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Military Aircraft Transport

Front views of large military transport planes used for logistics, with a focus on C-17 and C-5 Galaxy aircraft, set against airport backdrops.

U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III on the ramp Ramstein Air Base.

U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft line up on the taxiway prior to takeoff during a mission generation exercise at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Jan. 5, 2023. The exercise focused on agile combat employment and the ability to project overwhelming air power and superiority in a short timeframe.

.A C-17 lifts off from Le Bourget Airport for a flight demonstration at the 41st Paris Air Show. The Globemaster is attached to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. Base: Paris Country: France (FRA)

A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, England.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The latest polar-orbiting operational environmental weather satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, called NOAA-N Prime, is offloaded from the C-5A military cargo aircraft at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in preparation for a Feb. 4 launch. NOAA-N Prime, built by Lockheed Martin, is similar to NOAA-N launched on May 20, 2005.

A B-52H Stratofortress taxis toward the runway for a CONUS-to-CONUS (C2C) training mission, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Sept. 29, 2022. The U.S. is committed to upholding a rules-based, free and open Ind-Pacific that protects the sovereignty of every nation, ensures the peaceful resolution of disputes without coercion, promotes free, fair and reciprocal trade and preserves freedom of navigation.

A B-B bomber, top, an EC-135 Looking Glass, below, and a B-52 Stratofortress, lower right, on display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, adjacent to Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota, USA, North America

Pennsylvania Air National Guard KC-135R Stratotanker taking off in Aviano, Italy.

USA, Florida, Miami-area, Kendall, Wings Over Miami Air Museum at Tamiami Executive Airport, PBY Catalina, WW2-era flying boat.

A KC-46 Pegasus sits on the flightline at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 1, 2022, during the Red River Thunder airshow. KC-46 pilots and boom operators gave a tour of the aircraft to airshow attendees.

An EC-135 Looking Glass command and control aircraft taxis down a runway during the joint military exercise GLOBAL GUARDIAN '98. Subject Operation/Series: GLOBAL GUARDIAN '98 Base: Offutt Air Force Base State: Nebraska (NE) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KC-135R Stratotanker from the 100th Aerial Refueling Wing lands at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Southeast England. Base: Raf Mildenhall Country: Great Britain / England (GBR)

Air-to-air, front view of a 60th Airlift Wing C-5B Galaxy airlifter, left wing high, flying over San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Base: Travis Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter of 322 squadron ready for departure.

OC-135B Open SkiesPrimary function: Unarmed observation to support Open Skies Treaty. Speed: More than 500 mph. Dimensions: Wingspan 131 ft.; length 135 ft.; height 42 ft. Range: 3,900 miles unrefueled. Crew: Seven.

A NATO E-3A Sentry taxis in after landing at RAF Fairford.

Festival guests tour static displays of different types of aircrafts at the Friendship Festival 2022 at Yokota Air Base, May 22, 2022. The festival was an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Japan.

Two Air Force C-141B Starlifter aircraft sit on the ground at the station's airfield during exercise Ocean Venture '88. Subject Operation/Series: OCEAN VENTURE '88 Base: Nas, Roosevelt Roads State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

The C-17 West Coast Demonstration Team takes off on a runway in a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 62d Airlift Wing at the Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure Air Show, Oshkosh, Wis., July 31, 2022. EAA is the largest annual air show in the U.S. and coined as The Worlds Greatest Aviation celebration.

A U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron taxis away from formation after participating in an elephant walk on the flightline, Jan. 4, 2024, at Beale Air Force Base, California. Beales elephant walk projected its ability to mobilize multiple assets at once and project airpower.

B-52 Carrying X-43A

Air-to-air, high, front view of a 60th Airlift Wing C-141B Starlifter airlifter, flying over the clouds of northern California. A 60th AW, C-5 Galaxy inflight trails the C-141. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Base: Travis Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A B52H Stratofortress sits on the runway on Minot Air Force base, North Dakota, July 7, 2022. The B-52H is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions as well as fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

Attack helicopter rear view Two helical military helicopter Kamov Copyright: xZoonar.com/mrivsergx 6118131

A right side view of a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from the 17th Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, SC, as it takes off from the Roswell Industrial Air Center during the annual air defense exercise. Subject Operation/Series: ROVING SANDS '95 Base: Roswell State: New Mexico (NM) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing departs from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Nov. 16, 2022. The KC-135 equips Air Mobility Command with aerial refueling and airlift capabilities used to provide rapid global mobility.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 7, 2021: Avia parade in Moscow. tanker Ilyushin Il-78 and strategic bomber and missile platform Tu-95 in the sky on parade of Victory in World War II in Moscow, Russia MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 7, 2021: Avia parade in Moscow. tanker Ilyushin Il-78 and strategic bomber and missile platform Tu-95 in the sky on parade of Victory in World War II in Moscow, Russia Copyright: xZoonar.com/AlexanderxStrelax 17093254

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III takes off from Fort Worth, Texas.

Antonow An-225, Cologne Bonn Airport, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe

An E-8 Joint STARS aircraft assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing lands on the flightline at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 16, 2023, transporting participants for Accelerating the Legacy 2023. The three-day event is a platform for minority Airmen to learn from experienced leaders and mentors, connect with other Airmen from different backgrounds and career fields, and gain valuable career insight.

970324-F-2828D-010. Subject Operation/Series: PHOENIX GAUNTLET Base: Libreville International Airport Country: Gabon (GAB)

A U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker piloted by Col. Thomas Coppinger and Capt. Beau Deleon taxies after landing on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 12, 2022 during Coppinger's fini flight. Coppinger is retiring after 34 years and more than 5,000 flight hours.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Pegasus XL launch vehicle, with the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite aboard, arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Fla. At right is the L-1011 aircraft that will carry the Pegasus to the launch altitude of 39,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean approximately 100 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral. SORCE, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from CCAFS.

The Orion team prepares the parachute test vehicle for the final drop test which will qualify Orion's parachutes for human flight on Sept. 10, 2018...On September 12, 2018 an Orion test capsule will be dropped from a C-17 aircraft at an altitude of more than six miles to verify the spacecrafts complex system of 11 parachutes, cannon-like mortars, and pyrotechnic devices work in sequence to slow the capsules descent for a safe landing on Earth.

A C-130J Super Hercules from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, landed on the flight line, May 5, 2022, on Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The C-130J is the newest generation of the C-130 Hercules which primarily performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission.

The X-38 prototypes are intended to perfect a "crew lifeboat" for the International Space Station. The X-38 vehicle 131R demonstrates a huge 7,500 square-foot parafoil that will that will enable the Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) to land on the length of a football field after returning from space.The CRV is intended to serve as an emergency transport to carry a crew to safety in the event of problems with the International Space Station.

A right front view of an E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft on the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, RAF Woodbridge. Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

C-141B Starlifter US Air Force New Jersey USA

050204-F-8164Z-165. Base: Mcmurdo Station Country: Antarctica (ATA)

051206-F-4883S-045. State: New Mexico (NM) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An Mi-17 helicopter is towed on the flight line in preparation to be transported at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, April 21, 2022. The Department of Defense is delivering Mi-17 helicopters to help more Ukrainian troops around the battlefield and augment the five Mi-17 helicopters sent to Ukraine earlier this year.

A right side view of a P-3 Orion aircraft parked on the flight line. Base: Nas, Roosevelt Roads State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An Air Force C-130J Super Hercules flies over Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 25, 2022 during a training mission.The 36 AS regularly conducts training missions to remain proficient in the necessary skills to support any contingency.

CV-22A OspreyPrimary function: Special operations forces long- range infiltration, exfiltration and re-supply. Speed: 277 mph (cruising speed). Dimensions: Wingspan 84 ft. 7 in.; length 57 ft. 4 in; height 22 ft. 1 in.; rotary diameter, 38 ft. Range: 2,100 miles with internal auxiliary fuel tanks and no refueling. Crew: Four.

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III with the C-17 West Coast Demo Team prepares to take off during the 2022 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 24, 2022. The C-17 Demo Team, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, was established in 2019 and participates in air shows across the United States to showcase the capabilities of the C-17 and represent the Air Force through community outreach. The theme for the 2022 MCAS Miramar Air Show, Marines Fight, Evolve and Win, reflects the Marine Corps ongoing modernization efforts to prepare for future conflicts.

A school bus approaches a C-17 Globemaster III Sept. 23, 2022, at March Air Reserve Base, California. A Reserve aircrew from the 301st Airlift Squadron performed a three-day mission Sept. 23 - 25, to move humanitarian cargo to Haiti. Through the Denton Program, three school buses donated from San Diego Unified School District were transported from March ARB to Haiti.

June 11, 2007 - The Spirit of Denali flies over the Alaska Range en route to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

DN-SN-88-00508. Subject Operation/Series: UPWARD KEY '87 Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG)

A T-6A Texan II taxis to the runway as a T-38C Talon takes off at Laughlin Air Force, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022. Laughlin's mission continues to be training the military's finest and most lethal pilots.

NASA's Super Guppy airplane arrives in New Orleans, Louisiana on Jan. 31, 2016. The Guppy will transport Orion's Artemis I crew module pressure vessel to Kennedy Space Center for final assembly. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

Right side rear view and long shot of a USAF C-17 GLobemaster III sitting on the end of a runway at Westman Island, Iceland. Keiko the killer whale and his tank are unloaded from the aircraft and onto a 60K Tunner at Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, following a nine-hour flight from Newport, Oregon. Base: Vestmannaeyjar Country: Iceland (ISL)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft is offloaded from an Air Force C-17 cargo plane on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft traveled from the Lockheed Martin plant in Denver, Colo., and will undergo further processing in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will carry GRAIL into lunar orbit already is fully stacked at NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B and launch is scheduled for Sept. 8.The GRAIL mission is a part of NASA's Discovery Program. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. The mission also will answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon and provide scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.

An air-to-air right side view of a C-5 Galaxy aircraft, as it flies over San Francisco Bay. State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An Air Force C-17A airlifter, a heavy-lift air-refuelable cargo transport, on a ramp at the Long Beach Airport on the day of its maiden flight. Base: Long Beach State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Two B-52H Stratofortresses fly over the flightline before coming in for landing Oct. 27, 2022, at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations.

120611-O-ZZ999-101WASHINGTON (June 11, 2012) In this undated file photo provided by Northrop Grumman, a RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle conducts tests over Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

An E-3B Sentry Airborne Early Warning Control System (AWACS) from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma taxis down the runway to fly a mission in support of the 27th Wing. Subject Operation/Series: Joint Task Force Exercise 95-2 Base: Langley Air Force Base State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. AIR FORCE 3293, Boeing C-17A Globemaster III during take-off, Stuttgart Airport, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

X-15A-2 with full scale ablative and external tanks installed parked in front of hangar.In June 1967, the X-15A-2 rocket-powered research aircraft received a full-scale ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with hypersonic flight (above Mach 5). This pink eraser-like substance, applied to the X-15A-2 aircraft (56-6671), was then covered with a white sealant coat before flight. This coating would help the #2 aircraft reach the record speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7).

An A-10 Thunderbolt taxis to the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during the 2013 Red Flag Exercise.

A Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopter of the Russian Navy taxiing on runway in Pushkin, Russia..

An air-to-air left side view of a 438th Airlift Wing, C-141 Starlifter flying over suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The C-141, tail #40616 provides long range airlift capability for Air Mobility Command. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Base: Mcguire Air Force Base State: New Jersey (NJ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A C-17 Globemaster III taxis before takeoff during preparations for Hurricane Ian at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Sept. 28, 2022. The base routinely relocates aircraft prior to extreme weather conditions in order to continue the rapid global mobility mission and to prevent potential damage.

Hilfsgueter der Deutschen Humanitaeren Hilfe im Flugzeug A400M in Gaziantep, 21.02.2023

Filler

Clouds gather high above an F-86 Sabre static display at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., Aug. 9. Base officials dedicated the static aircraft on April 24, 1980.

NOAA's Geostationary Operation Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) is being offloaded from a C-5 transport aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite will be transported to the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida to prepare it for launch. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites. The GOES-R series - consisting of the GOES-R, GOES-S, GOES-T and GOES-U spacecraft - will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to launch March 1, 2018 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

A C-141 with the 60th AW from Travis AFB, Calif., taxis after arrival at McChord AFB, Wash., during RODEO 94. Scenic Mt. Rainier is in the background. Subject Operation/Series: RODEO '94 Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

This rear view shows an F/A-18E from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. The aircraft is in NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center Flight Loads Laboratory in Edwards, California, where it underwent the centers biggest load calibrations tests. This testing will permit the aircraft to serve as a test vehicle to determine if it can safely manage maneuvers and proposed upgrades.

The crowd views a MiG-29 Fulcrum aircraft, foreground, and an An-225 aircraft, left, two of the Soviet aircraft on display at Airshow Canada '89. Base: Abbotsford State: British Columbia (BC) Country: Canada (CAN)

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, LA, September 2, 2005 -- Residents affected by Hurricane Katrina are transported the airport for evaluation and then brought to shelters outside of the impacted area. Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Planes on display -Sun n Fun airshow, Lakeland Florida

The crowd finds shade from a C-17 Globemaster from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., during the Frontiers in Flight Air Show at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, Sept. 25, 2022. The air show featured 12 performers including Tora Tora Tora, an A-10 demonstration, and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to name a few. An air show, also known as an open house, is a way for military members and installations to show appreciation to local communities as well as showcase Department of Defense and Air Force capabilities. Wichita, home to McConnell AFB, is known as the Air Capital of the World, the birthplace of some very famous airframes.

A C-17 Globemaster III assigned to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, flies over central Florida during Operation Centennial Contact, June 27, 2023. During the operation, more than 150 aircraft flew above communities around the country and across the world to honor 100 years of air refueling excellence. With 100 years of experience, the U.S. Air Forces air refueling capabilities deliver unrivaled rapid global reach and meaningful maneuver for the Joint Force and our Allies and partners. Aerial refueling serves as a force multiplier, increasing the speed, range, lethality, flexibility and versatility of combat aircraft. Tankers also carry cargo and passengers, perform aeromedical evacuations, and enable strategic deterrence for the United States.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepare to offload the MAVEN spacecraft from a C-17 aircraft. The aircraft is delivering MAVEN for processing ahead of a launch later this year on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.MAVEN, short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, will orbit Mars to study the Red Planet's upper atmosphere in unprecedented detail.

A Lockheed LC-130H, nick named "The City of Albany," operated by the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, is parked on the ramp at Christchurch, New Zealand between deployments to the "ICE" in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE 2001 to Amundsen-Scott station at the South Pole. A Lockheed LC-130H, nick named "The City of Albany," operated by the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, is parked on the ramp at Christchurch, New Zealand between deployments to the "ICE" in support of Operation DEEP FREEZE 2001 to Amundsen-Scott station at the South Pole.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Associate Administrator for NASA Space Operations William Gerstenmaier and Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale examine the thermal protection system on the wing of space shuttle Discovery after its landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Discovery completed the 15-day mission STS-120, with an on-time landing at 1:01:16 p.m. Wheel stop was at 1:02:07 p.m. Mission elapsed time was 15 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds. Mission STS-120 continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.

A Nevada Air National Guard C-130H Hercules aircraft flies over Pyramid Lake, Nevada, during an Employers Supporting the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift, April, 15, 2022. One of the Nevada National Guards strategic priorities is to be engaged and involved with the local communities, and these flights are one of the ways the High Rollers build support from members of the Greater Reno Area.

A B-52 Stratofortress lands at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 30, 2011, after a sortie.

NASAs Super Guppy aircraft arrives on the tarmac after touching down at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The guppy is carrying the Orion crew module structural test article (STA). The STA will be offloaded and transported to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay for further testing.

020411-A-8359B-102. Base: Bird International Airport Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG)

USA, Wisconsin, Oshkosh, AirVenture 2016, Boeing Centennial Plaza, Lockheed C-5 Super Galaxy Of the 312 Airlift Squadron, USAF

Aircrafts - Blackhawk - 26-HK-50-12. Blackhawk with personnel on road near highway overpass. Hurricane Katrina

Dryden B-52 Launch Aircraft on Edwards AFB Runway

Refueling Helicopter in Flight

An air-to-air left side view of a 438th Airlift Wing, C-141 Starlifter flying over downtown area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The C-141, tail #40616 provides long range airlift capability for Air Mobility Command. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Base: Mcguire Air Force Base State: New Jersey (NJ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Air Show, Homestead, Florida, USA

Bill Clinton s departure at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport, Bombay Mumbai, Maharashtra, India NO MR Copyright: xMukeshxParpiani/DinodiaxPhotox

Aerial view of rows of retired aircraft baking under the desert sun at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base AMARG, Tucson, Arizona, United States.

Aerial view of rows upon rows of retired aircraft sit silently baking in the desert sun at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, United States.

A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System, assigned to the 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron, approaches Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska during the Arctic Thunder Open House at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 31, 2022. ATHOH is a biennial event hosted by JBER and is one of the largest in the state and one of the premier aerial demonstrations in the world. The event features multiple performers to include the JBER Joint Forces Demonstration Team, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team, Pacific Air Forces C-17 Demonstration Team and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team.

Airplanes at an airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

. USA H60 on ATC ramp. Hurricane Katrina

USA, California, Chinook Search and Rescue Helicopter, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Tucson, United States - 30 January 2025: Aerial view of rows of military aircraft resting in the desert, their weathered exteriors reflecting the fading light.

Historic aircraft Dornier Do 31 E1, Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen in the evening light, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

Spectators enjoy a close up view of a commemorative Air Force B-24 Liberator aircraft, nicknamed Ol' 927, as it taxis by after a World War II era flying demonstration during the Aviation Nation air show on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 11, 2007. Aviation Nation, which is the Air Force's premiere air show, is the capstone event of the Air Force's yearlong 60th anniversary celebration.

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