Australia’s Sunshine Coast was surprised yesterday when a pair of RAAF C-17A Globemaster III cargo jets came screaming in low, just off the beach, in a trailing tactical formation. The huge jets approached maneuvering hard and executed a tight turn right over the ocean side town of Noosa before continuing on their way. This awesome moment was caught in the video below:
The flight was a low-level training mission executed by RAAF Base Amberley’s No. 36 Squadron, the RAAF’s only C-17 unit with eight examples on hand. American C-17 units also practice low-level flying and the big jet is known to be incredibly nimble down low for its size. Although, in the U.S., these missions are usually executed over sparsely populated areas.
The RAAF is known for putting some spectacular displays with their equipment in urban areas, but usually these are for major events, such as races, air shows and national celebrations. Before their retirement, RAAF’s F-111 Aardvarks were usually the stars of these appearances with their “dump and burn” capability.
Still, surprise air shows are the best kind of air shows. Well done No. 36 Squadron, well done.
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