Civic Leader reflects on flight experience Published Nov. 19, 2008 By Mark Runge Property Manager, Kiawah Island Resort CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Well...I survived! Yesterday, I was able to fly with the U.S. Air Force Reserve on a C-17 Globemaster III, during an actual military training mission. This was a great adventure, and I am glad that I was fortunate enough to be able to experience it. It all started with a phone call from Captain Wayne Capps, the Chief Public Affairs Officer for Charleston Air Force Base. Once or twice a year, the 315th Airlift Wing conducts a "Civic Leader Flight," taking business people from the area on an actual training mission. Since I am a Charleston realtor and a property manager at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, I qualified to go. I arrived at 8:15AM at the front gate to Charleston, AFB and headed to a parking lot and where we (civic leaders) met Wayne and another officer to board a waiting bus. We then headed to the Wing Commander's building where the commander and other officers met us. Off to a large meeting room we went to sign some paperwork (release forms), listen to a "mission briefing" and receive an introduction to the base and what they do for our country. We then went back to the bus and headed for our plane. As we passed through a security gate, we entered the runway area and were amazed at the number of huge military aircraft out on the tarmac readying for various missions around the world. We pulled up to the nose of our jet and boarded for our "mission." The airplane we were flying is the C-17 Globemaster III. It has been in service for 15 years and cost around $200 million each. Boeing builds them and it is one of the most advanced planes in the Air Force inventory for carrying cargo. They can fly non-stop around the world with air refueling and need only a space the size of a small parking lot to either take off or land. Totally amazing! Our trip was an actual training mission for the pilots and crew. They are required to have a certain number of "checks" each month in order to remain current. They are all some of the nicest people you'd ever meet. When we approached the plane, one couldn't help but be amazed at the size of this thing. Huge is an understatement. It stands over five stories tall at the tail. When you climb the stairs and go inside, it's a really big open space. It's definitely not Delta! Everything is exposed. Wires and piping are everywhere. The floors are made of steel with traction strips and rollers to help move cargo in and out. Seating was nylon, bench style that lined the walls. No windows to look out of except for two on each side, built into the side doors. There is a regular aircraft type bathroom and a small galley for the crew. A staircase leads upstairs to the flight deck where the pilots are located. There are two "racks" or beds for the crew to sleep in while on extended flights. It is amazingly quiet in the cockpit but pretty loud downstairs in the cargo area. When we boarded, one of the things to be "checked off" was a fast delivery drop of goods in a combat situation. There were six pallets in the center of the plane, each weighing in at 2,300 lbs. Six metric tons worth of training weight that needed to be left behind. Hmmm...wonder how? Once the engines started, the rear cargo doors were opened and we taxied out to the runway. That was an interesting site to say the least. Traveling along a runway with these big bay doors open wide. When we got there and stopped something amazing happened. We started backing up! Turns out this is the only type of plane that can back itself up without any help. The loadmaster looks out the back and tells the pilot over a radio which way to turn. We backed all the way to the edge of the runway and stopped. The motors revved up to full speed, the pilot released the brakes and the plane took off like a shot. The cargo that needed to be left behind flew right out the doors and landed out on the runway right where they were inside the plane to begin with. Only took about five seconds to unload six tons of stuff! Whew! We were definitely in for an adventure if this was how things were starting. After a brief stop to close the doors, we were ready to go. The engines revved up again and off we went. It was a surprisingly smooth takeoff. It was also hard to tell what was going on because you didn't have windows to look out of so your senses weren't really telling you the angles you might be at. It was pretty loud until we got up and leveled off. A bit bumpy going through the clouds as there was a huge storm with high winds in the area at the time. We leveled off and about 15 minutes later were coming in for an "assault" landing, another check off for the crew. This type of landing is one used in hostile/combat situations where they come in really fast and steep, hit hard and stop in a real short distance. We landed at "North field" and departed. This is a training field used by the USAF for practice. Not much there except two really long landing strips and couple of buildings and open fields. After departing out the rear cargo doors, it was time to see what this plane can do, from the ground. The pilots cranked up the engines, let go of the brakes and were in the air in a really short distance. (Another check off-for the pilots to get airborne if a short (1,500 ft) runway was used.) They circled around and came in for a "touch and go." About a foot off the ground, they hit the gas and pulled back up. Check. Off it went again. As we were talking and the plane flew out of site, all of a sudden this thing flew over us at about 400 feet! We never even heard it coming. It snuck up on us from behind! Check. It circled back around and made another assault landing, stopping in right at 10 seconds. Another check. We boarded the plane again and off we went. Once airborne, we leveled off and they started letting us get up, walk around, climb all over stuff, and go up in the cockpit and watch the pilots fly this thing. We were now headed into another part of the mission, an in-flight air refueling. That's right, getting gas on the go. This should be interesting. Our flight took us down over Atlanta, turned toward Rome, GA and into Tennessee. We flew along the Appalachian Mountains, into Virginia and met up with a tanker over West Virginia. It took a bit to find it, but we did. As we were starting to catch up with the tanker, Wayne came and got me and took me to the cockpit. I was able to sit behind the pilot, put on headphones and listen to the conversations between the two planes as we closed in on it. That's the last thing I ever thought I'd see. We closed in on this big tanker and pulled right up under it. A big boom arm was being lowered; our pilot inched up to it and...contact. We were connected to another plane just feet above us. There was a bubble window in the rear of the other plane and you could see the female airman in charge of the boom. I waved and she waived back! After about two minutes, we released, backed off and went back in again. Check, double-check. We didn't end up actually taking fuel on (not needed) but it was the exercise that counted. After this second release, they decided to keep the planes up close to each other so we could let everyone come into the cockpit and see just what that looks like. It was a site for sure. Once we finished with the refueling exercise, it was now just a joy ride. We turned around, headed back into Virginia, over North Carolina and back into S.C. As we were getting close to Charleston we all found our seats again. We buckled up and they turned the interior lights out and "went red." All the lights that were on were red. This was to simulate for us what combat night flying would be like. They literally black out so that you (hopefully) are not seen from the ground by enemy combatants. The noise picked back up, the bumps started again as we came through the clouds and finally...touch-down. We were back home again. We taxied in, rolled to a stop and the plane was turned off. As we were gathering our things to leave, the pilots and crew made their way toward the door and said goodbye and thanked us for coming along. Turns out, they all volunteered to fly this mission with us. What a thrill. We boarded the bus and headed back off the runway. After a trip through the base, seeing where they live and some of the things they have available to them, we were back where the day started, next to our cars and back to our daily lives. What an experience and a total thrill it was. It is amazing what these people do for us and the personal sacrifices they make in order to serve our country. One of the loadmasters on board was a 24 year old female from Kansas. I asked how long she had been in the military and she said four years. I asked how much longer she had and she said six more years. I said I hoped she got to go home for the upcoming holidays and she said she had not been home for a holiday since joining the service. She has been away on missions every time and this year looked no different. Wow...think about that for a minute. What I saw was only a brief look at the lives these people live on a daily basis. They travel all over the world performing services we never even think of, and do it willingly and without hesitation. Having watched these planes fly over Charleston for years, I definitely have a new appreciation for what they do. Next time you see one, maybe you'll think about them as well. EDITORIAL NOTE: Mark Runge was a participant in the 315th Airlift Wing's Civic Leader Flight Program which allows selected local community leaders to fly with the 315th AW. This community outreach program is intended to allow civilians to better understand the Reserve mission.