In 1973 I was a member of an 8 or 9 man industry advisory panel on structural integrity (ASIP), which went to San Antonio (SAAMA) to tour the new C-5 Galaxy, which was having early metal fatigue problems. I was an engineering manager at Boeing, with extensive experience on the B-47, B-52 and 747. It was an awesome plane. I am now 96, and it was a memorable trip.
At Dover AFB, had us stripping epoxy paint off wing box fasteners. Only use plastic scrapers with useless paint stripper. Not to hide damage to suspected fatigue cracks on nuts.
My father worked at Lockheed and was involved with the C-5, C-141 and the C-130 programs. He and everyone working there in the 1960's and 1970's were very proud to design and build these aircraft.
I was a C-5 flight engineer from 93 to 11. I am very impressed with your accuracy. One of the the things I carried was a YF-22. Thanks for posting and making awesome videos.
@@davefleming775 So you remember the anthrax debacle of the late 90's? I was there then but I never got the jab as I was not a flyer. Wing King, Col. Greeter suspended the vax at the height of the whole thing and was summarily called up to the Pentagon soon after. A great man who did the right thing by listening to the Dr.'s at Dover. The DoD "surprisingly" ran out of the vax and it was halted DoD wide.
I changed the doors on both c models in the 90’s as well as worked the gear and flight controls. They couldn’t support the parts needs of the aircraft so we constantly had to tear apart a plane to support the others and then rebuild it and start over with a new one to steal from. The needs of just the wheels and tires were at times a day and night operation. I was never able to know how they scheduled all that but it blew my mind that we kept most of them flying most of the time. It was not just big on its own, physically. The whole program to keep it flying was a huge effort. Lots of amazing people working really hard to keep it going all day and night for decades.
That's why we're in debt here in America and we're about to go downhill super fast.... Paying for these monstrosities that no other country even attempts to have and now we're broke as s*** because of God damn Biden voters
@@bval2201 Has absolutely nothing to do with political affiliation... He's just as asshole. It's that simple! 😁 _(I say this, as a true blue Dem myself. We don't act like that, and even when provoked, it'll have more substance! lol)_ He did the same on Lawrence Gore's comment on this video; said "sure sure" and nothing more. He's just a confused and bored troll. (although in reality, him adding comments only helps Dark Skies... so maybe he's trying to help and has poorly chosen his response 🤷♂️🤷♂️)
My dad worked at Lockheed in Marietta starting in 1980, and he was a part of the work done on the C-5s in the late 90s to upgrade them and strenghten their frames. Where we lived was probably 10-12 miles from the plant but we were directly in the approach vector for Dobbins AFB from the west so growing up I got to see so many awesome planes fly over and the C-5s were awesome to see and sometimes they would be kinda low. Made such a distinct sound you could always here it coming. I can't even count the THOUSANDS of C-130s coming over. The drone of Hercules flying over 7 at a time is a sound burned into my brain forever more. The most memorable of them all is the B-1 Lancer. That is without a doubt the loudest airplane ever conceived and this thing came over my house like it was only moving fast enough to keep from falling out of the sky. Sitting in my bedroom I thought the world was coming to an end until I ran outside and saw that thing wings spread wide just trolling the countryside. I still want to know what the red light-orb me and my parents saw being chased by F-18s that one time was about. The freaking thing shot across the sky and disappeared with a pair of Hornets chasing it and they had their lights flashing on their planes like I had never seen too. All they could do was just turn their lights back off and head back for Dobbins like whatever. Crazy stuff man.
As a young 20somthing AC mech outta college my first Aircraft to work on was the C5 galaxy. Intimidated at first by size and heights I wasn’t comfortable with I learned and grew as a professional and person on this plane and meet some of the best ppl whom I still call friends today. I was on top of a B model replacing some panels when I saw the prototype M model land. We all looked at each other curious because it was so quiet in comparison to screams of the original engines. This aircraft will forever remain in my memories and heart and thank you Dark Skies for finally getting around to making a video on it.
I remember as a little boy in 1980 seeing my first C-5 Galaxy at an air show in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. I remember it had a small plaque on its massive aft ramp that said. "The largest aircraft in the free world." I still remember how massive it was inside.
I always went to the London International Airshow and they always had a C-5 open, allowing people to walk through it. It looks big when in the air. But it looked gigantic when you walk through it.
Besides the "thumping" of the UH-1, those TF-39's of the C-5 A & B are the most distinct aircraft engines of the dozens of aircraft I grew up around being an Air Force brat (spending 12 of those 18 years living in West Germany). My personal nickname for those C-5 engines was "The Banshee Engine", especially under a full load. I was able to take a 2 hour flight being an AFJROTC cadet out of Travis AFB in the spring of '85. Two years later I caught a Space Available flight from Dover AFB to Rota NAS while on leave while in the Marine Corps. Such an amazing aircraft...
One almost dug a wing in at KKMC during Desert Storm. Extreme crazy gusting cross winds. Wing tip nearly touched ground. Fortunately ground between taxiway and runway was lower than runway. Been flat, been game over. Aircraft had 36 pallets of 2.5 rockets. Two more C-5's parked behind one we were off loading. Chit hot pilot saved day.
@@roadglide1745 My dad was assigned to HQ Sqdn HQ USAFE as their First Sergeant when the C-5 crashed on takeoff from Ramstein during Desert Shield. They lived about 3 klicks off the end of the take off flight path for jets flying out of there. Had that Galaxy flown about another 1000 meters I might have lost mom, dad and brother. I was there for the first year of his 5 year stint at Ramstein. The old high school sat about 500 meters north of the departure line and we always got amazing views of all the F-4's and F-16's they were transitioning into plus the entire catalog of MAC aircraft. One Saturday in late Oct 85 I was at the school for a home game and it was about 34⁰ with a headwind gusting upwards of 40mph and just a heavy drizzle. About mid 3rd quarter I could hear the C5 starting its takeoff roll and it must have fillec to capacity as even over the howling wind and about 2 klicks distance I could hear the screaming engines. Time seemed to really slow down as it felt like the entire sequence I am describing to take place took at least 10 minutes. Soon enough we could make out the C5 seemingly floating in mid air. Several times it looked as though it was only staying aloft because of the howling headwind and the huge flaps. I had a knot in my stomach swearing to God I was witnessing a horrific crash unfolding in super slow motion (almost a frame-by-frame feeling). When the aircraft finally made it into the clouds did that knot clear. I can just imagine the crew all fasping for breath after the true airspeed indicator actually showed true forward speed.
@@Wolverines77 Remember that crash. Don't recall if they found cause. The load master was in PAX compartment and walked away. So, the story goes. Size of A/C can cause illusion its barely flying. At Dover AFB, Air Force One would do touch and goes, beautiful jet. C-5's doing same thing, looked like they were just barely flying. C-5 climbed out at KKMC after a daylight SCUD attack. Max power empty, spiraled up over airfield. Said it was supposed keep clear of any more incoming SCUDS. ?. Firewalled those engines, impressive sight. Last hours of war. One F-16 came in with battle damage. Shrapnel peppered underside of jet just forward of intake. Forward landing gear collapsed on landing. It slid forever down runway. Finally stopped near us. Canopy opened. Thought for sure pilot would scramble out. Naw, he just sat there with both hands-on cockpit rails, shaking his head. Flocked up my jet moment. Memories.
@@roadglide1745 I mentioned you in my thanks to Lawrence Gore, but I'll properly say it here: thank you for sharing these amazing stories. 😊🍻😎 ❤ _EDIT:_ 🤦♂️ _Oops! My 'thanks' extends to you as well, Wolverines77!_ 🫡
What's truly amazing is this airplane was built without CAD. My father was a mechanical engineer who did everything on the drawing board just as I started out as until I eventually learned CAD. Today's college educated engineers have no idea how good they have it.
One of the original data transfer engineers (read: theinternet and fiber optic technology) drove a 1969 Volkswagen bus well into the late ninties. When asked why, he said he didn't trust electronics.
C-5B pilot in the 1990s. Flew it for several years in the USAF...great plane to fly...take you to the other side of the world in a duty day. Surprisingly maneuverable for a plane that size. Had to be smooth on the controls to air refuel. Taxiing it was always a challenge depending on the airfield.
@@DUKE_of_RAMBLE 😂. Absolutely none I'm willing to share until more years go by. 🤐 (Nothing to see here...all is well...situation normal...go about your business.😉)
@@DUKE_of_RAMBLE I will say that if there are no tire tread indentations on the soil, you didn't "depart the prepared surface" despite the tall grass being bent over a bit.
I worked on building the C5 Maintenace Base in Martinsburg, WV. The engineering and construction involved in just building the infrastructure for that behemoth, alone is quite amazing in itself.
As a kid, it was always a treat when a C-5 landed and took off from the local SAC air base. The windows in every building in town would vibrate, even from 5 miles away, whenever they fired up the engines for take-off.
When I was in the Airforce they had a C5 at the bases open house. I decided to use my roller skates to tour the planes on display on the flight line. I roller skated through the C5. In the front and out the rear. Probably the only person to roller skate in a C5.
I worked on the construction engineering of the C5 Airbase in Martinsburg, WV. The amount of concrete required for the runaway and parking apron was eye raising! The jack-up points were over 6' deep of concrete with massive rebar cages....with bar size of over 2" thick and 6500psi concrete. 28" thick for the apron, 36" for the runway and 48" for the "sweet spot" where the plane is to touch down...we also lengthened the runway to 12,500' and had to set additional angled piers for the steel hanger frames because it was so big, when the doors opened up the wind could lift the building up from its piers. Which are typically set to hold a structure from collapsing downward. That is a maintenance facility for the C5. That is just the infrastructure to handle and maintain such an enormous aircraft!
Lockheed: produces a massive jet that can haul any conceivable military materiel besides itself or a Navy ship, Air Force: "Let's use it to throw a rocket out the back."
I grew up in the 60s with these beasts flying over our home near Marietta. Test flights of the first models (C5-A) were incredibly loud,, enough to break plate glass windows. A number of our friends and neighbors worked on the project.
As a kid, I lived about 15 mi north of Travis AFB (mentioned in the vid). C-5s would run touch-and-goes, and the northern end of their flight path was directly overhead. We'd see them track that circle for hours. They are so big, it almost looks like they're standing still. Our next-door neighbor was a C-5 pilot, and he took my Cub Scout den on a tour at Travis once. Approx 1976-'77. We got to fly the C-5 sim. When it was my turn, I got a little excited: I pulled up too fast and struck the tail! As a 10-ish-yr old, that was a scary moment. BEST video game I ever played!
I love pictures of those huge rooms filled with drafting tables and slide rules! By the way, I’ve flown on a C5, in the upper part of the rear is a section like an air liner.
Gotta respect that the C5 Galaxy cargo bay is longer than the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers. Yes, Wilbur and Orville could've completed their first flight within the space of a C5s cargo bay. That's insanity!
The plane that launched the ICBM is now at the Dover Air Force Base museum in Dover, Delaware and is open for tours. A mockup of the missile it launched is also there beside it for reference. A truly fantastic air craft.
Thanks, I was curious about that! It seemed evident that there was lots of room above the cargo bay, but sadly no footage of it in the video... _(even with the mention that the "troop transport area was removed" in on of the modernisation upgrades; which I'm not sure if that's the area your referring to or if it was jump seating along the cargo bay walls.)_
I live near enough to Dover AFB. They have a retired C5 that was I believe used for this project and also part of one of the missiles on display at their museum. Museum covers a lot more than just that subject, well worth the trip.
I've been to that museum. it is infact THE airframe used in the ICBM tests. i brought my brother there once and he said it wasn't a plane, but a flying building.
As always Nicely Presented and complete. A true pleasure to watch, listen to and learn about our venerable history in the skies. Well done and a viewer for as long as you produce them!!! To The Point” Mario
While soldiering in the Panama Canal Zone, I took 30 days leave. This was 1974. I was able to catch a hop on a C-5, from Howard AFB, in the Canal Zone to Dover AFB, in Delaware. Wow! There were only 4 of us, I think. The crewman that gave us a brief tour was proud to crew on this titanic aircraft. He informed us that 17 Greyhound busses could be loaded onto the floor, then 17 more stacked on top. I was rather awestruck when we landed at Dover AFB. It was dawn and as we deplaned, and you could see 2 lines of C-5's emerging from the fog, as far as the eye could see. There must have been 50 of them. I suddenly felt good to be an American.
We have the opportunity to watch these magnificent planes fly overhead almost everyday. Hats off to the men and women who fly, operate, and maintain these beautiful aircraft without whose dedication our country would not have such capabilities.
In my early twenties, is was camping out the night before the Mildenhall, UK airshow. We were woken up by a C-5 coming in to land that was ~200 feet overhead. Certainly the best alarm clock ever.
Thank you for sharing this. I am NOT military, and don't really understand a lot of what was being talked about here, but I do work in the air cargo industry and this video gave me a bit more appreciation of what is required to life such vast amounts of weight into the skies and transport things safely.
As someone who loads/unloads these things fairly regularly, I have never heard of one being loaded while being unloaded. The M version was a huge upgrade from b and c, huge. Thanks for the vid.
The theory behind that is for war time use. It’s never been used but can be done very well. Usually a C-5 is on the ground for a long time therefore they don’t need to do the double loading/unloading.
It is a nice aircraft. The C-17 is also nice. I used to watch these takeoff from Hawaii while playing golf at the navy base. Seeing all of them side by side makes you appreciated just how big the C-5 is.
RIP Shah of Iran... time and time again we see his footprint in American aviation by extending a lifeline to Northrop and Lockheed with the purchase of the f4, f5 tiger, and legendary f14, and now this deal with C5 Galaxy that I just learned about !!! Awesome video, thanks!
When I was in the USAF at Altus AFB(78-81), where they trained the C-5 Crews, they had ran out fan blades and a bird strike was very expensive at $20,000.00 per turbofan blade. What an amazing bird. Worth every penny spent.
I'm in St. Petersburg just a few miles across the bay from Mcdill AFB and I see these fly over all the time. I have never been up close and personal but when they fly over they are Massive!
The recent reliability program to replace the engines for the later model C-5s was carried out at Marietta, Georgia where the transport was originally built. There was also some cockpit upgrades and many repairs not related to the upgrade. The new engines were the GE engines used on the Boeing 767. The new engines do not have the familiar whine of the old engines when taking off.
Between 1973 and 1976 I was stationed with the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg. I used to go down to the adjoining Pope AFB, now Pope Army Airfield, and photograph the C5-A's at the approach end of the runway, as they did their practice touch and go's. Makes sense that they were first sent to Charleston. Also, Seymour Johnson AFB in NC., that all makes for great training runs for a new cargo aircraft. I never thought about it at the time, but I was looking at cutting edge technology. I heard these were also tested as aircraft for air drop of personnel and equipment, and determined to not be a good fit.
The air frame used to launch this missile was last being used my the TN Air National Guard in Memphis, TN before being retired and sent to the museum. And I was lucky enough to serve on this air craft
Saw one of the Super galaxies at Oshkosh In 2019, such a cool plane, when it landed one of the brakes was jammed on and as it taxied it caught fire, spreading to the gear assembly, they had to cancel the rest of the air show for that day but will always be a very cool memory
Love seeing these big beauties at Dover AFB when I used to cross through Deleware to get to Ny/NJ. They are so big it almost looks like magic when they lumber up off the runway and up to their desired altitude. It's a sight to see for sure.
I saw my first C-5, while in AFROTC field training at Vandenberg in 1971. It was so unusual our Flight Commander (just another cadet who'd been Civil Air Patrol and thus knew something of marching). He was my roomate for the second half of the "camp". Two years later I saw them flying around Tinker AFB, likely picking up or dropping things off at the Air Logistics Center, then called an Air Material Area. Much later, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was working at SouthWest Research Institute in San Antonio. My office was pretty much under or about wingspan to the west of the Approach path into Kelly Field at Lackland AFB. They weren't all that high when they flew over our parking lot, and I could hear the whine of the fans, which had a distinct buzz to it. The only plane I saw from my office window that was even close to that size was a VC-25 , Air Force One, carrying George W. Bush to a conference of some sort in San Antonio. It was so close when looking sideways almost parallel to the wall, all I could see, in my binoculars, which I kept in my desk for just such occasions, was two windows. Actually slightly less than that. Wasn't looking up much either. Other interesting plane I saw was a WB-5 7 in NASA colors.
I have always wanted to convert a 747 model kit to the Cargo plane concept. Douglas also had a concept for the heavy lift plate as well (if memory served me correct )
I was building a room addition near the Lockheed Marietta plant and I got used to planes flying over. Then one sunny afternoon the entire yard was plunged into shadow. When I looked up all I could see was the belly of a C-5 ! Huge is an understatement.
That C5 bird was stationed at the TANG base in Memphis TN before being retired to the display stand somewhere I have forgotten. I watched it takeoff and land many times as I was employed by the MEM Airport. Loved hearing those original engines spinning up for and during takeoff.
I was introduced by my father, a flight engineer to the new C-5A, I learned to fly the simulator, read the manuals, assisted with squadron duties. The models are now up to the “M” model. My fathers last duty Station was Dover AFB, Delaware.
My father was a major in the Air Force (MAC) stationed at Dover AFB in the late 60's. I remember the C-133 Loadmaster that he flew. Those had MAJOR issues and killed a lot of crew members. He also flew the C-141 Starlifter and he ended up flying the C-5A before retiring.
Of 50 C-133 Cargomasters built, 9 crashed. Not a very good record...at one point they added an aluminum strip to the leading edge of the left wing so it would stall at the same time right wing stalled and the put a big band all the way around the aft fuselage to keep it from splitting open . Many pilots left the Air Force refusing to fly the 133.
Anything that can yeet an 86,000 pound ICBM out its rear in mid-air deserves the respect this machine gets and it is entitled to plenty. 25 or 30 of those babies coming across the Pacific at you would be terrifying. That's a lot of MIRVs.
Eventually we figured out that we don't need to launch one big missile but a shit load of smaller ones with the Rapid Dragon system. Fat Electrician does an awesome video about it.
In 1986 for a period of a few months, I remember the C5 landing almost every Friday night around 9:30 PM at Burbank (Skunk Works locale). Rumors were that this regular occurrence in the dark of night was associated with the stealth fighter/bomber projects. Sure was! The C5 can make one hell of a fantastic bad-ass event in your day.
Fun fact! I grew up next to Stewart AFB in NY and these flying hippos have been interrupting simple conversations for most of my life. In 1993 to 95....ish a flap ripped off of one of these behemoths and landed in the middle of my friends yard while we were roller blading in the street. Thew crazy part was the fact that MPs rolled up within a few minutes of it hitting the ground while my neighborhood full of hundreds of houses was over 4miles away from the base. As I got older I realized just how good the radar really is when you have enough people looking at it
I built a c-5. It's hanging from fishing line in my office. Made of modern plastics, it does not corrode and has remained airborne for at least 5 years now.
I did a lot of pattern work in small 152 and 172 planes in Charleston SC. No big deal until you do it with C-5 aka aluminum overcast also work the pattern. They don't look like they are moving yet produce a invisible wake that can flip you upside down. Now its mostly C-17s but word is they are putting mothballed C-5s back into service.
Please do one on the C-141 Starlifter. I grew up next to Norton AFB in southern California & i saw this plane being flown almost like a fighter jet. Super maneuverable for such a big airplane. Love this aircraft.
I have the C-5M at the air force reserve base near my home. They usually fly over on Tuesdays & Thursdays when they are doing training. Used to have the C-5A's at the base and they used to make my house shake at times during fly overs.
I got to fly on a C-5B or C with my M1025 HMMWV from Berlin-Tegel to Skopje, Macedonia in June 1993, when I deployed with Task Force Cougar (C Co 6/502nd Inf Berlin Bde) on Operation Able-Sentry. Pres. Clinton made us the first USA combat forces to be placed under United Nations Command, part of UNPROFOR with the Nordic Battalion NordBat (FinnCoy, SwedeCoy & DanCoy Finnish Company, Swedish Company and Danish Company). I drove my HMMWV onto the Galaxy then climbed the ladder up into the troop compartment where the airline-style seating faces rearward. Tried to get some sleep, there were only about 20 of us on that flight part of the Advance Party. We flew into Petrovec Aerodrome, where we occupied an old, asbestos laden hangar while a barracks building was brought up to US health and safety standards by an attached Engineer element.
C5's are posted at Lackland AFB? Where do they land it? On the Parade Ground? Lackland is where all new recruits go for Basic Training; there is _no_ runway at there. Kelly AFB is right next door, _they_ have a runway (I think they still do - I'll have to take a look on G-Earth).
I lived next to Lackland AFB back in the 80s. Lackland didn't even have a runway or control tower. Unless things have changed significantly, I think the correct AFB would be Kelly, right next to Lackland. Back then I regularly saw C-5s on Kelly AFB. It was amazing to see a C-5 parked next to a B-52. The tail of the B-52 didn't even come up to the main wings of the C-5. The C-5's tail was well above everything. The B-52 was dwarfed to almost toy size is was so comically small in comparison.
It was Kelly AFB back in the 80's, but in the mid 90's Kelly closed and the runway was transferred to Lackland. When it was Kelly AFB there was C-5 depot level maintenance there, but that may have moved now.
My dad was extremely proud to be part of the C-5 design team. He had a book of C-5 concept art, one picture was of a Galaxy with hound dog missiles mounted under each wing. Apparently it wasn't just some guy's wishful thinking.
I got to fly on a C5 once. Passenger space is up near the tail and seats face backwards. I remember there was actually a portable elevator to get to up to level to board because it was so high up. No windows save for maybe a tiny round one (?) for the whole cabin. Even sitting in inside that thing was LOUD . Definitely made the flight from Virginia to Ramstein AFB Germany go by faster...
Back when Eastern was still here, I was on an L1011 heading north. The pilot came on and said to look out the left windows. There was a C-5 a few miles off, flying parallel with us. It dwarfed the L1011. Our pilot called the C-5: “…an aluminium overcast.” He was right.
I only saw one during my time in the Army and it was freaky watching that massive plane take off. The whole time i was waiting for it to just fall out of the sky.
I had a family member die while I was stationed in Erlangen West Germany back in the late 80s. I hopped a ride back to the states on a C-5. Man, those things are huge.
Lockheed really low balled their contract in order to win. It showed when all the problems occurred. But went on to develop an amazing capability for the Air Force. It is still in service.
I was sitting with my sister down town Clinton, Oklahoma one night when one of these C5A planes loaded with the ICBM crashed at our local airport. The misread the airports and missed Clinton Sherman airport. The crash and subsequent explosion created a 5 mph breeze in town approximately 4 miles away. The military spent several weeks blowing up and gathering material and hauling it away.
There were no icbm's on that plane and there was no explosion. Not sure where you got your story. The plane had a wheel well fire caused by a hot brake. They made an emergancy landing at the wrong airport and went off the end of the runway. The plane broke into 3 large sections. There were no major injuries.
@@edwarddowns2189 The plane lost hydraulics from a ruptured hydraulics line preventing the plane from applying brakes or changing flaps settings due to loss of hydraulic fluid. The explosion of the fuel on the plane and the Rocket caused a 5 mph wind in the city of Clinton about 4 miles away. All of the crew on board except for the pilot parachuted out. Once the plane hit the runway (which it destroyed as it wasn't designed for the load of the C5A) the pilot jumped out before the plane crossed a section line south of the airport and fell into a gravel pit owned by Rayburn Hearld. When this happened the plane and rocket broke apart and the ignition of the fuel caused a 5 mph breeze as recorded at the weather stations in the city of Clinton. The blast pushed the pilot across the ground some distance ripping the knees and elbows out of his flight suite. His brother who was a pilot in the second C5A turned on his landing lights and circled the airport and surrounding area for some hours as the Highway Patrol and local police located those crew members who parachuted from the crashed C5A. The entire area was sealed off while the military blew up and retrieved the remains of the plane and rocket. Oh and I was in town when the blast occurred. I also went to Rayburn Harold’s house the next day. He was understandably busy with highway patrol, city police, Air Force, national guard, and military parked around his house. The US government bought his gravel pit, several buildings on his property, two water wells and other damage the blast collapsed.
I used to watch the C5's land in Alice Springs NT Australia as they supplied the USA base there (Pine Gap). Our little town of 25000 people had an international class runway just so that the Galaxy and Starlifters could land.
To think that I was three years old when the initial orders were made for the C5 and then in 1979 I was working on it at Dover AFB at the 436 AFW! Then my Daughter met her ex husband 20 years later at that same base as he worked on them as well it just goes to show that with proper upgrades and maintenance planes like that and the venerable B52 can stay in service for as long as there is a need for such great planes!
My childhood neighbor was in charge of the fuselage to wing structure design team for not only the C5A but, also the Electra that had wing issues when it 1st started flying. He made his career reputation by coming up witht he best most economical "Fix" for the Electra. I was a teenager and the C5A program came up....The original specifications were for the C5A to fly higher and slower than what it was finally asked to do when put into service. Becuse it was designed to fly up in thinner high altitude air at a slower speed, the design was perfectly acceptible for the intended useage ONLY AFTER parameters were changed did the problems arise.
The raf also operates the c5,and during the Afghanistan conflict they were used as airborne hospitals for transport back to Britain. They also had the solemn duty of returning the fallen.
I was in an upgraded model at an air show ( probably a B model ) Pilot stated that the plane could take off on it's own, fly around the globe, come back and land itself within 6 ft of where it started from.
So it happens that I was lucky enough to jump out of the C5 during trials at Ft. Bragg. in the late 80s-90s. The Army had to reinforce the MC-1 and T-10 static line tactical parachutes because the opening shock was very severe due to the high stall speed of the C5 compared to the C141 Starlifter and C130 Hercules. Some soldiers even suffered spine compressions because of the opening shock, or so I heard. I also took a long ride from Ft. Bragg to Saudi Arabia at the start of the 1st Gulf War. Impresive aircraft for sure.
I believe that by this date, the final C-5s have been retired from the military, the last beanch being the ANG. These were replaced or just removed, using the C-17 Globe Master. The C-5s served well, and did what they were designed to do, and then some more.
I loved this plane. As I grew up in Silicon Valley, it used to pass over my home when landing at Lockeed Martin and NASA Moffat field I was sorry to see the field close down. I missed see the C5 Galaxy as well as the P3 Orion Sub killer.
In 1973 I was a member of an 8 or 9 man industry advisory panel on structural integrity (ASIP), which went to San Antonio (SAAMA) to tour the new C-5 Galaxy, which was having early metal fatigue problems. I was an engineering manager at Boeing, with extensive experience on the B-47, B-52 and 747. It was an awesome plane. I am now 96, and it was a memorable trip.
At Dover AFB, had us stripping epoxy paint off wing box fasteners. Only use plastic scrapers with useless paint stripper. Not to hide damage to suspected fatigue cracks on nuts.
Holy smokes sir, I can only hope I live close to your achievement AND have your wonderful mental abilities.
Thank you for sharing, Mr Gore.
Best wishes to you. 🙏
96! God Bless you - you did something right. All the best for the next 10!
@@roadglide1745 you got paid by the hour
My father worked at Lockheed and was involved with the C-5, C-141 and the C-130 programs. He and everyone working there in the 1960's and 1970's were very proud to design and build these aircraft.
I'm proud to this day , of the American workers of that day.
All excellent programs to involved with!
They had a right to be proud. They did everything by hand and with their brains.
He might have known my grandfather, I grew up surrounded by his legacy.
Imagine how proud you would be if America spent this much effort on the well being of its citizens.
I was a C-5 flight engineer from 93 to 11. I am very impressed with your accuracy. One of the the things I carried was a YF-22. Thanks for posting and making awesome videos.
Where were you station. I was an FE during the same period.
@@edwarddowns2189 Dover
@@davefleming775 so was my dad. MSGT Luba. He was with the 9th. Were you a pelican too?
@@davefleming775 So you remember the anthrax debacle of the late 90's? I was there then but I never got the jab as I was not a flyer. Wing King, Col. Greeter suspended the vax at the height of the whole thing and was summarily called up to the Pentagon soon after. A great man who did the right thing by listening to the Dr.'s at Dover. The DoD "surprisingly" ran out of the vax and it was halted DoD wide.
@@davidw6684 Yes, I do! I was in the 9th at the time. I’m waiting to see what that ticking time bomb is going to do to me.
I changed the doors on both c models in the 90’s as well as worked the gear and flight controls. They couldn’t support the parts needs of the aircraft so we constantly had to tear apart a plane to support the others and then rebuild it and start over with a new one to steal from. The needs of just the wheels and tires were at times a day and night operation. I was never able to know how they scheduled all that but it blew my mind that we kept most of them flying most of the time. It was not just big on its own, physically. The whole program to keep it flying was a huge effort. Lots of amazing people working really hard to keep it going all day and night for decades.
That's why we're in debt here in America and we're about to go downhill super fast.... Paying for these monstrosities that no other country even attempts to have and now we're broke as s*** because of God damn Biden voters
Sure.
@@foobarmaximus3506 you a Biden voter?
@@bval2201 Has absolutely nothing to do with political affiliation... He's just as asshole. It's that simple! 😁 _(I say this, as a true blue Dem myself. We don't act like that, and even when provoked, it'll have more substance! lol)_
He did the same on Lawrence Gore's comment on this video; said "sure sure" and nothing more. He's just a confused and bored troll.
(although in reality, him adding comments only helps Dark Skies... so maybe he's trying to help and has poorly chosen his response 🤷♂️🤷♂️)
My dad worked at Lockheed in Marietta starting in 1980, and he was a part of the work done on the C-5s in the late 90s to upgrade them and strenghten their frames. Where we lived was probably 10-12 miles from the plant but we were directly in the approach vector for Dobbins AFB from the west so growing up I got to see so many awesome planes fly over and the C-5s were awesome to see and sometimes they would be kinda low. Made such a distinct sound you could always here it coming. I can't even count the THOUSANDS of C-130s coming over. The drone of Hercules flying over 7 at a time is a sound burned into my brain forever more. The most memorable of them all is the B-1 Lancer. That is without a doubt the loudest airplane ever conceived and this thing came over my house like it was only moving fast enough to keep from falling out of the sky. Sitting in my bedroom I thought the world was coming to an end until I ran outside and saw that thing wings spread wide just trolling the countryside. I still want to know what the red light-orb me and my parents saw being chased by F-18s that one time was about. The freaking thing shot across the sky and disappeared with a pair of Hornets chasing it and they had their lights flashing on their planes like I had never seen too. All they could do was just turn their lights back off and head back for Dobbins like whatever. Crazy stuff man.
As a young 20somthing AC mech outta college my first Aircraft to work on was the C5 galaxy. Intimidated at first by size and heights I wasn’t comfortable with I learned and grew as a professional and person on this plane and meet some of the best ppl whom I still call friends today. I was on top of a B model replacing some panels when I saw the prototype M model land. We all looked at each other curious because it was so quiet in comparison to screams of the original engines. This aircraft will forever remain in my memories and heart and thank you Dark Skies for finally getting around to making a video on it.
I'm glad you showed the wheel system and how it tucks in. That in and of itself it's very incredible.
I remember as a little boy in 1980 seeing my first C-5 Galaxy at an air show in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. I remember it had a small plaque on its massive aft ramp that said. "The largest aircraft in the free world." I still remember how massive it was inside.
I always went to the London International Airshow and they always had a C-5 open, allowing people to walk through it. It looks big when in the air. But it looked gigantic when you walk through it.
Besides the "thumping" of the UH-1, those TF-39's of the C-5 A & B are the most distinct aircraft engines of the dozens of aircraft I grew up around being an Air Force brat (spending 12 of those 18 years living in West Germany). My personal nickname for those C-5 engines was "The Banshee Engine", especially under a full load. I was able to take a 2 hour flight being an AFJROTC cadet out of Travis AFB in the spring of '85. Two years later I caught a Space Available flight from Dover AFB to Rota NAS while on leave while in the Marine Corps. Such an amazing aircraft...
One almost dug a wing in at KKMC during Desert Storm. Extreme crazy gusting cross winds. Wing tip nearly touched ground. Fortunately ground between taxiway and runway was lower than runway. Been flat, been game over. Aircraft had 36 pallets of 2.5 rockets. Two more C-5's parked behind one we were off loading. Chit hot pilot saved day.
Living at the end of an Army Air field runway most my life I can say your name Banshee fits perfect for the C-5
@@roadglide1745 My dad was assigned to HQ Sqdn HQ USAFE as their First Sergeant when the C-5 crashed on takeoff from Ramstein during Desert Shield. They lived about 3 klicks off the end of the take off flight path for jets flying out of there. Had that Galaxy flown about another 1000 meters I might have lost mom, dad and brother. I was there for the first year of his 5 year stint at Ramstein. The old high school sat about 500 meters north of the departure line and we always got amazing views of all the F-4's and F-16's they were transitioning into plus the entire catalog of MAC aircraft. One Saturday in late Oct 85 I was at the school for a home game and it was about 34⁰ with a headwind gusting upwards of 40mph and just a heavy drizzle. About mid 3rd quarter I could hear the C5 starting its takeoff roll and it must have fillec to capacity as even over the howling wind and about 2 klicks distance I could hear the screaming engines. Time seemed to really slow down as it felt like the entire sequence I am describing to take place took at least 10 minutes. Soon enough we could make out the C5 seemingly floating in mid air. Several times it looked as though it was only staying aloft because of the howling headwind and the huge flaps. I had a knot in my stomach swearing to God I was witnessing a horrific crash unfolding in super slow motion (almost a frame-by-frame feeling). When the aircraft finally made it into the clouds did that knot clear. I can just imagine the crew all fasping for breath after the true airspeed indicator actually showed true forward speed.
@@Wolverines77 Remember that crash. Don't recall if they found cause. The load master was in PAX compartment and walked away. So, the story goes.
Size of A/C can cause illusion its barely flying. At Dover AFB, Air Force One would do touch and goes, beautiful jet. C-5's doing same thing, looked like they were just barely flying.
C-5 climbed out at KKMC after a daylight SCUD attack. Max power empty, spiraled up over airfield. Said it was supposed keep clear of any more incoming SCUDS. ?. Firewalled those engines, impressive sight.
Last hours of war. One F-16 came in with battle damage. Shrapnel peppered underside of jet just forward of intake. Forward landing gear collapsed on landing. It slid forever down runway. Finally stopped near us. Canopy opened. Thought for sure pilot would scramble out. Naw, he just sat there with both hands-on cockpit rails, shaking his head. Flocked up my jet moment. Memories.
@@roadglide1745 I mentioned you in my thanks to Lawrence Gore, but I'll properly say it here: thank you for sharing these amazing stories. 😊🍻😎 ❤
_EDIT:_ 🤦♂️ _Oops! My 'thanks' extends to you as well, Wolverines77!_ 🫡
What's truly amazing is this airplane was built without CAD. My father was a mechanical engineer who did everything on the drawing board just as I started out as until I eventually learned CAD. Today's college educated engineers have no idea how good they have it.
I’m 39. We learned drafting before CAD. Can’t say what new Engineers do. It’s admittedly tough to get these kids off phones💁
@@yammbagg4866 Consider yourself lucky for having a teacher who taught you old school engineering at your age.
Today's engineers are also clueless without electricity.
One of the original data transfer engineers (read: theinternet and fiber optic technology) drove a 1969 Volkswagen bus well into the late ninties. When asked why, he said he didn't trust electronics.
They also had armies of drafts person during that time.
C-5B pilot in the 1990s. Flew it for several years in the USAF...great plane to fly...take you to the other side of the world in a duty day. Surprisingly maneuverable for a plane that size. Had to be smooth on the controls to air refuel. Taxiing it was always a challenge depending on the airfield.
Any taxiing mishaps you had, or had heard of, that you can share? 😅
@@DUKE_of_RAMBLE 😂. Absolutely none I'm willing to share until more years go by. 🤐 (Nothing to see here...all is well...situation normal...go about your business.😉)
@@MR-C5-C130 LOL
Copy that. Moving along! 😉😏
@@DUKE_of_RAMBLE I will say that if there are no tire tread indentations on the soil, you didn't "depart the prepared surface" despite the tall grass being bent over a bit.
I worked on building the C5 Maintenace Base in Martinsburg, WV. The engineering and construction involved in just building the infrastructure for that behemoth, alone is quite amazing in itself.
As a kid, it was always a treat when a C-5 landed and took off from the local SAC air base. The windows in every building in town would vibrate, even from 5 miles away, whenever they fired up the engines for take-off.
When I was in the Airforce they had a C5 at the bases open house.
I decided to use my roller skates to tour the planes on display on the flight line.
I roller skated through the C5. In the front and out the rear.
Probably the only person to roller skate in a C5.
gayyyyyyyyy lmao
That is the most Air Force comment I’ve read. Haha!
I worked on the construction engineering of the C5 Airbase in Martinsburg, WV. The amount of concrete required for the runaway and parking apron was eye raising! The jack-up points were over 6' deep of concrete with massive rebar cages....with bar size of over 2" thick and 6500psi concrete. 28" thick for the apron, 36" for the runway and 48" for the "sweet spot" where the plane is to touch down...we also lengthened the runway to 12,500' and had to set additional angled piers for the steel hanger frames because it was so big, when the doors opened up the wind could lift the building up from its piers. Which are typically set to hold a structure from collapsing downward. That is a maintenance facility for the C5. That is just the infrastructure to handle and maintain such an enormous aircraft!
Lockheed: produces a massive jet that can haul any conceivable military materiel besides itself or a Navy ship,
Air Force: "Let's use it to throw a rocket out the back."
Awesome, isn't it?
I grew up in the 60s with these beasts flying over our home near Marietta. Test flights of the first models (C5-A) were incredibly loud,, enough to break plate glass windows. A number of our friends and neighbors worked on the project.
turbofan engines were actually quite noisy at that time due to their low by-pass profile
TF-39s are a HIGH bypass turbo fan.
I grew up in Smyrna, GA. I’d see the C-130 or C-5 just about every day. When they tested engines you could hear it all over the county.
As a kid, I lived about 15 mi north of Travis AFB (mentioned in the vid). C-5s would run touch-and-goes, and the northern end of their flight path was directly overhead. We'd see them track that circle for hours. They are so big, it almost looks like they're standing still.
Our next-door neighbor was a C-5 pilot, and he took my Cub Scout den on a tour at Travis once. Approx 1976-'77. We got to fly the C-5 sim. When it was my turn, I got a little excited: I pulled up too fast and struck the tail! As a 10-ish-yr old, that was a scary moment. BEST video game I ever played!
I grew up in Fairfield. Got to see these flying since birth. The old air shows were fun at Travis. Got to tour the C-5s as a kid.
I love pictures of those huge rooms filled with drafting tables and slide rules! By the way, I’ve flown on a C5, in the upper part of the rear is a section like an air liner.
Gotta respect that the C5 Galaxy cargo bay is longer than the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers. Yes, Wilbur and Orville could've completed their first flight within the space of a C5s cargo bay.
That's insanity!
Besides the Wright Brothers I heard a story where a basketball game was played inside a C5!
Wow I did not know that that’s insane
The plane that launched the ICBM is now at the Dover Air Force Base museum in Dover, Delaware and is open for tours. A mockup of the missile it launched is also there beside it for reference. A truly fantastic air craft.
I wouldn't be surprised if a similar C5 ICBM operation still exists and operates 24/7.
Yes! I've been there, free museum and awesome place
I really like that Ryan is not selfish when he is on other ships and puts link's in to donate to them.
My father was the Lead Systems Engineer and Acting Program Manager for the 1998 avionics update.
I'm an Army veteran. I took a C5 to Iraq for my second tour in 2005. Passengers sit on top, above cargo, facing backwards.
Thanks, I was curious about that!
It seemed evident that there was lots of room above the cargo bay, but sadly no footage of it in the video...
_(even with the mention that the "troop transport area was removed" in on of the modernisation upgrades; which I'm not sure if that's the area your referring to or if it was jump seating along the cargo bay walls.)_
I live near enough to Dover AFB. They have a retired C5 that was I believe used for this project and also part of one of the missiles on display at their museum. Museum covers a lot more than just that subject, well worth the trip.
I've been to that museum. it is infact THE airframe used in the ICBM tests. i brought my brother there once and he said it wasn't a plane, but a flying building.
As always Nicely Presented and complete. A true pleasure to watch, listen to and learn about our venerable history in the skies.
Well done and a viewer for as long as you produce them!!!
To The Point”
Mario
While soldiering in the Panama Canal Zone, I took 30 days leave. This was 1974. I was able to catch a hop on a C-5, from Howard AFB, in the Canal Zone to Dover AFB, in Delaware. Wow! There were only 4 of us, I think. The crewman that gave us a brief tour was proud to crew on this titanic aircraft. He informed us that 17 Greyhound busses could be loaded onto the floor, then 17 more stacked on top.
I was rather awestruck when we landed at Dover AFB. It was dawn and as we deplaned, and you could see 2 lines of C-5's emerging from the fog, as far as the eye could see. There must have been 50 of them. I suddenly felt good to be an American.
We have the opportunity to watch these magnificent planes fly overhead almost everyday. Hats off to the men and women who fly, operate, and maintain these beautiful aircraft without whose dedication our country would not have such capabilities.
In my early twenties, is was camping out the night before the Mildenhall, UK airshow. We were woken up by a C-5 coming in to land that was ~200 feet overhead.
Certainly the best alarm clock ever.
Thank you for sharing this. I am NOT military, and don't really understand a lot of what was being talked about here, but I do work in the air cargo industry and this video gave me a bit more appreciation of what is required to life such vast amounts of weight into the skies and transport things safely.
First solid video in a while where the footage isn't just random shots of aircraft 75% of the time
As someone who loads/unloads these things fairly regularly, I have never heard of one being loaded while being unloaded. The M version was a huge upgrade from b and c, huge. Thanks for the vid.
The theory behind that is for war time use. It’s never been used but can be done very well. Usually a C-5 is on the ground for a long time therefore they don’t need to do the double loading/unloading.
It is a nice aircraft. The C-17 is also nice. I used to watch these takeoff from Hawaii while playing golf at the navy base. Seeing all of them side by side makes you appreciated just how big the C-5 is.
These are war winning planes. Everyone focuses on comparing weapons with enemies, but it's things like this that are decisive in wars.
RIP Shah of Iran... time and time again we see his footprint in American aviation by extending a lifeline to Northrop and Lockheed with the purchase of the f4, f5 tiger, and legendary f14, and now this deal with C5 Galaxy that I just learned about !!! Awesome video, thanks!
Thanks for an awesome video. Keep them coming guys.👍👍👍
When I was in the USAF at Altus AFB(78-81), where they trained the C-5 Crews, they had ran out fan blades and a bird strike was very expensive at $20,000.00 per turbofan blade. What an amazing bird. Worth every penny spent.
I'm in St. Petersburg just a few miles across the bay from Mcdill AFB and I see these fly over all the time. I have never been up close and personal but when they fly over they are Massive!
The recent reliability program to replace the engines for the later model C-5s was carried out at Marietta, Georgia where the transport was originally built. There was also some cockpit upgrades and many repairs not related to the upgrade. The new engines were the GE engines used on the Boeing 767. The new engines do not have the familiar whine of the old engines when taking off.
Between 1973 and 1976 I was stationed with the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg. I used to go down to the adjoining Pope AFB, now Pope Army Airfield, and photograph the C5-A's at the approach end of the runway, as they did their practice touch and go's. Makes sense that they were first sent to Charleston. Also, Seymour Johnson AFB in NC., that all makes for great training runs for a new cargo aircraft. I never thought about it at the time, but I was looking at cutting edge technology. I heard these were also tested as aircraft for air drop of personnel and equipment, and determined to not be a good fit.
The air frame used to launch this missile was last being used my the TN Air National Guard in Memphis, TN before being retired and sent to the museum. And I was lucky enough to serve on this air craft
The C-5 that dropped that missile is now at the AMC Museum at Dover AFB.
Saw one of the Super galaxies at Oshkosh In 2019, such a cool plane, when it landed one of the brakes was jammed on and as it taxied it caught fire, spreading to the gear assembly, they had to cancel the rest of the air show for that day but will always be a very cool memory
Not sure what you saw but it was a small fire and did not spread beyond the brake assembly that was burning.
Love seeing these big beauties at Dover AFB when I used to cross through Deleware to get to Ny/NJ. They are so big it almost looks like magic when they lumber up off the runway and up to their desired altitude. It's a sight to see for sure.
Title talks about lobbing giant missiles. Video spends 20 seconds talking about it.
This is talking about the plane, not the missiles, so why would they make the whole video about the missiles
It's free content.
I mean it can lob missiles that’s all the title promises
@@historythegoodbadandugly4041 Same reason why the thumbnail is the C5? Oh, wait.
I saw my first C-5, while in AFROTC field training at Vandenberg in 1971. It was so unusual our Flight Commander (just another cadet who'd been Civil Air Patrol and thus knew something of marching). He was my roomate for the second half of the "camp".
Two years later I saw them flying around Tinker AFB, likely picking up or dropping things off at the Air Logistics Center, then called an Air Material Area. Much later, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was working at SouthWest Research Institute in San Antonio. My office was pretty much under or about wingspan to the west of the Approach path into Kelly Field at Lackland AFB. They weren't all that high when they flew over our parking lot, and I could hear the whine of the fans, which had a distinct buzz to it.
The only plane I saw from my office window that was even close to that size was a VC-25 , Air Force One, carrying George W. Bush to a conference of some sort in San Antonio. It was so close when looking sideways almost parallel to the wall, all I could see, in my binoculars, which I kept in my desk for just such occasions, was two windows. Actually slightly less than that. Wasn't looking up much either. Other interesting plane I saw was a WB-5 7 in NASA colors.
I have always wanted to convert a 747 model kit to the Cargo plane concept. Douglas also had a concept for the heavy lift plate as well (if memory served me correct )
I was building a room addition near the Lockheed Marietta plant and I got used to planes flying over. Then one sunny afternoon the entire yard was plunged into shadow. When I looked up all I could see was the belly of a C-5 ! Huge is an understatement.
That C5 bird was stationed at the TANG base in Memphis TN before being retired to the display stand somewhere I have forgotten. I watched it takeoff and land many times as I was employed by the MEM Airport. Loved hearing those original engines spinning up for and during takeoff.
My dad had nothing to do with the air force. He never worked on airplanes.
He worked for an agency That Has No Name.
I was introduced by my father, a flight engineer to the new C-5A, I learned to fly the simulator, read the manuals, assisted with squadron duties. The models are now up to the “M” model. My fathers last duty Station was Dover AFB, Delaware.
My father was a major in the Air Force (MAC) stationed at Dover AFB in the late 60's. I remember the C-133 Loadmaster that he flew. Those had MAJOR issues and killed a lot of crew members. He also flew the C-141 Starlifter and he ended up flying the C-5A before retiring.
Of 50 C-133 Cargomasters built, 9 crashed. Not a very good record...at one point they added an aluminum strip to the leading edge of the left wing so it would stall at the same time right wing stalled and the put a big band all the way around the aft fuselage to keep it from splitting open . Many pilots left the Air Force refusing to fly the 133.
@@edwarddowns2189 While the C-133 looked similar to the C-130 the C-133 was nearly 2X the size. The C-130 Hercules was a FAR better aircraft.
They need to turn a C5 into a gunship like they did the AC130 ! That would be a Scary Monster !
Anything that can yeet an 86,000 pound ICBM out its rear in mid-air deserves the respect this machine gets and it is entitled to plenty. 25 or 30 of those babies coming across the Pacific at you would be terrifying. That's a lot of MIRVs.
Eventually we figured out that we don't need to launch one big missile but a shit load of smaller ones with the Rapid Dragon system. Fat Electrician does an awesome video about it.
C-5 has a unique sound. I don't think I have heard any other aircraft that sounds like it
In 1986 for a period of a few months, I remember the C5 landing almost every Friday night around 9:30 PM at Burbank (Skunk Works locale). Rumors were that this regular occurrence in the dark of night was associated with the stealth fighter/bomber projects. Sure was! The C5 can make one hell of a fantastic bad-ass event in your day.
Fun fact! I grew up next to Stewart AFB in NY and these flying hippos have been interrupting simple conversations for most of my life. In 1993 to 95....ish a flap ripped off of one of these behemoths and landed in the middle of my friends yard while we were roller blading in the street. Thew crazy part was the fact that MPs rolled up within a few minutes of it hitting the ground while my neighborhood full of hundreds of houses was over 4miles away from the base. As I got older I realized just how good the radar really is when you have enough people looking at it
I built a c-5. It's hanging from fishing line in my office. Made of modern plastics, it does not corrode and has remained airborne for at least 5 years now.
I did a lot of pattern work in small 152 and 172 planes in Charleston SC.
No big deal until you do it with C-5 aka aluminum overcast also work the pattern. They don't look like they are moving yet produce a invisible wake that can flip you upside down. Now its mostly C-17s but word is they are putting mothballed C-5s back into service.
Please do one on the C-141 Starlifter. I grew up next to Norton AFB in southern California & i saw this plane being flown almost like a fighter jet. Super maneuverable for such a big airplane. Love this aircraft.
I have the C-5M at the air force reserve base near my home. They usually fly over on Tuesdays & Thursdays when they are doing training. Used to have the C-5A's at the base and they used to make my house shake at times during fly overs.
My favorite bit of trivia about the C5 is that it's so big, the paint on it weighs 2600 pounds, which is more than the total weight of a Cessna!
00:21 - “Launching the gigantic mine”? That would be one hell of a mine.
I got to fly on a C-5B or C with my M1025 HMMWV from Berlin-Tegel to Skopje, Macedonia in June 1993, when I deployed with Task Force Cougar (C Co 6/502nd Inf Berlin Bde) on Operation Able-Sentry. Pres. Clinton made us the first USA combat forces to be placed under United Nations Command, part of UNPROFOR with the Nordic Battalion NordBat (FinnCoy, SwedeCoy & DanCoy Finnish Company, Swedish Company and Danish Company). I drove my HMMWV onto the Galaxy then climbed the ladder up into the troop compartment where the airline-style seating faces rearward. Tried to get some sleep, there were only about 20 of us on that flight part of the Advance Party. We flew into Petrovec Aerodrome, where we occupied an old, asbestos laden hangar while a barracks building was brought up to US health and safety standards by an attached Engineer element.
Ive walked through a c5 galaxy a couple times at a couple different air shows over the years. Its a truly impressive aircraft.
C5's are posted at Lackland AFB? Where do they land it? On the Parade Ground?
Lackland is where all new recruits go for Basic Training; there is _no_ runway at there.
Kelly AFB is right next door, _they_ have a runway (I think they still do - I'll have to take a look on G-Earth).
Well egg on your face. Its called Kelly Field which is the name of the runway and surrounding facilities but its still part of Lackland AFB.
@@BagoPorkRinds Okay, thanks. It's been over fifty years since I was last there. Things may have changed in the meantime.
I lived next to Lackland AFB back in the 80s. Lackland didn't even have a runway or control tower. Unless things have changed significantly, I think the correct AFB would be Kelly, right next to Lackland. Back then I regularly saw C-5s on Kelly AFB. It was amazing to see a C-5 parked next to a B-52. The tail of the B-52 didn't even come up to the main wings of the C-5. The C-5's tail was well above everything. The B-52 was dwarfed to almost toy size is was so comically small in comparison.
It was Kelly AFB back in the 80's, but in the mid 90's Kelly closed and the runway was transferred to Lackland. When it was Kelly AFB there was C-5 depot level maintenance there, but that may have moved now.
Do love the C-17 cameos as stand-ins for the C-5 occasionally in this video.
My dad was extremely proud to be part of the C-5 design team. He had a book of C-5 concept art, one picture was of a Galaxy with hound dog missiles mounted under each wing. Apparently it wasn't just some guy's wishful thinking.
Your videos are so well done. Better than any other documentary that's on regular television 📺
I love the new proposed variant of the C-5 Galaxy that's a flying aircraft carrier for drones, launching and recapturing drones mid-air
I got to fly on a C5 once. Passenger space is up near the tail and seats face backwards. I remember there was actually a portable elevator to get to up to level to board because it was so high up. No windows save for maybe a tiny round one (?) for the whole cabin. Even sitting in inside that thing was LOUD . Definitely made the flight from Virginia to Ramstein AFB Germany go by faster...
Stepdad flew the F 117...cool to see more info on how they got the airframe around
Back when Eastern was still here, I was on an L1011 heading north.
The pilot came on and said to look out the left windows. There was a C-5 a few miles off, flying parallel with us.
It dwarfed the L1011.
Our pilot called the C-5: “…an aluminium overcast.”
He was right.
I only saw one during my time in the Army and it was freaky watching that massive plane take off. The whole time i was waiting for it to just fall out of the sky.
I've jumped from the C130,the C141 ,and hitched a ride back from Egypt on a C5A, momma Mia that's one BIGG PLANE!
I had a family member die while I was stationed in Erlangen West Germany back in the late 80s. I hopped a ride back to the states on a C-5. Man, those things are huge.
"is it a bird? Is it a plane? -No! It's a intercontinental ballistic missile heading for peace!"
Lockheed really low balled their contract in order to win. It showed when all the problems occurred.
But went on to develop an amazing capability for the Air Force. It is still in service.
That size of that beast makes the refueling tanker look tiny….. incredible engineering
I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB when the USAF received its first C5's. I remember seeing the beast on the runway and at an open house.
I dont think the C5, 747 and AN-124 were ever rivals, they just devoloped in their own right all together.
Incredible Aircraft. Love watching and listening to the tf39 powered "touch and go" clips on YT
I was sitting with my sister down town Clinton, Oklahoma one night when one of these C5A planes loaded with the ICBM crashed at our local airport. The misread the airports and missed Clinton Sherman airport. The crash and subsequent explosion created a 5 mph breeze in town approximately 4 miles away. The military spent several weeks blowing up and gathering material and hauling it away.
There were no icbm's on that plane and there was no explosion. Not sure where you got your story.
The plane had a wheel well fire caused by a hot brake. They made an emergancy landing at the wrong airport and went off the end of the runway. The plane broke into 3 large sections. There were no major injuries.
@@edwarddowns2189 The plane lost hydraulics from a ruptured hydraulics line preventing the plane from applying brakes or changing flaps settings due to loss of hydraulic fluid. The explosion of the fuel on the plane and the Rocket caused a 5 mph wind in the city of Clinton about 4 miles away. All of the crew on board except for the pilot parachuted out. Once the plane hit the runway (which it destroyed as it wasn't designed for the load of the C5A) the pilot jumped out before the plane crossed a section line south of the airport and fell into a gravel pit owned by Rayburn Hearld. When this happened the plane and rocket broke apart and the ignition of the fuel caused a 5 mph breeze as recorded at the weather stations in the city of Clinton. The blast pushed the pilot across the ground some distance ripping the knees and elbows out of his flight suite.
His brother who was a pilot in the second C5A turned on his landing lights and circled the airport and surrounding area for some hours as the Highway Patrol and local police located those crew members who parachuted from the crashed C5A. The entire area was sealed off while the military blew up and retrieved the remains of the plane and rocket.
Oh and I was in town when the blast occurred. I also went to Rayburn Harold’s house the next day. He was understandably busy with highway patrol, city police, Air Force, national guard, and military parked around his house. The US government bought his gravel pit, several buildings on his property, two water wells and other damage the blast collapsed.
Great video but… no C5 video is complete without the sounds of the tf39!
I used to watch the C5's land in Alice Springs NT Australia as they supplied the USA base there (Pine Gap). Our little town of 25000 people had an international class runway just so that the Galaxy and Starlifters could land.
281,001 lbs? Man. Imagine planning to go on a flight on your fully-laden Galaxy and being told you can't go because you gained a pound.
Sneaky trick to get me to watch a video about a cargo plane, but the C-5 is worth the watch.
To think that I was three years old when the initial orders were made for the C5 and then in 1979 I was working on it at Dover AFB at the 436 AFW! Then my Daughter met her ex husband 20 years later at that same base as he worked on them as well it just goes to show that with proper upgrades and maintenance planes like that and the venerable B52 can stay in service for as long as there is a need for such great planes!
My childhood neighbor was in charge of the fuselage to wing structure design team for not only the C5A but, also the Electra that had wing issues when it 1st started flying. He made his career reputation by coming up witht he best most economical "Fix" for the Electra. I was a teenager and the C5A program came up....The original specifications were for the C5A to fly higher and slower than what it was finally asked to do when put into service. Becuse it was designed to fly up in thinner high altitude air at a slower speed, the design was perfectly acceptible for the intended useage ONLY AFTER parameters were changed did the problems arise.
The raf also operates the c5,and during the Afghanistan conflict they were used as airborne hospitals for transport back to Britain. They also had the solemn duty of returning the fallen.
My dad was at Travis AFB and was load master on a C5 , this was the stuff he would go to work and come back unable to talk about.
Love the content
This content? You haven't even watch it yet.
Very odd comment to say to someone who’s simply giving props to the page creators….
I also love the content, is that a issue for you also?
I was in an upgraded model at an air show ( probably a B model ) Pilot stated that the plane could take off on it's own, fly around the globe, come back and land itself within 6 ft of where it started from.
Beast plain.Beast vid! Love the US/AUS flags
So it happens that I was lucky enough to jump out of the C5 during trials at Ft. Bragg. in the late 80s-90s. The Army had to reinforce the MC-1 and T-10 static line tactical parachutes because the opening shock was very severe due to the high stall speed of the C5 compared to the C141 Starlifter and C130 Hercules. Some soldiers even suffered spine compressions because of the opening shock, or so I heard. I also took a long ride from Ft. Bragg to Saudi Arabia at the start of the 1st Gulf War. Impresive aircraft for sure.
I believe that by this date, the final C-5s have been retired from the military, the last beanch being the ANG.
These were replaced or just removed, using the C-17 Globe Master.
The C-5s served well, and did what they were designed to do, and then some more.
I loved this plane. As I grew up in Silicon Valley, it used to pass over my home when landing at Lockeed Martin and NASA Moffat field
I was sorry to see the field close down. I missed see the C5 Galaxy as well as the P3 Orion Sub killer.
I live near Westover, these planes are amazing.