Big C-17 Transport Plane Lands In Antarctica

A fully loaded U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from McChord Air Force Base, WA lands, drops off cargo, and then takes-off at Phoenix Airfield in Antarctica. The Army Corps of Engineers built the compacted-snow runway after 16 continuous months of construction. The runway was designed using a compaction technique to modify the deep snow using heavy rollers weighing up to 160,000 pounds, to change the snow’s strength properties from its natural state creating a denser, higher strength snow foundation (32 inches deep) that can withstand the impact of a C-17 landing. And, in this particular case, the Phoenix runway was designed to withstand approximately 60 wheeled flights a year. Film Credits: U.S. Navy Video by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cosmo Walrath - Released