Flightglobal:

In a first for the Boeing C-17, the Qatar Emiri Air Force's second production aircraft has been painted in the colours of a commercial airline ... ...

Author: Craig Hoyle

Date: 12 August 2009

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I admit it looks really good, but can you imagine the RAF's C-17s coming to land to help in an humanitarian crisis with BA's livery on the side of it. Or USAF's with a mixture of AA, Delta,United, Continental, US and Northwest (that would be psychedelic wouldn't it)

Does anyone see a future for this kind of experiment or is it another example of the extravagances of the UAE?

I think that people watching an aircraft landing with humanitarian aid would be more worried about the inside of the aircraft rather than the outside, and it would be brighter than the C-17s that fly over our house nearly every day (I live near Brize Norton).

It might look more strange unloading troops, I'll admit.

Hawkeye:

To me it's blatant attempt at avoiding being confused as a British or American aircraft is it not? 

Qatar Airways is state owned, I just assumed it was a publicity stunt to drum up business for the airline.

I think it looks awesome.

At least it's not crass commercialism as when BOAC painted one of their Concordes as a Pepsi can.

Pan Am entered the intercontinental bombing business with a B-52 in their colours.

 http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac155/droeth/Reference/

Would be interested to know what type of 'humanitarian aid' this particular aircraft will be assisting in (with it's discrete camouflage livery for tactical landings).....Ferrari F430 and Harrod's container 'drop' into Doha ??  

But then it wasn't BOAC (or even British Airways) - the Pepsi machine was an Air France example.

The only other colours on a British machine was the example with Singapore Airlines colours on one side.

 My bad. And of course you're right. If I'd bothered to look closer at my own pic i would have seen that. Apologies.

The old Soviet Union used to get up to this sort of thing too :

and

 I wonder how many passengers or how much freight the Mainstay carried in commercial Aeroflot service. Maybe they had first class in the radome!

Clockwinder:

..... Maybe they had first class in the radome!
 .....

Surely panoramic ..... something like the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant in the James Bond's movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" .....