OUR HISTORY

Assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing (AMC) and the 315th Airlift Wing (AFRC), Charleston AFB, S.C.  

C-17A -0006 fly's in formation with a vintage Douglas C-54 Skymaster. The C-54 flew more missions than any other aircraft that participated in the Berlin Airlift. 

The "Spirit of Berlin" was christened during a ceremony on May,14 1998 in Berlin, Germany. This event marked the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift June 1948 to September 1949. The following pictures were taken in Berlin, Germany in May 1998.

            Burkhard Domke                                                                       www.b-domke.de

            Burkhard Domke                                                                       www.b-domke.de

            Burkhard Domke                                                                       www.b-domke.de

            Burkhard Domke                                                                       www.b-domke.de

            Burkhard Domke                                                                       www.b-domke.de

The Spirit of Berlin participated in what will always be a memorable mission for the C-17, the Operation Keiko Lift.

Members of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation, who owned and cared for the 20-year-old celebrity wale, have planned for some time to return Keiko to his North Atlantic birthplace. The group, formed in 1994, brought Keiko from a Mexican amusement park to the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Air Force officials gave the foundation the green light August 27, 1998 to transport the killer whale for the final leg of his journey home to the waters where he was captured in 1979 The foundation requested the C-17 because it is the only aircraft in the world capable able to haul such a heavy payload, refuel in-flight, and land on short, rough airstrips. Other aircraft with similar cargo capacity typically require at least twice the landing distance and cannot land on gravel terrain.

The C-17 Globemaster is equipped to fly the 10,000-pound whale in his 35,000-pound transport container and land on the 3,900-foot airstrip adjacent to his bay pen. Although Keiko and his "luggage" weighed in at nearly 81,000 pounds, the C-17 is capable of carrying a maximum payload of more than twice that weight. Other aircraft with similar cargo capacity typically require at least twice the landing distance and cannot land on gravel terrain.

The Free Willy Keiko Foundation paid all costs associated with the flight. Keiko was  transported in a custom-built transport container filled with cold seawater. Keiko left Newport aboard “The Spirit of Berlin” September 9, 1998 and arrived in the Westman Islands in Iceland on September 10. The entire trip took about 11 hours, including the nine hours of flight time.

Keiko, star of the "Free Willy" movies, is lowered by crane into a transport box aboard a United Parcel Service truck. The 10,000-pound whale left his Oregon Coast Aquarium pool in Newport and headed for Iceland at approximately 6 p.m. PDT, September 9, 1998.  

Members of the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron from McChord AFB and 83rd Aerial Port Squadron based at Portland, OR, secure the tie-down chains holding Keiko and his transport tank . The mission, flown by the 15th Airlift Squadron from Charleston AFB, S.C. and paid for by the Free Willy Keiko Foundation.  

Elbow room was sparse inside the cargo bay of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from 15th Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. The C-17 was enroute to Wayman Islands, Iceland, as the airlift for Operation Keiko Lift. The operation was to airlift a 10,000-pound orca to his native waters in Iceland and was funded by the Free Willy Keiko Foundation. 

C-17A "The Spirit of Berlin" from the 15th Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. delivers Keiko, a nearly 10,000 pound orca, to Westman Island, Iceland.