The annual commemoration WWII operation Market
Garden saw the debut of an USAF Boeing C-17A Globemaster III. The
transport aircraft assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing (AW) based at
Charleston AFB, SC arrived at Eindhoven Air Base on Monday September
14th. The previous USAF participation consisted of Lockheed-Martin C-130
Hercules aircraft from either 86th AW based at Ramstein Germany or
stateside wings.
The other transport aircraft arrived on Tuesday (two German Air Force
C-160D Transall) and Thursday (Belgian Air Component Lockheed-Martin
C-130H Hercules). They took part in exercise
Falcon Leap
2015 together with the a Dutch Hercules.
As the previous days also on the Saturday the
weather again didn't co-operate resulting in the cancellation of the
morning wave. At noon it was decided the afternoon mission could be
flown however not in the 'normal' formation but with a 15 minute
separation between the aircraft which could complete two or three runs
over the Ginkelse Heide and then return to Eindhoven. The sequence was
made by a Dutch C-130H-30 followed by the two C-160Ds and then the
Belgian C-130H. All approaching from a Western direction compared to the
Southern route taken in September 1944. Just after 15.00 the 437th AW
Globemaster III made its Market Garden debut. With the capability to
drop around 100 paratroopers the C-17A made a couple of runs from the
South before returning to its temporarily home base and completing the
Market Garden 2015 commemorations at the Ginkelse Heide. |
