
Only for once tho, since if the payload breaks loose, the plane would've surely got rekt
Unfortunately you would find out at the cost of your lives
To help answer some of the questions posted here: 1) The Thrust Reversers can be deployed in flight to Idle Rev only. The initial VVI is between 15000-20000. In a tactical descent around 9000VVI is maintained. This crew more than likely planned the approach to a high speed initial, but could have easily planned for a high speed straight in. Hope that helps!
Initial VVI 1500-2000*
No 15-20,000 is correct. I’ve seen 30,000 vvi.
It always amazes me how glorious and smooth they look from the observer’s perspective while inside looks like they are inside of a paint shaker:)
As someone who has been in a C-17 my best description for it is basically an airliner. Of course it doesn’t really has sound dampening since you always wear 1 layer of ear protection as a passenger and another layer as a crew member (headphones in addition to the earplugs given)
I did some flight test on C-17's. First time did a tactical decent from 30000 feet down to 10000 feet. All 4 thrust reversers on. I was amazed at our rate of decent, but they had full control. Still on of my favorite aircraft.
Having done one tour back in 1970-71 in Vietnam, our initial arrival at Tan Son Nhut airbase outside Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) was via one of these "tactical approaches". The wild part? the aircraft/pilot doing this type of approach was a charter DC-8 passenger jet and its normal pilot/flight crew. About a half hour from our scheduled arrival time, the captain comes on the pa and calmly says "The base is under attack, so we'll be doing a combat approach.. Was exciting to say the least!!
"sink rate...sink rate" No shit, it's -5600fpm.
Nikola16789 more than that
I thought it was saying "It ain't great, it ain't great"!
I was just asking myself what the sink rate was. Geeze man. Each emergency descent comes with a complimentary new pair of drawers.
Hard to read numbers, but I think at the start of the dive they were at 12500 doing maybe 220. Then just shortly before leveling off I read 2600 ft doing 223 IAS and -6140 vv and doing this while in full trust reverser the whole time. When he leveled off I couldn't read the numbers clearly but it was below 1900ft with - 5600vv. Wonder what will happen if I try this in my 737ngx.
Guppy with a smashed belly?
@cnknguyen Correct. They applied thrust reverser mid air to slow the aircraft down as much as possible. That's what caused it to shake, if your on the ground while they do that its a very distinct and cool sound to hear.
Do you have a video of that?!
Basically all of my landings in FSX
rutgersfan7 lmao
Agree, thankfully not in a real plane!
HAHA same in FSX and XPlane!
Exactly!!
bwaahhhh instant classic comment!!
It greatly increases drag, allowing the aircraft to decend much steeper without picking up to dangerous amunts of speed, the rate of decent is therefor very great. C-17s use this tactic in war zones where they have to minimise exposure times to threats (such as shoulder launched SAMs) by getting from cruise altitude to the ground as fast as possible. At 1:29 you can see the pilot pull the thrust leavers into the reveres section, and a few seconds later they kick in (aircraft begins shuddering)
With the Air Force Art Program, I was privelaged to be just where this was shot, in order to gather info for a painting...I can attest that these guys are superb professionals and they flew that big jet like it was a fighter. I loved the experience, with the exception of my stomach. Looking out the side window and not seeing a horizon and just the Pacific below me (hard banking turn) was one highlight.
Just like any Ryanair flight
That fly omg
yes, the C17 is very heavy and the reverse is very effective so that really plays with the lift big time. they lost some real altitude there with just a slight use of reverse. I imagine that takes a lot of experience as you probably might get into real trouble if you don't know how to use that reverse in the air and use too much /too close to the ground. Interesting and effective technique.
I liked this video for various reasons. The title 'tactical approach' got me looking. I'm a British pilot with military knowledge and understand that the tactical approach involves maintaining height until the steepest controlled descent can be made to the touchdown point. If your interested in this look at Lockheed C130 (Hercules in the UK) approaches into Sarajevo during the Bosnian war, I think the RAF crews hit on the idea of using reverse thrust on the turboprops, but I'm willing to accept they probably got it from you guys.
Likewise, you in the US really bought into the Harrier Jump Jet. We developed this into what we thought was the ultimate development - the all weather Sea Harrier - and then sold it to you. You looked at it afresh and developed an air combat roll for an agile, high subsonic fighter using the vectored thrust in dogfights.
Finally, the British Army took a while to take to the Boeing CH-47 (we call it the Chinook) but they still use them and after a few decades of using and improving them have decided they are "really rather good" and can make them do things the designer never dreamt of.
Nice to share
Looks like a lot of fun. I was on the first flight of the C-17, and on many of the other firsts (like the first in-flight T/R deploy)
San Clemente was a required first flight alternate airfield(reason we scrubbed the 14 SEP attempt).
Ive worked all around san clemente island on an urchin boat. Great fishing there. Nice to see a different view of it. Thanks!
hjtatum I worked on the island two and a half years until Obama sliced all the positions
Cliff Hawk, urchin diver.
Way back in 1960, Navy Patrol Squadrons VP-46 and VP-42 used to go out from NAS North Island at San Diego to make rocket firing practice runs on the end of San Clemente Island not shown in this video. There was a large rocky formation on the other end of the island known as Castle Rock aka China Hat. This video sure brings back memories....THANX!
Wow! That was a really steep descent for such a large aircraft. Those guys are great pilots.
Thats the HUD or Heads up Display. It Provides concise flight information (speed, glide slope, altitude, alerts, and other information critical to the flight. Its flashing because of the refresh rate and the Camera seeing it (the flight crew doesn't see it flashing, much like filming a Television).
Come on folks tactical approach is the tittle. Not tactical approach and landing. great job by the way.
Military ATC back in the day....USAF jets are more fuel efficient at altitude than in a full traffic pattern....just sequence them in and they will be there ....from above to landed about that fast....
@andyskateboarder Tactical landing is meant to get the aircraft down on to the ground as fast as possible (within limits of course) in order to limit the aircrafts vulnerability to enemy fire. Tactical landings are also applicable for approaches that require taking rough/mountainous terrain into account.
@RangerRuby There was no intent to land. We shot a altitude restricted low approach into the airfield. Afterward, flew around the channel islands and then back to March ARB where a different type of tactical approach was shot called the TAC EAST, and finally landed on runway 32.
They do employ reverse thrust during a tactical descent, helps them get down as fast as possible and helps manage speed more effectively than airbrakes alone.
That has got to be one hell of a ride!!
They are training for a tactical approach basically the plane will drop rapidly onto the runway so it does not get hit by missiles. The missile launch sound you heard may of been a laser designation targeting the plane and telling the pilots to perform the rapid altitude drop.
Regarding the display at 3:26: The left hand column is speed in knots and the right hand column is altitude in feet. The center is an artificial horizon, and it shows they have almost 15 degree nose down angle. As to why the altitude numbers increase vertically and the air speed decrease, I do not know. My guess would be to help distinguish the two columns, as many accidents can trace their cause to mis-reading indicators.
I was stationed on San Clemente Is. from 1968 to Aug 1969. Much different back then, only Navy was there. My main job was to keep the transceivers online and help maintain the TACAN Unit and the LowFreq Beacon. We did have some Marines spend two weeks in the mud as it rained most of the time they were there.
A tactical approach is to get the aircraft to the base quickly and on the ground as quickly as possible. Probably with the base under attack.
The idea is to keep it high for as long as possible, harder target for AA fire and SAMS.
!
8091pinewood this was no tactical landing....100% CALLED OFF.
+Leslie Anderson - RTF description, and lighten up, Frances.
Oh I could totally do that, except no one would walk away from the plane.
Its a penetration approach, otherwise known as a high altitude approach. Its a pretty standard approach for military aircraft.
@Turnex parts of the descent were more than 6000fpm i'm sure. and they don't use a particular rate, its speed on pitch.. use pitch to keep constant airspeed..
@thomas997 The pilot was demonstrating the defense features on the aircraft. The rate of descent was not announced but we got down there pretty quick, and it was in a military training area off the coast of California.
That was pure amazing and is the reason why I want to become a C-17 Pilot!
BTW, I grew up in San Clemente and it would be ironic if I ever had the opportunity to shoot that approach.
Join the Marine infantry and I'm sure you'll get the opportunity to go to san clemente Island if you stay west coast. I can't guarantee you'll like it though 😂
As a Professional Soldier, any time any large troop carrying plan was to land (even this way), you would usually have at least 2 fighter planes riding escort. That way, if the cargo plane (which could be carrying several hundred Soldiers) could not 'miss' a missile, the fighter craft was/is suppose to soak up the hit. Thoughts?
A practice approach for a tactical landing in a high threat environment. You really don't want to slam her into the runway at that sink rate if you don't have to. Lots of stress on the airframe.
he means the airspeed ticker is the other way around than the normal ones, being the lower airspeed on the bottom and faster on the top of the current speed, seeing how they have the altitude ticker going top to bottom as they increase altitude, but airspeed going bottom to top as they increase speed
The airliners going into Saigon in 68 did a very similar maneuver. Lucky for use the pilot let us know.
This is a tactical approach, as I understand it you try to keep as high as posible until you are almost over the airport (which is a secured area) then go down as fast as posible, circle around within the secure perimeter and land. Seems like a good technic to me.
It was a bit of a fly by, I’m not a pilot but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist either to know this stuff, 5.06 watching and longer typing this crap on how I didn’t get to watch what I expected to watch....it might be me, I Love all videos so not complaining...still giving a thumbs up
Gives a whole new outlook to "Aim for the numbers" buffet was pretty intense.
Interesting video. These guys are from the 729th Airlift Squadron, 30 years ago I was a Loadmaster in that squadron when they flew C-141s at Norton AFB, CA in the 445th Military Airlift Wing
If I'm seeing the instrument right, the right side is altitude, and the left is the rate of descent, or VERTICAL speed downward. Pull up to get towards zero and level flight. Looks like a good design to me?
Yea, apparently that technique is used during tactical descents (you can see the effect at 1:32 as the lift begins to depart the wing) on some aircraft mostly turboprops for rapid descent, also some turbojets (the older Tupolevs offer the possibility to unlock the reverser whilst in flight - actually there are clips on youtube of russian TU-154s opening the reverser 2-3 m above the runway. I imagine that might come in handy if you catch some sudden lift 1-2 seconds before touchdown). cool stuff.
sometimes, youtube, sometimes I wonder how you get me from motorbike vlogs to these videos.... still amazing to see though
Without doubt there's full spoilers up, but did they whack rev to help slow things too? 15°+ is preeeeeetty steep!
In case anyone's wondering, when he zooms in on the multifunction display @ 3:20, you can see the primary flight data display which shows airspeed, altitude, etc. The altitude indication is the vertical scale on the right side. The aircraft's vertical velocity (VV) is displayed directly below that.
I remember being in the back of a C-17 landing at BIAP like that, man was that fun. Good times
It sure the hell beats a C-130 being seated cheek to cheek... I remember coming into Kuwait on mid-tour in 2007 in February. That thing was blazing hot inside, having to pee really bad, and being in the front of the plane. Ain't worth the effort to climb over everyone to use the bucket in back of the plane.
Was most impressed to see some C-17s showing some Marines what fun looks like a couple years back at the former Castle AFB. IMPRESSIVE airplane! Pilots not too shabby either!
Apparently you're not familiar with the term "tactical descent". The C-17 does in fact have the ability to use thrust reversers mid-flight. This gives it the capability to descend at up to 10,000fpm safely. Look it up, its impressive.
Not sure where you got that info, but on the C-17's we don't "routinely" wear helmets.
I was an ET on the TACAN radar at that island from 2010-13. First time I ever saw one of these and was blown away on how big these suckers are.
how u get a ride? :( hope my jrotc instructor calls march soon..... was this fun?
Military planes seem to drop on to the airstrip.
(Enemy fire avoidance I suppose.)
The Space Shuttle always seemed to be falling too fast until the last minute before it pulled up and landed smoothly.
Loved the reversers in flight thing but why no touch and go? Looked too high to make the runway.
Sat in the cockpit of a C17, the RAF C's are based at Brize Norton, where my ATC Squadron is based, so we basically get free access to them, 99 sqn is just over the road, possibly the coolest place to be based, along with the C130 Hercules's, VC10's, TriStars, and the new Voyagers!
San Clemente was a primary alternate landing site for the first flight of the C-17. We needed to scrub our first attempt due to weather over San Clemente. Thankfully a "sucker hole" opened for Sunday, 15 SEP 91. This looks like a fun ride.
As much as I like this video showing off this country's rock star pilots including the ones in this video, these pilots are better then many others from my perspective & I think they really are better flyers than many pilots these day's so I recommend going if you ever get the opportunity!
A high approach is designed to minimize exposure to enemy ground fire. It is unusual to see a control stick in a large transport aircraft. I love it !!
Is it unsual to see a control stick inside a large transport aircraft? What about all the airbus, and the A400M?
most airliners can't use the reverses until there the main wheels are on the ground anyway (except some russian planes i think), the c-17 can use them in flight and the air force does allow it because its a huge advantage when making decents like this into combat zones
I beleive in this case the reversers were deplyed, even if only at idle reverse. You can see the throttles get pulled up and back at 1:28 into the reverse range. Also you can see what i beleive to be the flap handel (behind and right of the throttles) it is all the way foward (ie flaps retracted). The C-17 is one of the few jets which can go into reverse inflight. Also unlike most airliners the reversers delfect both the bypass air AND the core flow, giving exceptional reverse thrust performance
First of all, we were doing a media press flight prior to our airshow at March ARB. With passengers on board we cannot do touch and goes and that sure as hell was not an overhead pattern, you seem to know a little about pilot stuff so you should know that! Second of all, it was demonstration purposes only, 10k in 10 miles is no big deal, we did that multiple times getting racked and stacked going into Haiti. BTW- you are right, Anchorage never should have happened.
Where they supposed to miss the approach? I'm assuming so since they were at 230 knots over the threshold at a descent rate of -4000 ft per minute
Nah, the 17 has a secondary holding lever up on the front, to make it easier to adjust power at less power setttings.. Thrust reversals are even further in the front.
This is AWESOME! I paused at 3:29, VSI -5800 FPM and almost 15 deg. Attitude nose down =) I can only manipulate this on simulator =) Thanks for sharing captain!
Please tell me if that C17 that landed at Peter O Knight airport was a mistake or a planned short field landing. I fly and dont know how you can mistake a 3500' private airport as a 12000' AF base.
I used to work on this plane out of March. Good stuff.
He thres the throttle in revrrse in flight?? Coolest thing ever! Im surprised the rediculous amount of drag didnt stress out the airframe of that beauty. They dumped some serious altitude. Love the Missile launch call out. Was expecting puff of smoke coming from the island with a telephone pole flying up.
It's a tactical approach, meaning they come in high and fast to avoid any ground-based weapons fire. You can hear the pilot say towards the beginning that this is how they land in Iraq, at night with no lights on.
DC-8! wow, that must have been very exciting, but you would hope the crew were properly trained how to do combat approaches. could the DC-8 use thrust reverse in-flight? The DC-8 is full of suprises, I read somewhere that they could even go supersonic (intentionaly) in a shallow dive without damage, and has on at least 1 occasion
Was that supposed to be a circle to land, or did they blow the initial approach? I mean, still awesome!
i just took a tactical dump 5 minutes ago
I get that it was a tactical descent demo only, but i doubt they could have landed even if they wanted too on that approach. Way too much airspeed. He's doing 225 kts and -6000 ft/min at 2000ft msl altitude by the time they got 3/4 down the runway.
I hope to one day fly for the RAF but whenever I fly on holiday on a commercial airline, my ears pop really painfully and I can't hear much for up to 10 minutes after landing. Does this happen when you're flying the plane yourself? Do you get used to it if that's the case?
awesome tac descent! how fast were you dropping? 10000 fpm?
why did the "missile launch" annunciation happen? were you over hostile territory? where was this?
Holy Crap. Thats awesome! I've seen this plane at the airshow the past 3 years but I've never seen a view of a tactical landing like that
DId you know that the entire cockpit can be ejected from the C-17? It takes only one person to dump all the cargo out of the aircraft while inflight. I threw a football from one end to the other in the cargo bay during a flight test.
The cockpit CANNOT be ejected. Where in the heck did you get his idea?
Since it's a digital display, maybe it can be set to the pilot's preference? I'm not a pilot (yet) so I wouldn't know for sure.
Aww... I thought he was going to do a straight-in!
Looks like he hit partial reverse at altitude. I doubt it, but he did pull on the levers.
What was the rate of descent? What no side-slip ? :) Good flying!
Since I am not a pilot so forgive me for asking this, but looking at the horizon and airstrip during approach, doesn't look like the airplane is coming down in a spiral pattern, but previously I had read that the tactical landing involves coming down in a spiral. This one seems to be more like plummeting down along a straight line. Is this usual, or just that my observation is poor ?
At 1:34, at what I believe reading, 12K feet or more, did he applied reverse thrust?
Incredible aircraft! These things are genuinely badass!!
im just curious, what was the objective of this exercise? cool stuff.
That's an insane approach. Love it.
did he reverse thrust mid-air? or was it just a touch to make sure it was at zero throttle?
Air they using. The rev thrust in the air?
Not at all! The original mechanical vertical tape instruments in the C-141 and C-5 had the same setup and it makes a lot of sense. Think of it this way - when you raise the nose of the airplane, you head for the numbers higher up on the scales; higher altitudes and lower speeds. that is the way it was originally set up. I flew both the C-141 and the C-5 for thousands of hours and that design was quite effective. I was actually surprised to see them change it on the civilian cockpits.
so you descend at 6000'/min level off at 1000' above terrain and circle? whats the point?
Reverse Thrust doesn't work while airborn it can only be activated when there is weight on the back gear. (on the ground)
What is the differnce between a tactical approach/landing and a normal approach/landing?
A fast, steep approach to avoid your time in the air over the target/airport (unfriendly zone.) Since the C-17 is very large and rather defenseless, its best friend is to minimize its own exposure to ground fire.
Like the Oklahoma State stickers on the headset of the right-seater. " Pistols firing!" Would make Frank Eaton proud.
It was used on Concorde all the time... but Concorde is of course no longer in any airlines schedule
Was it my imagination or did the pilot deploy reverse thrusters upon descend?
i know, i saw that too and was like wtf lol
its for a stipper tactical landing
Do you mean that they deploy RT to slow down the plane so it can configure it self for a steeper angle of atack?
I Tata bi Sine
yeah exactly there are only a few planes who are build so stable that they can do that and the c-17 is one of them.
WOW, that is some piece of engineering in that case =)
Cheers and thank you for the response!
Are you kidding me with the 'warning whoops'? Scared the crap out of me! How about a couple of ding dings? Great vid.
@lwc242 thanks, saw the PFD, that's amazing. they were pitching down about 15 degrees maintaining 220-230 knots using reverse thrust. are those ground proximity aurals in the background (e.g - sink rate?)? wow, wow, wow, autothrottles in reverse thrust, that's beast!
This is the clearest video from 2010 ive seen
1:29 - Did he use thrust reverse whilst descending?
Exactly my thought when I saw that
What is the purpose? What are you practicing?
What's the big deal? A high descent rate to a 'fly over' and turn to the downwind for a normal turn off the 180. ??
That was amazing, Thought they were going to land but they overshot the runway by a lot, still pretty cool to watch