Cockpit of the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (96-0006) from the United States Air Force at the ILA 2006, Berlin-Schönefeld (Germany)
(Internationale Luftfahrt-Ausstellung, ILA or International Aviation Exhibition - also known as Berlin Air Show)

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 carries forward the name of two previous piston-engined military cargo aircraft, the Douglas C-74 Globemaster and the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. The C-17 commonly performs strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop duties. The C-17 is powered by four
Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines, which are based on the commercial Pratt and Whitney PW2040 used on the Boeing 757.
The aircraft requires a crew of three (pilot, copilot, and loadmaster) for cargo operations. Cargo is loaded through a large aft ramp that accommodates rolling stock, such as a 69-ton (63-metric ton) M1 Abrams main battle tank, other armored vehicles, trucks, and trailers,
along with palletized cargo. The C-17 is designed to operate from runways as short as 1064 metres (3500 ft) and as narrow as 27 metres (90 ft).
In addition, the C-17 can operate from unpaved, unimproved runways (although with greater chance of damage to the aircraft). The first production model was delivered to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina on 14 July 1993. The first C-17 squadron, the 17th Airlift Squadron,
became operationally ready on 17 January 1995. Aside from the United States, the C-17 is in service with the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, NATO Heavy Airlift Wing, India, and Kuwait. In September 2013, Boeing announced that it is beginning to
close down C-17 production; the main wing spar of the 279th aircraft, the last aircraft, was completed in October 2014.