It’s not hard to see why the Royal Australian Air Force aircraft is called a Globemaster.
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When it landed at Launceston Airport, it dwarfed the nearby taxiing planes and buses used to transport pupils visiting the aircraft on Wednesday.
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster is a strategic transport aircraft that is capable of deploying troops, combat vehicles, heavy equipment, aid and helicopters.
Many of the Launceston Preparatory School pupils gawked as they toured the aircraft with Australian Air Force Cadets.
RAAF Wing Commander Linda Corbould OA, of Launceston, said the cargo bay could squeeze in three Black Hawk helicopters with their rotors off.
She was the first Australian female pilot to command a C-17 Globemaster when she flew it from Hawaii to Canberra more than a decade ago.
The aircraft was often used to transport humanitarian aid as well as moving equipment to and from Antarctica, W Cdr Corbould said.
About eight Globemasters are in Australia, but this was the first time one had stopped in Launceston for a couple of hours, W Cdr Corbould said.
RAAF Leading Aircraftwoman Shay Crans pursued her passion for the air force as a cadet in Launceston.
She certainly knows her way around a Globemaster.
LAC Crans is an aeronautical life support fitter who is responsible for keeping the emergency systems in order for both the aircraft and the aircrew.
Her career has taken her around Australia and to Washington for a two-week international training exercise.
Walking onto Globemasters most working days, LAC Crans said she didn’t realise she took them for granted.
It wasn’t until she saw the awe on people’s faces as they stepped up the ladder and into the enormous cargo bay that she appreciated what an opportunity it was to work on the machines, she said.
Navy Reserve Chief Petty Office Michael Davis said Wednesday was a rare opportunity for the North as the last aircraft available for a tour visited two-and-a-half years ago.