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
7,668
Tracked flights
13,857.0
Flight hours
34,564,907 gal
Est. fuel burned
estimate
$120,977,174
Est. taxpayer cost
estimate
ETAR (1893 ops)
Busiest base
2026-04-24 → 2026-10-20
Date range
176 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-20 | RCH661 | 10-0219 | C17 | North Atlantic → EDGS → ETAD | 1.9 | 804 | $16,069 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH4983 | 02-1106 | C17 | LGHI → ELLX → ETAD | 3.1 | 1,373 | $25,729 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH3205 | 07-7177 | C17 | ETAR → North Atlantic | 2.1 | 925 | $17,464 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH291 | 96-0002 | C17 | North Atlantic → KCHS → KCHS | 3.0 | 1,254 | $25,511 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH567 | 97-0042 | C17 | EGPK → LGAV → LGEL | 4.0 | 1,755 | $34,012 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH3242 | 06-6154 | C17 | KSUU → KEED → KEED | 1.2 | 467 | $10,466 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH279 | 92-3293 | C17 | EDQM → EGPK → EGPK | 1.8 | 702 | $15,229 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH120 | 03-3115 | C17 | North Pacific → KDTS → KHRT | 3.7 | 1,821 | $31,382 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH912 | 07-7172 | C17 | CYQX → KNGU → KNGU | 3.4 | 1,235 | $28,274 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH117 | 09-9207 | C17 | North Atlantic → ETAD → ETAD | 2.1 | 860 | $17,539 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH661 | 10-0219 | C17 | KPSM → CYPD | 1.0 | 469 | $8,568 |
| 2026-10-20 | RCH133 | 04-3142 | C30J | KBBG → KLRF → KLRF | 1.6 | 256 | $3,667 |
Browse all daily mission logs →
Top routes, bases & aircraft
Top routes
Busiest bases
- ETAR Ramstein Air Base1893 ops
- KWRI Mc Guire Air Force Bas603 ops
- LGMK Mykonos Island Nationa531 ops
- ETAD Spangdahlem Air Base390 ops
- KDOV Dover Civil Air Termin389 ops
- KBGR Bangor International A347 ops