USAF retires its last C-5A

USAF RETIRES ITS LAST C-5A AIRLIFTER

By Dario Leone
Sep 9 2017
Share this article

This C-5A has been in operation for over 44 years and has over 22,500 flight hours and more than 5,470 full-stop landings

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has retired the last of its C-5A Galaxy airlifters.

As you can see in the photos of this post the aircraft landed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), Ariz., to be retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG) on Sep. 7, 2017.

This C-5A has been in operation for over 44 years and has over 22,500 flight hours and more than 5,470 full-stop landings.

USAF retires its last C-5A
The U.S. Air Force’s last C-5A Galaxy lands at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to be retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group Sept. 7, 2017.

Lockheed-Georgia Co. delivered the first operational C-5A Galaxy to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, now known as Joint Base Charleston, S.C., in June 1970.

For decades, the C-5 has been a pivotal air mobility asset, responsible for the rapid deployment of combat forces to any point in the world at short notice. Since its introduction the aircraft seen extensive use in every major global contingency since the Southeast Asia War.

C-5 print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. C-5M Super Galaxy 60th Air Mobility Wing, 349th Air Mobility Wing, 22nd Airlift Squadron, 07-0042 – Travis AFB, CA

In fact the C-5’s range and cargo capacity greatly exceeded the capabilities of earlier USAF airlifters. The massive cargo hold measured 120 feet long, nearly 20 feet wide, and 13 feet tall.

In a standard configuration it can carry 36 pallets of equipment and 81 troops. The C-5 is also used to transport special oversize loads and can accommodate two Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles or a variety of heavy combat equipment, including two M1 Abrams main battle tanks or three CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

USAF retires its last C-5A
The U.S. Air Force’s last C-5A Galaxy lands at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to be retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group Sept. 7, 2017.

Specially designed for heavy airlift, the C-5’s large front and rear cargo doors reduce cargo transfer times by allowing ground crews to load and off-load the aircraft simultaneously. An innovative “kneeling” landing gear system facilitates vehicle loading and eliminates the need for special lift equipment. The C-5’s “high flotation” landing gear permits the aircraft to operate from smaller, unsurfaced airfields despite its great size and weight, allowing for forward delivery of troops and equipment.

Based on a study showing 80 percent of the C-5 airframe service life remaining, Air Mobility Command (AMC) began an aggressive program to modernize its fleet C-5A/B/Cs in 1998.

The updated version of the Galaxy is called C-5M.

USAF retires its last C-5A
The U.S. Air Force’s last C-5A Galaxy lands at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to be retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group Sept. 7, 2017.

Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Frankie D. Moore and Senior Airman Ashley N. Steffen / U.S. Air Force

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com

Source: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices