Australian C-17 makes dirt landing - Australian Defence Magazine

The RAAF's C-17 Heavy Air Lift aircraft based at Amberley has achieved a major milestone in support of Australian Defence Force operations in Afghanistan with the first landing on the remote airstrip at Tarin Kowt to deliver vital stores and equipment.

"What made the mission a significant milestone for this aircraft was the fact the airstrip at Tarin Kowt is a dirt strip and this was the first ever landing and take off by an Australian C-17 on dirt in a war zone, which presents a whole range of new challenges for jet aircraft," the Air Component Commander of the Joint Australian Task Force in the Middle East Group, Captain Gary Martin, said.

The Commander of Australian forces in the Middle East, Major General Mark Kelly, said the arrival of the aircraft at Tarin Kowt was a significant achievement for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the coalition mission in Afghanistan.