"Dan Moos" wrote in message
news:n_IHd.8859$IP6.2793@trnddc05...
I live in Washington state, home of McCord airforce base. They have C-17's
there, and the local news station just stated what seems to me to be an
unbelievable fact. They reported that th C-17 can descend 20,000 feet in 1
minute. Now I'm a general aviation pilot, and 2,000 feet per minute is a
fast descent in my world. Is 20,000 fpm with a C-17 for real, or did the
news (KOMO channel 4 for you other western Washinton folks) get it wrong?


When in doubt assume what a reporter says about airplanes is the result of
clueless people with hairspray poisoning. This rule-of-thumb is virtually
never wrong.

The Navy's S-3 Viking used to be famous for one of the highest rates of
descent. When I got time in the sim at JAX we were told they could set off
ATC alarms with a fast descent. It's a much smaller aircraft than a C-17 so
I assume the C-17 would not "out sink" it.

--

Scott

Liberals love America like OJ loved Nicole. - Ann Coulter