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
2,061
Tracked flights
3,641.9
Flight hours
8,908,628 gal
Est. fuel burned
estimate
$31,180,199
Est. taxpayer cost
estimate
ETAR (484 ops)
Busiest base
2026-04-24 → 2026-07-13
Date range
81 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-13 | RCH528 | 59-1488 | K35R | North Atlantic → Mediterranean | 3.8 | 1,870 | $35,579 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH102 | 09-9211 | C17 | PHNL → Central Pacific | 0.6 | 237 | $5,166 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH308 | 97-0043 | C17 | ETAR → LGMK | 2.6 | 1,190 | $21,806 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH490 | 10-0219 | C17 | KADW → CYFC | 1.5 | 619 | $12,776 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH042 | 99-0062 | C17 | ETAR → Mediterranean | 2.2 | 1,016 | $18,598 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH485 | 08-8200 | C17 | KDCA → CYPD | 1.9 | 849 | $15,943 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH404 | 99-0059 | C17 | KDOV → North Atlantic | 0.8 | 342 | $6,611 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH118 | 02-1099 | C17 | LRCK → LCPH → LCPH | 2.4 | 937 | $20,328 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH534 | 02-1112 | C17 | North Pacific → KWRI → KWRI | 0.5 | 145 | $4,200 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH749 | 05-5142 | C17 | RKSO → North Pacific | 2.2 | 963 | $18,110 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH102 | 09-9211 | C17 | Central Pacific → PHJR → PHIK | 1.0 | 329 | $8,224 |
| 2026-07-13 | RCH404 | 99-0059 | C17 | North Pacific → KDOV → KDOV | 3.3 | 1,516 | $27,737 |
Browse all daily mission logs →
Top routes, bases & aircraft
Top routes
Busiest bases
- ETAR Ramstein Air Base484 ops
- KWRI Mc Guire Air Force Bas245 ops
- LGMK Mykonos Island Nationa164 ops
- ETAD Spangdahlem Air Base144 ops
- KBGR Bangor International A124 ops
- KCHS Charleston Internation98 ops