Military aircraft from nine foreign countries will soar over the South Sound today in preparation for Rodeo 2007, Air Mobility Command’s international air mobility competition, being held McChord Airforce Base between July 21 and July 27. The flight paths will be above and around McChord, and between the base and Moses Lake.

The military aircraft and teams will come from Brazil, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. German teams will be flying the C-160, a twin-turboprop cargo aircraft. All other international competitors will fly the C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft.

The competition will feature approximately 70 aircraft from United States and foreign air forces. Aircraft the U.S. Air Force teams will fly include: the C-21, the military version of a Lear Jet; T-1 Jayhawk, C-17 Globemaster III, the C-5 Galaxy, the C-130 Hercules, the KC-10 Extender and the KC-135 Stratotanker.