'Operation Dumbo Drop' revisited

[CommunityEditor]

Here’s a flight the loadmasters will tell their children about.

The Air Force is looking at a request to fly an elephant aboard a C-17 Globemaster from Alaska to California.

The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, Alaska needs to move Maggie, an 8,000-pound pacaderm from the zoo to northern California where Maggie will take up residence at an animal sanctuary.

The zoo has asked if the Air Force would fly the mission. As of Oct. 23, the request was still under consideration, an Air Force spokesman said.

Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage is home to the 3rd Wing and a C-17 squadron.

During the journey, Maggie would be packed inside a cage-like crate measuring 12 feet long, 6 feet wide and by 9½ feet tall, small enough to fit inside a C-17.

If the Air Force does fly Maggie south, she won’t be the first large creature to be flown inside a C-17.

In 1998, a C-17 airlifted the killer whale Keiko, made famous in the movie “Free Willy,” from Oregon to Iceland. When the jet landed in Iceland, its right forward landing gear broke. An investigation determined that improper maintenance of metal landing gear supports had weakened the landing gear. The final repair bill was more than $1 million.


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Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dumbo_Drop


During a time of war, is this something the Air Force should be involved in? What's your take on the Air Force moving Maggie?

Here's an idea fly me some ABU to AAFES stores. tax dollars wasted again!!!!!

No tax dollars will go toward this mission. Maggie's trip will be paid for by PAWS, the sanctuary that will become her new home. For those involved with the welfare of captive elephants, Maggie's trip to PAWS will cap off years of fighting for her freedom. It will be wonderful pr for the Air Force. I hope they do it!

I think they should. Even if the Air Force isn't paying for it there is a risk (hence the reference to the last mission) but this would be a good will mission that will make news. Maybe after the nuke issue the Air Force can use some good press.

I think the whole thing is a terrible idea and just a feel good story for some people who don't have a clue.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I think the whole thing is a terrible idea and just a feel good story for some people who don't have a clue.

But of course you do have a clue. And the clue is...?

Why not the C-17 flyboys got nothing else to do. I will come back from retirement to fly the misson for them. Even better let get whole crew of retired crewmembers to fly the mission. Now thats PR!!!!

Retired C-17 LM!!!!

Go Air Force!

There's nothing unusual or new with this particular mission tasking.

AMC Current Operations have been scheduling missions like these for years. Willing to pay $50,000 a flight hour? You too can contract with Air Mobility Command.

I remember we once contracted with a major University to fly a group of Mt. Everest mountain climbers all the way to Katmandu Nepal on a C-5. They paid for it!

Our vital airlift aircraft are a precious national resource and should be made available to the people of the United States to further our public and private economic, academic, philanthropic, scientific and social interests. And why not? Foreign governments contract with Air Mobility Command for things like Foreign Military Sales of equipment. We haul UN peacekeepers too!

Sometimes we even get good publicity (for once) out of the deal.

[The Universal Curmudgeon_guest]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

But of course you do have a clue. And the clue is...?

I could be wrong, but I think that "The Clue" is that they are a member of TICTACTOE ("The Internationanal Campaigners Treasuring And Conserving The Olaskan Elephant").

I mean, do you realize that this flight would result in the total extinction of the Olaskan Elephant and the consequent loss of its tax-exempt status for TICTACTOE?

For all you clueless people out there:

1. PAWS is paying for this not the taxpayer.
2. Per Federal Law and DoD policy, the AF or any service can only offer lift when commerical air carriers can't do the job. In this case that is true due to the size of Maggie and her crate.
3. Requests like these go through and extensive legal and policy reviews all the way up the chain before being approved...so it's not just some C-17 unit making a feel good decsion on their own.
4. Your comment about ABUs wouldn't make any difference as that's a procurment and manufacturing problem not a transportation issue.
5. If you don't have functional expertise in this area you shouldn't think you know what the deal is!