For the first time, Sun ‘n Fun will have a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III flexible cargo aircraft taking up airspace over Lakeland, according to Leenhouts. The aircraft is 174 feet long and offers more than a quarter million tons of tactical airlift.
The plane’s unique design gives the C-17 the unique ability to take off and land from small airfields, including those with runways as short as 3,500 feet and 90-feet wide. It also has the capacity to airdrop up to 102 paratroopers with its equipment.
The C-17’s full capabilities will be shown off by the U.S. Special Operations Command as early as the 1 p.m. Tuesday air show. The Black Daggers, The U.S. Army’s parachute demonstration team, will jump off the C-17 for performances in the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoon airshows.
