Can C-17 aircraft fly in trail when dropping personnel?

The operation of C-17 aircraft regarding personnel drops is governed by specific safety and tactical procedures. When it comes to dropping personnel, C-17 aircraft are not authorized to fly in a trail formation, which refers to one aircraft flying directly behind another. This is mainly due to the risk of collision and the complexities involved in maintaining adequate spacing for personnel deployment.

In a drop sequence, aircraft need to maintain a safe separation to ensure that parachutists have adequate space to exit the aircraft and deploy their parachutes safely. Flying in a trail formation could jeopardize the safety of the jumpers and create hazards during the deployment, particularly concerning wake turbulence and other aerodynamic factors.

Therefore, the correct understanding is that C-17 aircraft cannot fly in trail while conducting personnel drops, which makes the answer 'No' accurate.