The C-17 Globemaster III plane often acts as a flying hospital, equipped with medical equipment and other special features that help to treat soldiers while transporting them out of harm’s way.
Evacuating injured personnel is a critical element of any military operation. One such means for the United States is the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, aptly nicknamed “The Flying Hospital.
The plane is part of the Air Force’s Aeromedical Evacuation system, tasked with transporting patients in need of further medical care to hospitals outside the danger zone.
It is specially designed to be converted from a cargo plane to a medical facility in just 30 minutes.
The C-17 can accommodate up to 36 litters, which is a full set of medical equipment for each patient.
Six to eight medical personnel plus two loadmasters accompany these flights.
The medical team stays in contact with the flight crew to adjust the flight pattern in case of turbulence or to change the flying altitude to mitigate press