BERLIN -- "The Spirit of Berlin" proved a big hit both literally and figuratively during the 2006 Berlin Air Show.
When spectators entered the C-17 Globemaster III through the crew entry door, the typical reaction was to stop, stare in awe at the cavernous interior, and say, "Oh, my gosh!"
"You got that all day, every day," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Don Rix, a loadmaster from the 315th airlift Wing who traveled from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., to join a group of approximately 60 Airmen and Soldiers displaying 10 aircraft from the U.S. and Europe.
Despite spotty weather, more than 120,000 people turned out for the final three days of the May 16-21 air show that was open only to trade and industry earlier in the week. But of the more than 300 aircraft at the show, the C-17 was classed number five among the top 10 aircraft, according to an unofficial ranking by a Berlin newspaper.
"It's big," Tech. Sgt. Rix said of his cargo plane parked near the even larger Airbus A-380 and several Russian military and civilian aircraft. "The people are in awe of it." And that's a compliment, according to the extensive aviation knowledge many visitors possessed.
The C-17 also impresses Rix, who describes himself as a "baby C-17 guy" because the Globemaster is the only aircraft the Reservist has known in the Air Force. "This thing is the Cadillac of airlift," he said of the C-17, noting its versatility for both tactical and strategic missions.
As a loadmaster, Rix described the C-17 as very forgiving with weight and balance when it comes to loading cargo on board. If something is able to fit through the door, he said, the computerized loading assistance program will allow it to be loaded.
The sergeant has had ample opportunity to learn its interoperability, having flown a variety of missions ranging from presidential support to delivering supplies to Iraq, as well as airdrops and repatriation missions of missing servicemembers from Vietnam.
Pilots are impressed as well. Air Force Maj. Rob House flew the C-141 before it was replaced by the C-17. At first his loyalty held strong to the Starlifter, but the Globemaster won him over.
"Everything we ask it to do, it does," Maj. House said of the aircraft he's flown now for almost 10 years. The new Globemaster computers replaced paper and mental math when it comes to tasks such as setting up a flight plan to be at a specific location at a specific time.
Other features, such as the heads up display that shows flight information on a clear screen in front of the pilot, make the C-17 the airlifter of choice, and he agrees that spectators at the Berlin Air Show are equally aware of such capabilities.
"The people here are pretty knowledgeable of aviation in general, and there is definitely a lot of interest in anything to do with flying.
The Berlin Air Show is one of the premier events of its type in the world. U.S. military participation contributes to a number of U.S. security and foreign policy interests. Participation promotes standardization and interoperability of equipment with U.S. NATO allies and other potential coalition partners, highlights the strengths of the U.S. commitment to the security of Europe, and demonstrates that U.S. industry is producing equipment that will be critical to the success of current and future military operations.