than 20 years. It has carried soldiers, tanks, equipment and supplies into war, and wounded warfighters out for lifesaving medical care at hospitals far away. When natural disasters hit, the C-17 is often one of the first aircraft on the scene with help—and hope. The first one rolled out of the McDonnell Douglas plant in Long Beach, Calif., in December 1990. With employees on hand to see it off, the last C-17, ship No. 279, left the factory for the paint shop on Aug. 7. It may have marked the end of the C-17 assembly line, but hardly the end for what is one of the world’s most versatile airlifters. Among the Boeing employees who turned out to see No. 279 leave the factory were Cary Lacayo and Daniel Anderson, who was there at the beginning, too, for that first rollout. Anderson has managed the C-17 engine shop and several other build and test packages in final assembly since 1992. He was one of the “move managers” for ship 279. “Moving the last production ship out of final assembly was a surreal experience, as I had been on the move team for ship 1, which was T-1, a flying test aircraft,” he said. The U.S. Air Force took delivery of its first C-17 in 1993, and eventually 222 more. The C-17 is expected to continue to be the mainstay airlifter for the Air Force Photo: Cary Lacayo, an aircraft hydraulic mechanic and C-17 final assembly team lead, connects the aircraft tow bar to move the aircraft to the paint shop. 50 Boein g Frontie rs
Frontiers September 2015 Issue
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