I've just become aware that the US FAA a couple of months ago signed perhaps the final death warrant of the BC-17 concept.This FAA decision, dated 23 September, denies a two-year-old petition from Boeing asking to exempt the BC-17 from the civil airworthiness certification process, a time-consuming, costly process that effectively made it impossible to convert the military airlifter into a outsize cargo carrier for the commercial market.
The surprise is not really that the FAA denied the exemption or that the BC-17 is finally, officially dead. But it is a little surprising to find out Boeing was still pursuing the concept as late as November 2007, when it submitted its last letter lobbying the FAA for the exemption.
Boeing's original petition in 2006 also reveals some surprising facts. Did you know, for example, that the US Air Force has contracted over 250 Antonov AN-124 flights valued at $85 million for outsize airlift services?
Recent Comments