This Cool Video Shows A U.S. C-17 Airlifter Flying At Low Level Through The Mach Loop for First Time

David Cenciotti
2 Min Read

A cool footage of the big C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in the Mach Loop low level training area!

Some unpopulated areas of the UK, designated ‘Low Flying Area’ (LFA), as LFA-14 (Scotland), LFA-17 (Lake District) and LFA-7 (North West Wales), have been chosen for training activities of RAF at altitude as low as 250 feet.

LFA-7, used also by U.S. units as well as allied air arms and aerospace industries, has a series of valleys lined by steep sides with mountains either side rising to around 1,000 meters that allows the pilot to do training circuits at ultra-low level altitude.

UK aviation enthusiasts have nicknamed LFA-7 the “Mach Loop” after the small town at the circuits’ most southern point: Machynlleth.

Well, the “Mach Loop”  has just “scored” another first: earlier today a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III (belonging to the 315th Airlift Wing from Joint Base Charleston, S.C.) made two low-level passes through the valley area!

Aviation photographer and Mach Loop regular Paul Williams has just filmed the following really amazing video of the big airlifter maneuvering through the famous Mach Loop at very low altitude (notice the “condensation clouds generated by the aircraft as it flies through the valley in front of the photographers.)

More from The Aviationist

The Incredible Armada of Aircraft Behind 1969’s Battle of Britain Film

On Sept. 15, 1969, cinema audiences were treated to a dramatic portrayal…

Kai Greet Kai Greet

US Approves Possible Sale of Nine KC-46A Pegasus Tankers for Japan

The latest deal would take the number of KC-46As in Japan’s inventory…

Parth Satam Parth Satam

U.S. State Department Approves $7.2B Sale Of F-35 Jets To Romania

The Foreign Military Sale’s approval comes after Romania announced the plan to…

Stefano D'Urso Stefano D'Urso

DARPA Awards BAE Systems $4 Million for Autonomous Beyond Visual Range Air Combat Program

Autonomy solutions for BVR combat will initially be developed and demonstrated on…

Parth Satam Parth Satam

H/T Tom Demerly for finding this!

Share This Article
6 Comments