• theyoyomaster@lemmy.worldOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    9
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    10 months ago

    Morale, recruiting and training value. Low level flying is one of the C-17’s main mission sets. If it wasn’t doing it here it would be doing the exact same thing somewhere else.

    • zoe@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      i thought chinooks were intended for that kind of usage, but i am no expert…u seem to be informed enough that i shouldn’t argue much. TIL

      • theyoyomaster@lemmy.worldOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        Chinooks are used for specific tactical insertion. C-17s are both strategic and tactical airlift, the latter of which involves delivery (either by airdrop or landing at forward fields) in radar contested environments which is accomplished with low level flying. 300 feet above ground level at 300+ knots is normal for this. They are flying much slower here to give a better show, which gives them a much tighter turn radius and more time to react. It’s also a meticulously planned and practiced route.

        • zoe@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          10 months ago

          They are flying much slower here to give a better show, which gives them a much tighter turn radius and more time to react. It’s also a meticulously planned and practiced route.

          sounds like it really

          • theyoyomaster@lemmy.worldOP
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            10 months ago

            It’s no big secret, they have 360 in cockpit views showing the process from the crew’s point of view. They’re also flying with their flaps out which limits them to below 250 knots.

            • zoe@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              5
              ·
              10 months ago

              such details really did…fly over my head