C-17 Flight

December 18, 2008

Photos by Arnie Stein and US Air Force

Ten USS Yorktown Volunteers, all W.W.II vets, were invited to take part (as passengers) in a U.S. Air Force training mission involving 13 C-17's. Arnie Stein, Tom Waldren and Dick Whitaker were assigned to plane # 6 which is in the photo of their formation passing over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge in Charleston. From here their plane flew north to Wilmington NC and then west to an airfield near Columbia SC where they made a cargo, parachute drop. They then flew south to the tip of Florida, turned and came back the CAFB in North Charleston. During the 6-hours plus in the air, they were seated in the cargo bay and were allowed to spend extended time in the cockpit. The C-17 is enormous. Needless to say, it was a great experience.

Thanks goes to Arnie Stein who spent two persistent years trying to put USS Yorktown Volunteers on one of the C-17 flights.