According to a press release published by Boeing on May 27, 2021, the company will continue training Royal Air Force (RAF) C-17 aircrew and engineers at the C-17 International Training Centre (ITC) in Farnborough, delivering a technology-enabled program under a new Synthetic Training Service (STS) contract through 2040.
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USAF C-17s in flight (Picture source: US Air Force)
The training program will apply a combination of digitally based training, advanced aircraft simulation and desktop training devices to advance the expertise of pilots, loadmasters and engineers who operate and maintain the C-17. The STS contract also includes development of two new engineering training devices that employ the latest technology for practical maintenance training on a C-17 wing engine and the main landing gear assembly.
Since 2014, Boeing has provided aircrew and engineering training support for the RAF’s C-17 Globemaster III fleet, which first arrived in the UK in 2001. The C-17 can carry equipment, supplies and troops directly to airfields in harsh terrain anywhere in the world, day or night, as well as supporting humanitarian operations. Today the RAF is one of nine global operators.
The ITC is home to a C-17 full flight training simulator, a fixed-base maintenance procedure trainer and a loadmaster station. These devices, related courseware and support equipment, along with a group of 20 Boeing instructors and support staff, provide instruction on in-flight and ground operations checks, emergency procedures and C-17 avionic and mechanical systems. Along with the RAF, C-17 operators from defense forces around the world engage in training sessions with the Boeing team in Farnborough.
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. It was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas.
The C-17 isa high-wing, 4-engine, T-tailed military-transport aircraft, multi-service transport aircraft for large equipment, supplies and troops directly to small airfields in harsh terrain anywhere in the world day or night. The massive, sturdy, long-haul aircraft tackles distance, destination and heavy, oversized payloads in unpredictable conditions. It has delivered cargo in every worldwide operation since the 1990s.
The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required.
