News

LA-native to fly C-17 to Dover

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Brian Maguire
  • 436 AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Los Angeles-area native Lt. Col. Charlie Ohliger, 436th Operations Support Squadron operations officer, will pilot the 13th and final C-17 Globemaster III assigned to Dover Air Force Base Oct. 8. 

Colonel Ohliger will pilot the aircraft alongside Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, Air Mobility Command commander, from the Boeing C-17 Production Facility in Long Beach, Calif., to Dover. 

The North Torrance High School graduate dreamed of flying the C-17 and was exposed to the aircraft growing up around McDonnell Douglas, especially living only 15 miles from the production facility. 

"What I did see was the local interest in the new aircraft, McDonnell Douglas' advertisements for the aircraft and stories in Air Force/government circles related to the C-17's future," Colonel Ohliger said. "I think I was captivated initially by the appearance of the C-17 and its general purpose/mission role." 

Over the past 15 months, Team Dover has received 12 C-17s fresh from the Long Beach production facility, and supported American interests around the globe. Aircraft and aircrew from Dover have delivered personnel and supplies to the warfighter, transported two giant squids for the Smithsonian Museum, provided support both before and after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and delivered the first shipment of humanitarian aid to the Republic of Georgia. 

"(The C-17) is a phenomenally successful aircraft that is well suited for the requirements of our military forces today," said Colonel Ohliger. "It is easy to operate, very reliable and exceptionally capable. We keep finding new ways that it excels." 

With all the high-profile missions the C-17s from Dover have performed since the first delivery June 4, 2007, the most memorable mission for Colonel Ohliger remains a flight into Moscow in 2000. 

"The Cold War had been over for some time and travel to the Commonwealth of Independent States was relatively normal," Colonel Ohliger said. "The notion of me landing an Air Force C-17 with an American flag on the tail at Russia's international airport was still unbelievable." 

As the instructor pilot for the flight, Colonel Ohliger will sit in the copilot's seat next to General Lichte, the delivery official for the aircraft. Flying alongside a general officer is nothing new for the colonel, who was previously the designated pilot to fly with flag officers, specifically the U.S. Transportation Command and AMC commanders. 

"Frankly, although I'm excited to fly with him, I'm more excited to be involved with the delivery of the last C-17 to Dover," Colonel Ohliger said. "That is the really significant piece of this trip."