The Air Force is Reactivating The Gigantic Planes

By Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics

The U.S. Air Force is bringing back C-5M Super Galaxy transports recently mothballed due to budget cuts. The gigantic planes, sent to an early retirement in a cost-cutting move, are being brought back as money flows back into the service's coffers. The C-5M's range, greater than any other air transport, is a key factor.

The C-5 Galaxy was originally introduced in the late 1960s as a strategic airlifter able to cross entire oceans without refueling. The C-5 is the largest airlifter built by the United States, 65 feet high and with a wingspan of 247 feet. It can carry a maximum of 135 tons of cargo. With a combat load of sixty tons of cargo, the C-5M can fly from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to Incirlik Air Force Base, Turkey nonstop without refueling. According to the Air Force, it can fly 7,000 miles without cargo.

Budget cuts immediately sidelined a dozen C-5Ms, and the Air Force's fleet of non-upgraded C-5A/B/C Galaxies and Super Galaxies shrank from 112 to just 56 planes The Air Force plans to bring back two Super Galaxies a year over four years.

What's prompting the return of the giant planes? As the Pentagon reorients to the Asia-Pacific, it faces the prospect of flying long distances without refueling. At a March 31 event attended by reporters and congressional representatives, the head of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command claimed that the C-5 is the only airlifter that can make the trip non-stop from the continental United States, in this case Travis Air Force Base in California, to Yokota Air Base in Japan, just outside Tokyo.

See the whole story at http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a26716/air-force-reactivating-c-5-galaxy/

Travis "Freedom Launch" hones skills, remembers 9/11

A 22-aircraft "freedom launch" took place at Travis AFB, Calif., Sept. 11, 2013. Seven C-17 Globemaster IIIs, 11 KC-10 Extenders and four C-5B Galaxies from the 60th Air Mobility Wing launched consecutively over 36 minutes to take part in Air Mobility Command missions. The first plane in the lineup, a C-17, launched at 8:46 a.m., the same time terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City 12 years earlier. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ken Wright) 

by 2nd Lt. Jessica Clark,  60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Travis conducted a mass launch of 22 mobility aircraft Sept. 11, 2013, to practice the combat capability of safely launching a large number of aircraft.

During the operation, dubbed the "Freedom Launch," seven C-17 Globemaster IIIs, 11 KC-10A Extenders, and four C-5 Galaxies departed in 36 minutes and 21 seconds on both operational and training missions. The launch also provided essential training for mobility capabilities for flight operations, operations support, aircraft maintenance, fuels and air traffic control.

Today's mass launch of three types of aircraft was the largest ever at Travis.

The Freedom Launch also served as a remembrance of 9/11, as the first C-17 Globemaster III took off at 8:46 a.m., the same time the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower on Sept. 11, 2001.

 

Historic 'surge' exercises airlift crisis, contingency response

by Maj. Michael Meridith, 18th Air Force Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- A surge of C-5 Galaxies, slated to take place Oct. 17 - 21, will bring together 18 active-duty and 23 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command crews and aircraft to fly cargo in support of combatant commanders across the globe.

The assembly of the nation's largest military airlifters will more than double its normal day-to-day workload, exercising the ability of U.S. Transportation Command and its air component, Air Forces Transportation, to rapidly provide strategic airlift in response to large-scale crises and contingencies, officials said.

The missions will be in accordance with priorities set by the joint chiefs of staff and are expected to have no impact on the operations of civilian contract carriers.

"The 41 daily missions will more than double the 18 we normally execute on a typical day," said Maj. Sandy Thompson, the AFTRANS lead planner. "To put it in a historical context, the best C-5 daily achievement since 2007 was 33 C-5s flown."

With its ability to carry more than any other U.S. military aircraft and to fly 6,000 miles without refueling, the C-5 has been a "workhorse" for the Air Force since the 1970s, according to the Air Force fact sheet. In addition, the C-5 can transport fully equipped combat units rapidly anywhere in the world and then provide the support needed to sustain them.

In total, six total force units will provide aircraft and crews for the surge, illustrating what officials here describe as a "seamless integration of active-duty and reserve component forces."

"This surge is possible because we have a joint forces team that works every day to ensure rapid global mobility for America," said Marine Corps Maj. Sidney Welch, the leader of the joint planning team for the surge from TRANSCOM. "We have total force crews, planners of all services at TRANSCOM and AFTRANS, and experts providing command and control through the 618th Air Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center) here. Their collective efforts help us identify the requirements for surging our air mobility forces to support the strategic maneuver capability our nation needs."

According to planners, an operational assessment team will evaluate the results of the surge and develop a set of "lessons learned" to help determine ways to more effectively and efficiently support rapid global mobility in response to crisis and contingency situations. They said regardless of the results, the surge will provide a valuable opportunity to exercise and evaluate the global mobility enterprise.

"We have a responsibility to ensure the readiness of our mobility forces are able to respond rapidly across the world," said Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsay, the commander of the 18th Air Force, who is responsible for directing AFTRANS' day-to-day operations. "This surge not only exercises that responsibility, but demonstrates our readiness even in times of intense demand on our capacity."

Gen. Ray Johns, the commander of Air Mobility Command and AFTRANS, echoed those sentiments, adding, "Whether supporting contingency or humanitarian missions, mobility forces stand ready to answer the call. This surge is about continuing to enhance our readiness and strategic agility to better support our national policy."

Air Force officials select preferred alternative base for C-17

A C-17 Globemaster III approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker Sept. 18, 2010, over the Pacific Ocean during a Total Force partnership mission. Air Force officials announced Stewart Air National Guard Base as their preferred base for eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs Nov. 16, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials announced their preferred basing decision for eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs Nov. 16.

The preferred base, approved by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force, is Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y. Along with the C-17 basing action, 12 C-5 Galaxies assigned to Stewart ANGB will be retired.

"The Air Force has completed its initial analysis of a full range of alternatives and determined that basing the C-17 at Stewart is the preferred alternative," said Kathleen Ferguson, the Air Force deputy assistant secretary for installations. "This is not a final basing decision; it is the alternative we believe will fulfill our mission responsibilities while considering economic, environmental, and technical factors."

Once the environmental impact analysis process is complete, a final decision will be made.

C-5s support Afghanistan troop surge

Reserve and active-duty C-5 aircrews from Dover Air Force Base, Del., spent June 15, 2010 through July 15, 2010 overseas supporting the Afghanistan troop surge by delivering 4 million pounds of cargo to various locations in Afghanistan. (Courtesy photo)

by Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo, 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFNS) -- Since June 17, Dover Air Force Base Reserve and active-duty C-5 Galaxy aircrews have been overseas supporting the Afghanistan surge delivering 4 million pounds of cargo to Afghanistan.

Two C-5M Super Galaxies and seven C-5 Galaxies completed 42 of 44 missions July 12, with the final C-5 mission scheduled for July 17.

The C-5, with its ability to carry more than any other aircraft, has been an aviation workhorse for the Air Force since the 1970s. However, the C-5M, upgraded with new avionics and engines, is setting a historic precedent as well, said Lt. Col. Mike Semo, a 709th AS pilot and chief of the C-5M program office.

"The C-5Ms performance in this surge sets the benchmark for future operations," he said. "Staging the C-5M downrange to transport time-critical cargo direct to a theatre half-way around the world is groundbreaking. This adds a new-weapon to our arsenal of direct delivery capability, and we are extremely proud to enable our troops to accomplish the mission by providing them with life-saving equipment, supplies and cargo."

Plus, the C-5M has 22 percent more thrust, resulting in a 30 percent shorter take-off and a 58 percent higher climb rate to initial altitude," Colonel Semo said. The aircraft can fly for more than 5,000 miles without refueling, allowing it to bypass traditional en-route stops and supply cargo to the war fighter much faster.

Another improvement is the C-5M's mission capable rate, which is the ability of the aircraft to perform the mission. For the surge, the C-5M completed 21 missions with an MCR of 85 percent, said Chad Gibson, the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics communications manager. The seven legacy C-5 aircraft achieved an MCR of 65 percent during the effort.

MCRs for the C-5 averaged 67 percent from July 1994 to June 1995, according to www.globalsecurity.org.

"We expect the reliability to increase further with the first production aircraft that arrives at Dover (AFB) Sept. 30," Colonel Semo said.

The first production C-5M will have incorporated the lessons learned from the operational test and evaluation Dover AFB aircrews completed this year. Congress will decide if the Air Force will receive more modernized C-5s. However, if approved, 49 more C-5s are scheduled to undergo upgrades completing their conversion to the C-5M.

Wright-Patterson’s C-5 cargo planes to be replaced by C-17s

from the Dayton Daily News By John Nolan, Staff Writer

The Air Force plans to retire the aging, massive C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and replace them with newer C-17 cargo transport planes sometime between Oct. 1, 2010, and Sept. 30, 2012.

The 10 C-5s are to be replaced with eight C-17s, the Air Force said Friday, March 12. Maj. Cynthia Harris, a spokeswoman, said she did not have more precise dates for when the replacements will take place.

The 445th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit, flies the planes several times a week from Wright-Patterson to carry munitions, weapons, airmen’s belongings and other cargo from the United States to international destinations in support of the global war on terror.

Reservists also often fly the planes in the Dayton area during pilot training runs.

The Air Force has seen rapidly increasing costs for modernizing its more than 100 C-5 planes system-wide, including replacing or overhauling their engines and navigation systems.

The oldest C-5s date to between 1969 and 1980. The C-17s date to the 1980s and 1990s.

The noisy C-5s are among the largest aircraft in the world. Their massive cargo interiors can carry up to 270,000 pounds of cargo, including tanks and helicopters.