Tracking USAF “Reach” military airlift — and what it costs
RCH Watch follows RCH (Reach) callsign missions — primarily C-17 Globemaster III airlift — using publicly broadcast ADS-B data. Every flight is logged with an inferred route and an estimated fuel and taxpayer-cost figure, so the scale of military air mobility is visible and auditable.
At a glance
4,976
Tracked flights
8,857.3
Flight hours
21,920,170 gal
Est. fuel burned
estimate
$76,720,598
Est. taxpayer cost
estimate
ETAR (1238 ops)
Busiest base
2026-04-24 → 2026-08-21
Date range
120 days
Estimates: fuel and cost are modelled from flight duration × a per-type burn rate (C-17 ≈ 2,400 gal/hr) at $3.50/gal of JP-8. Counts are a documented minimum — only watchlisted aircraft broadcasting ADS-B are seen. Full assumptions are on the methodology page.
Estimated cost over time
Latest tracked missions
| Date | Callsign | Aircraft | Type | Route (inferred) | Hours | Dist (nm) | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-21 | RCH348 | 92-3291 | C17 | North Atlantic → North Atlantic | 0.4 | 161 | $3,578 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH040 | 07-7170 | C17 | ETAD → EGXG | 1.0 | 431 | $8,585 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH2005 | 85-0005 | C5M | North Pacific → KSAC → KSUU | 1.6 | 577 | $18,988 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH623 | 01-0196 | C17 | LLBG → HETB | 0.4 | 270 | $3,385 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH177 | 10-0218 | C17 | RODN → RODN | 0.3 | 51 | $2,864 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH348 | 92-3291 | C17 | ETAR → North Atlantic | 4.1 | 1,701 | $34,196 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH623 | 01-0196 | C17 | ETAR → LGHI | 2.5 | 1,180 | $21,109 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH893 | 08-8200 | C17 | KADW → KGRF → KTCM | 5.3 | 2,088 | $44,738 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH2107 | 86-0021 | C5M | North Pacific → KSAC → KSUU | 0.9 | 266 | $11,294 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH115 | 92-3293 | C17 | Central Pacific → PHJR → PHIK | 0.9 | 324 | $7,787 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH253 | 97-0042 | C17 | KPSM → KNGU → KNGU | 1.5 | 498 | $12,726 |
| 2026-08-21 | RCH177 | 10-0218 | C17 | RJTY → RODN → RODN | 2.3 | 861 | $19,118 |
Browse all daily mission logs →
Top routes, bases & aircraft
Top routes
Busiest bases
- ETAR Ramstein Air Base1238 ops
- KWRI Mc Guire Air Force Bas513 ops
- LGMK Mykonos Island Nationa431 ops
- ETAD Spangdahlem Air Base281 ops
- KBGR Bangor International A234 ops
- KSUU Travis Air Force Base205 ops