Massive Plane Appears To Hover Above Cheyenne

If you live near some of Wyoming's more interesting airports, like the one in Cheyenne or Casper, you'll see some amazing planes come and go.

Earlier this week, the post that you can see below appeared on Facebook as a C-17 Globemaster came to land at the Capital city.

But why did it look like it was standing still, hovering in mid-air?

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a premier heavy-lift tactical military transport aircraft, renowned for its ability to rapidly deliver troops and up to 170,900 lbs. of cargo directly to small, austere airfields globally. With a cruising speed of 520 mph and a range of over 6,200 nautical miles, it features unmatched versatility for humanitarian relief, medical evacuation, and combat, including, famously, landing on unpaved surfaces.

The plane looked like it was hovering in midair. But it was actually moving fast. So why the illusion? It's freaky, isn't it?

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III typically lands at speeds between 113 and 156 knots (approx. 130–180 mph). So, it was not moving slowly when people saw it above Cheyenne.

Large airplanes look like they are hovering due to an optical illusion called parallax, combined with their immense size, high altitude, and relatively slow speed during landing. When viewed from a moving vehicle or far distance, the lack of reference points makes the plane appear stationary against the sky.

The bigger the plane the bigger the illusion.

Watch the video below - it will FREAK YOU OUT!

Big airplanes like the Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming airports, because of their long runways and their location, roughly in the center of the country. It is a perfect place to refuel.

You'll also see these planes come into practice when Wyoming is at its windiest. Heavy winds and gusts are a perfect time for crews to practice in harsh conditions.