The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy: Moving the US Military

[@seanlawrenz5168]

The epitome of a Mega Project. Seeing these things take off is always amazing. They look like they're going way too slow but then they appear to effortlessly lift into the sky. Blows my mind.

[@TerryTerius]

@Tom Foster I don’t disagree but it would be nice if we had some other species to compare ourselves to to know how we stack up. Maybe one day.

[@andersjjensen]

@@TerryTerius Chimpanzees have been observed to shape rocks and wood into more suitable tools than they were in they were in their natural form. They have yet to combine the two into something like an axe or a hammer though. So the CPU driving the computer I'm typing this from, with it's 1.6 billion transistors, suggest that we're at least getting somewhere :P

[@ED-es2qv]

@@TerryTerius well, I saw the plane those dolphins tried to fly, and it was frankly embarrassing to their species. Even the other dolphins were laughing.

[@stefanschleps8758]

Just wait until you see "field propulsion" up close and personal.

[@stefanschleps8758]

@Tom Foster lmao.......!!!! lol

[@davidhoyt6821]

As a civilian, I had the privilege to ride in one of these while they were training mid air refueling. Pictures don’t due it justice. It’s a beast! It was surreal being in the cockpit while another plane is so close refueling the C-5 mid air going hundreds of mph.

[@Chris_at_Home]

In 1974 I was deployed to Rota, Spain and C-5s were stopping there regularly. I had a chance to just go in one on the ground and I was impressed. Somewhere I have a picture of a Cessna 172 along with a C-141 and C-5.

[@Nisus_Wettus]

My uncle was a night rider for these out of dover delaware

[@Schumanized]

So cool right??? I came to PR in one from Ft. Bragg with my dad. I couldn't sleep for a week🤣🤣

[@noth606]

@E Van there are also B2 flights like that, what does it have to do with the C5?

[@frankmueller6522]

Go forward, America! Long live the Nato! Long live freedom! Down with all dictatorships and terrorists all around the world! Best wishes from Germany!

[@williamtauriello1581]

Many years ago, I was on an Eastern Airlines’ Lockheed L1011, flying from FL to NY, when the pilot got on the speaker and said: “Ladies and gentleman, if you look out the left-side windows, you’ll see an ‘aluminum overcast’.” There, about 3-4 miles off, flying parallel with us, was a C5. Now the L1011 is considered a ‘jumbo jet’. The C5 dwarfed us. To this day, I am still in awe of these planes!

[@bravedirtyhawk5912]

Former C-5 mechanic here ….was always a great airplane to work on to me and having worked on C-17s as well I’d take a C-5 any day. We would several multi- person crews working on various locations of the aircraft and never see each. It’s like working in mansion and you can get lost if unsure where your going. Fun fact there’s a little ladder that runs all the way up the T- tail and a little hatch to gain access to the top. The old engines were so loud compared to the new ones as well

[@jcak552]

Spent many a day in the ISO dock on that ladder checking Rudder components for the AutoPilot… OpenDoc on the top of the tail doing the same… only once did I have to do that on the flight line… a C141 taxied by, it looked so small from up there…

[@vinnynj78]

Nothing beats those old screaming monsters. I grew up near McGuire AFB and could always tell when one was flying over.

[@ED-es2qv]

I remember that scream. I fast roped from one in training as a Ranger. We were landing gun jeeps and bikes, with ammo, on a hot runway, and didn’t want to wait the 7 minutes or so without a security perimeter while the plane lowered itself.

[@DeliveryMcGee]

Funny how, with its reputation as a ramp queen (i.e. constantly breaking down), they always break down in a tropical paradise and never in Gander or Elmendorf. (Because the things that break most often aren't safety-critical for flying the thing out of the frozen s**thole of Hoth, but somehow get a lot more critical when looked at again after landing on Guam or Hawaii.)

[@Ksweetpea]

Ive walked around inside a C-5 at an airshow, definitely was in awe at the size and at aviation in general

[@rogersmith7396]

I did too but found it disappointing.

[@ace74909]

I also got to see the galaxy at an airshow. But it was the c5m

[@swisstestpilot]

The main reason why the C-5 was not choosen as Shuttle carrier was not his high set wings (like on the An-225) but its T-Tail, because this would have been affected by the airflow turbulences created by the shuttle.

[@magnificentfailure2390]

I guess it was cheaper to redesign the tail on the 747?

[@JimBob-vb8oz]

@@magnificentfailure2390 Given Lockheed's propensity to suck the taxpayer dry with no accountability - I'd say you're right

[@swisstestpilot]

@@magnificentfailure2390 yes because the B747 has a conventional tail, it was much cheaper just to add the "end-plates" for stabilisation, than Change the whole tail of a C-5 ( for structural strengh the Rear loadingdoor of the C-5 would had have to be replaced by a closed fuselage part.

[@massmike11]

@@magnificentfailure2390 the purchase price of a used 747 was probably a lot less and the air force was probably unwilling to let one go in any event at that time.

[@JonMartinYXD]

Indeed, the An-225 isn't just an upscaled An-124; the requirement to carry the Buran orbiter was a fundamental part of the design. Hence its massive split tail and lack of a rear cargo access.

[@chrislong3938]

I'll tell ya! Living in San Jose, we used to get P-3 Orians flying overhead into Moffet Field. Just before my family and I moved to Co, they were shutting, or at limiting its use... When you see one of these monsters coming in low, on approach, the sky gets shadowed and you can't help but look up, and are then mesmerized by the size of this monster, seemingly hovering in the air! It really takes your breath away!

[@lannyfaulkner6697]

I was an aircraft loader at Cam Ranh Bay in 1970 when the first C5a came to Viet Nam. Lots of ceremony but the kneeling mechanism did not work so they had to stay longer than planned and it was a long time before they tried using the C5a on a regular basis. As time went by, the C5a proved to be an incredibly effective airlifter, as it still is today.

[@dominicmanzella5493]

I see these flying once in a blue moon, they're always fun to spot. I'm currently going to school for aerospace engineering and it's always fun learning about historical moments of interest such as this one.

[@DOCPSYCHOsince1968]

Got them daily where I live

[@xxxotiknightz]

You should do a video on the KC-135 and KC-10 refuelers. I spent the later part of my USAF career as a boom operator on KC-10s and refuelers are a forgotten part of the USAF Fleet

[@lencac7952]

Years ago my brother worked at Travis as an airframe tech. I visited one day while he was working. He was working on a C5. So as a result I was able to walk the wing, the fuselage, stand in the engine, climb to the top of the tail interior. At that time there was 2 pilots getting ready to get some flying time. I wonder up to the cockpit and made the comment "jeez what keeps this thing in the air?" One of the pilots replied with a serious Texas accent says "theory boy theory"

[@bwacuff169]

Reminds me of something my dad said about the F4 Phantom: It's the only aircraft fielded by the United States military where the ejection seat had a superior glide ratio to the airframe it sat in.

[@David-fu4vi]

That's almost like saying, faith. lol

[@lencac7952]

@@David-fu4vi And just like faith when you have it you can fly 🙂

[@shuttlemanjack]

Pushing the envelope developing a groundbreaking system like this is rarely cheap or without teething problems. It remains an amazing aircraft.

[@j.need4qlife483]

The the two C-5C's were not converted B models but converted A models 68000213 and 68000216 making them some of the oldest C-5 aircraft still flying. I worked on them for over a decade keeping them fully functionable.

[@darrinjohnsonsr6680]

68-0213 was the first C-5A I crewed at Travis AFB.

[@Ipwnboobz]

@@darrinjohnsonsr6680 Are they still in Travis?

[@darrinjohnsonsr6680]

To my knowledge 68-0213 is still assigned to Travis AFB.

[@robowens3971]

I was looking for a comment to point this out. I was a C-5 Crew Chief at Travis 1999-2013👍

[@thattimguy7]

I saw these every once in a while at Los Alamitos, CA growing up. Beautiful aircraft and the tail was so tall you could see it above the houses. Also, super loud, which living by the base meant lots of power.

[@GlamorousTitanic21]

Having seen one of these beasts up close, the pictures and graphics don’t do it justice. It is a colossus of the sky.

[@roriquevernonii8439]

The C-5C looks like a cathedral inside without it's upper floor. Fun fact:. The TF-39 was the basis of the CF6, which was used on many commercial aircraft for decades before the C-5M finally got them, coming full circle.

[@darrylmay4510]

I had the opportunity to ride in several C-5s during my career in the Air Force. Unlike a civilian plane, the passenger section located above the cargo area has a definite lack of windows.

[@ryateo1]

You should try packed like sardines in the back, lol.

[@TheBooban]

Did you see the Stargate?

[@michaelcox5946]

And you ride backwards upstairs

[@massmike11]

C-141 was worse.

[@darrylmay4510]

@@michaelcox5946 Yeah, I forgot about riding backwards. Thanks for the reminder.

[@kfeltenberger]

In the early 70s, I was a kid living in Smyrna, DE, and my best friend's dad was the NCOIC of Dover AFB's data processing department. One day he calls us and says to pack a picnic basket and come down and meet him at the main gate. My friend and I, in 1st grade at the time, were packed in the cars by our moms and off we went. He took us to an area where we could watch the approach to the runway and for almost an hour, we watched as the C-5 wing practiced touch and go landings. Those damned planes are mesmerizing as the float through the sky, gently touch the ground, and then the coiled power as the engines spool up and they leapt back into the sky. It was like you were a little fish watching a school of sharks swim around you.

[@Lilfarmrboy]

I spent many a school summer breaks at Dover during the 90's growing up as my mom worked there. I don't care what part of the base you were at or in what building when those TF39 engines spooled up you heard it. Man I miss those days.

[@magnificentfailure2390]

Growing up outside a SAC AFB, I thought I'd seen all the big boys. B-36's and B-52's. The first time I saw a C-5 on approach I could've sworn it was falling out of the sky. They are just so big that they hardly look like they're moving at 200 mph.

[@NobleOmnicide]

I'll never forget the sound of the C-5! It was so distinct for a jet aircraft. Watching them lumber through the air was also so crazy. They looked like they were flying so slow!

[@skyhawk_4526]

A ghostly howl. I remember when I was stationed at Travis AFB, I'd hear them doing engine runs in the middle of the night from my room at billeting. It was actually a comforting (almost white noise) type of sound that helped me fall asleep.

[@Cindyalutz]

My husband flew on these planes for years out of Stewart Air National Guard base in NY. Such cool planes! Fun fact - the runway at Stewart is long enough at 11,817ft to have been a backup landing site for the Space Shuttle.

[@thunderbird1921]

Speaking of space stuff, I've seen C-5s haul large cargos for NASA in addition to defense satellites (such as rocket parts). Those giant planes really do come in handy in more ways than one.

[@tancar2004]

8:05 "delivered to Altus AFB in Oklahoma". Wasn't expecting you to shout out Altus. My dad was a mechanic on the C-141 at Altus back in the 70's, I was born there.

[@sandybarnes887]

I've seen these on the runway. Our tiny town has a USAF base. Seeing one next to their escort jets is amazing. They're huge.

[@FectacularSpail]

Years ago I got to tour one of these things down at Fort Hood, Texas. I got to climb up a ladder and look out of a top hatch on top of the fuselage, which was something like 5 stories above ground. And then you see the tail fin rising up another almost two stories higher. The scale of these things is just completely insane.

[@WyFoster]

I have an airport nearby and I'm directly in line with one of the runways about 3 miles out. Occasionally a C-5 lands there and the noise it generates shakes my entire house as they pass directly over my back yard at 800 feet. It's an awesome sight.

[@jimbrown5091]

Army brat here: I've flown transatlantic in passenger section of a C-5...and I also lived near an Air Force Base later in life...the sound of a C-5 on a spiral climb out is incredible. Just a droning, roar that never seems to fade, despite the plane visibly getting higher in altitude.

[@bruces1g]

My uncle worked at Lockheed Marietta. In the early 70's, he would take me to their airfield to watch the C130 and other planes landing for repairs and maintenance. I was fascinated with how these planes could still fly with some of the battle damage they had - this was during the Vietnam War. One particular trip, I watched a C5A landing. It was incredible watching this massive airplane growing ever larger as it approached the runway. It was mind boggling that something that huge could fly. On a separate trip, he took me inside one of these behemoths. I got to go to the cockpit (there is actually and elevator) where I was 5 stories off the ground (the tail is about 7 stories tall). It is and experience that remains vivid to this day some 52 years later. Thank you Uncle Mac, I still remember!

[@skyden24195]

For about six years, during the 1980's, my dad was stationed to Travis AFB in Northern California. The base is the primary Pacific Coast deployment base for MAC (Military Airlift Command, the section of the USAF responsible for most military air transportation.) Due to this main function of the base, the most common aircraft hangered at the base is the C-5 Galaxy. During air shows, there was always a C-5 set up for patrons to walk through these massive airplanes. They are absolutely enormous! And, in my opinion, beautiful. Additionally, on one occasion, since one of my family's neighbors was a flightline firefighter, we were given the opportunity to have a private tour of a C-5 in which we were actually able to go into the cockpit. (Public access airshows limited the cockpit viewing to being from outside the cockpit door, and there was typically a long line to climb up the ladder to reach the door for said view.) Currently, I live outside of an air reserve base which provides training to air reservists; a C-5 Galaxy can occasionally be seen flying through the airspace above. Btw, don't get me started on how loud these monsters are. 😵😉

[@j.need4qlife483]

Hey Sky Den, I may of served with your dad as I was at Travis from 1985 to 2006. Yes, those old Pratt and Whitney TF39 engines were loud with that distinctive whinning sound during taxi and landing and also the growling clatter sound during takeoff made it so unique, it was hard to mistake it for another aircraft by sound. Now the C-5s should all been modded with much more powerful and quieter GE CF6 engines which also much more efficient and reliable.

[@skyden24195]

@@j.need4qlife483 We were there from '82 to '88. My dad was medical; an orthopedic tech. No doubt the military would want to make those engines more fuel efficient and quiet. Both benefit the plane and the mission. I couldn't say for sure how new the engines are on the training C-5 that's use on the reserved base, but the airstrip is approx. five miles away, so, when they're getting ready to go.... *They're getting ready to go!* I love hearing it. Nostalgia. 😄

[@davidoneill9778]

I was stationed at Dover AFB and there is nothing like the sound and sight of a C5 flying overhead or doing touch and goes

[@ronmcdonald2925]

i did my whole usaf time at dover afb 1980--1984 as a crew chief on the c5 a i love this plane!! but at the time she was a bitch to work on

[@matthewdopler8997]

Up until a month ago, I lived right across the street from it.

[@lucasm7177]

My brother was stationed in Dover for about 5 years and I lived with him for a few months before bmt. He was a flying crew chief working on these

[@galaxyrider1391]

Dover AFB veteran from 1988 to 1996 crew chief

[@robbennett2829]

The first time I saw one of these flying, during USAF boot camp at Lackland AFB, It looked like it was falling out of the sky. It was so slow at about 1000 feet. Looked like it was almost stationary in the air. Got to ride in the “Flying Warehouse” from Dover to Bitburg. What a ride! Landing approach decent felt like a ride in an elevator going down. Great plane!

[@zublacus]

In the mid-80s, my buddy Dave and I flew a Cessna 152 from San Carlos to Vacaville. We flew past Travis AFB and got a warning, "25H, please be aware of C5 turbulence". We acknowledge and see the C5 WAY in front of us. No worries. It seemed like 10 minutes later, we suddenly dropped 20 feet instantly and the plane shook violently. We were shaken up(literally) but fine. We agreed we will NEVER fly in C5 turbulence ever again.

[@galaxyrider1391]

You should try riding in one during an aerial refueling. Big ole plane dippin and weaving. Usually it's relatively smooth but once in a while 0.0

[@that_bloke_kiri]

the wake was there 10 mins after it had already flown by?

[@zublacus]

@@that_bloke_kiri It was quite a while for sure...it was long enough for us to not realize what it was, until after we had the situation calmed down. It was then one of us said...HOLY S*** that was the C5 turbulence. It was the only bumps in the whole round trip flight, so it was a beautiful summer evening in California. We literally made a pact right there, never do that again. It was Dave's first solo flight after he got his license. We flew many times together over the years...but never got a courtesy C5 warning again. The controller at Travis (female) was so nice....I'll never forget....25 Hotel, please be aware of C5 turbulance, would you like a different altitude? We had obviously seen the giant thing flying off in the distance...it was by no means close to us, so Dave said Nah, thanks for the warning.

[@raydunakin]

I live near Miramar MCAS in San Diego and saw a lot of these during the build up to the Gulf war. BTW, I once read that the C5 is so big that the paint on it weighs more than a small Cessna!

[@mikeischangingplaces]

I checked and it has 2,600 lbs of paint on it

[@brianhiles8164]

Just the weight of the air inflating one tire of a C-5 _Galaxy_ weights 181 lb (81 kg)... and there are 28 of them!

[@raydunakin]

@@mikeischangingplaces That clinches it, then. A Cessna 172 has a max take off weight of 2400 lbs. and a Cessna Skyhawk has a max weight of 2558 lbs.

[@buckgorrell]

Thanks for this. My dad was one of the first C-5 pilots. Initially stationed in Charleston, SC we moved to Altus, OK in 1972.

[@ahnalee]

I used to do maintenance on these things, and the scale in your head, it’s bigger. It’s a massive flying cave, with a cockpit and crew compartments in the front (including beds and a tiny seating area) plus a jetliners amount of seats in the back on top. One thing I’ll never forget is on the C5-A if you didn’t follow the aft bay door opening procedures exactly, the door would fall off its hinges.

[@elijahmunford9863]

I'm a maintainer for a separate airframe at an air force base but I see these every single time I got to the flight line. Just the sheer size of them is amazing to begin with and seeing them takeoff and land all the time is always enjoyable to view. One thing I always hear from the maintainer is that it always a nightmare to keep in air worthiness condition.

[@galaxyrider1391]

I worked on them at Dover AFB for 8 years. We had a few that were just pigs. But, my aircraft was 6017 which meant it was built in 1986 and it was only 3 years old when I got it lol. Those guys should try working on a small plane a few times they would change their tune fast lol. I learned while I was in if an airman is griping about something you better look out.

[@globetrotter7778]

As an aviation enthusiast, I have to say that the General Electric TF39 is one of the unsung heroes of aviation history. It was the first high-bypass engine to see active service, meaning that its frontal main fan was made purposefully larger relative to the engine core when compared to existing engines of the time. The extra air that was sucked in by the larger fan was not mixed with fuel and ignited, but rather bypassed around the combustion chamber although it had indeed been accelerated by the main fan. This extra current of air provided extra thrust without proportionally increasing fuel consumption (for clarification, I recommend checking animations and diagrams of high-bypass engines). In the case of the TF39, its bypass ratio is 8:1, meaning that 8 times more air is actually sucked and bypassed rather than mixed with fuel and ignited. Fuel consumption could therefore be reduced for a similar power output or alternatively thrust could be maximized for a similar fuel consumption. Without the advent of high-bypass engines, aircraft could've never have grown in size without hugely increasing in fuel consumption and affordable air travel as we know it would've never existed.

[@hewhoshallnotbenamed5168]

I use to fly in these things regularly during my time in the Navy. It's literally like a flying submarine hull, lol!

[@chainsaw1017]

Thank you!

[@le_travie7724]

Lol thanks for that bit of info and your service

[@MrAtrophy]

I bet you have some fun stories.

[@xekul]

Are you sure you weren't in the Air Force? The US Navy was never an operator of this aircraft... nor are there any foreign operators of any branch...

[@hewhoshallnotbenamed5168]

@@xekul The Navy and the other armed forces branches contract the Air Force when we need a heavy transport aircraft. Also they provide passenger flights exclusive to active duty military personnel and retirees.

[@galaxyrider1391]

Interesting video. I was a crew chief on the C-5 Galaxy from 1988-1996. I loved every minute of it. It looked like a big dog taking off. I was deployed for Desert Shield/ Storm. They may be pricey but they do work no other aircraft can. If have questions I will answer them to the best of my ability.

[@Idahoguy10157]

As school kid in 1970-71 I could watch when a C-5 flew in and out of NAS Moffet Field in CA. I was probable ten miles away from Moffet Field. A C-5 seemed to hang there in in the air and fly slowly. Impressive sight at age 13. My recollection was one would fly in and out about once a week

[@sierravortec2494]

What an absolute monster. I never really hear a lot about these, I see a lot more news regarding C-17s

[@bendgeddes]

I’m no expert but it’s my understanding that the C17 is a more technically advanced beast, just not quite as big.

[@garretth8224]

There are more c-17s and they are newer.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

I used to be in the US Coast Guard, and was stationed at USCG Air Station Miami {located at Opa Locka Airport in South Florida} when Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992. Opa Locka was relatively undamaged, and became a hub for relief supplies being flown in by military aircraft. One day while a Lockheed C-5 was on the ramp there, I went inside it. After climbing up to the flight deck, I looked up through the emergency escape hatch opening {at the aft part of the flight deck}. Looking rearward, the _tail section_ of the C-5 I was in looked so far away it was like _it must be part of another aircraft._ Before the USCG, I had been in the US Navy for three years. During that time, I had worked on USN Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, so I was NOT unfamiliar with large aircraft. But the C-5...BIG.

[@galaxyrider1391]

Don't know if you noticed the hatch at the top of the steps but, it originally had a hole in it for a sextant. Yes, a sextant, they had a navigator onboard and if the systems got messed up they could navigate by the stars going 500 mph lol. When they did away with the navigator the hole got a new use.... they would hook a hose to it and use it as an inflight vacuum. Slight problem with that though. Behind that is the antenna array and the tail. Loads of damage from people sucking up hardware and have it hit the aircraft.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@galaxyrider1391 >>> FWIW: I worked on Lockheed EC-130Gs and EC-130Qs in the USN, and then worked on/flew on {as an enlisted aircrewman} Lockheed HC-130Hs in the USCG. I do not remember for sure on the USCG Herks, but I think the USN Herks still had the sextant mounts on their flight decks. I _KNOW_ I have been in at least one C-130 that still had it sextant mount installed. It _SEEMS_ like the C-130s I recall seeing with sextant mounts had them installed in the flight deck overhead, and _not_ installed and the flight deck overhead emergency escape hatch itself. Having said THAT, it has been several years since I was inside an older C-130, so I MIGHT be WRONG about that.

[@bubbafinch07]

I've seen a empty C5 take off on a 6,001 foot air strip. Landing on that same air strip was very interesting.

[@WintrBorn]

I hated that my family moved out of New York before I could go to KSWF and take a tour of the C-5. Those were absolutely amazing to me in the 80s. Dad was USAF retired, so I think that’s why there was an option to get to go in one.

[@Lilfarmrboy]

There is one you can go inside at the Air Mobility Command museum at Dover AFB in Delaware if you ever get the chance to stop. Highly recommend.

[@grapeshot]

When I was in the US Army we flew up to Kansas in one of those during the massive flooding that took place there in 1993.

[@crashburn3292]

My uncle used to work on the C5A Galaxy in the USAF in the late 70's. He sent my mother the left window from its cockpit windshield (pictured @ 5:55) which she used as a coffee table. It was about 40" x 60" was 2 inches thick and weighed at least 50 lbs.

[@stevedaenginerd]

I would still love to see your telling of the C-141, you and your team do such a great job of highlighting the military equipment! Thank you for all of the work you and your team do!

[@Bespelled22]

The 141 was a good bird. I jumped out of quite a few of them. That being said just about every damn one had cracks in the wings. Give me a C-130 any day.

[@galaxyrider1391]

In the beginning of my airlift aircraft carrier I worked on 141's. I always found them the oddest looking planes. The "A" model was short and looked better than anything they came up with after. If you look at them you see a tube with two point ends. Then everything looks like they added it. Landing gear pods, wings, tail and what is arguably the ugliest modification the aerial refueling line along the spine of the aircraft to the wings. I was sad to see them go but those cracks just did them in.

[@skyhawk_4526]

They were already being retired from service when I was in the Air Force in the mid-90s, but I got to fly aboard one from Tinker AFB in Oklahoma to Guantanamo Bay NAS, Cuba. It was a cool experience and I'm glad to have had the opportunity before they were all scrapped or sent to museums. It was lightly loaded with just a few cargo pallets, and we pretty much had the whole deck to ourselves to sprawl out on once we were cruising. I remember it being quite cold though - to the point where some of us broke out our sleeping bags and got inside them.

[@Bespelled22]

Back in 89 my unit experimented with dropping troops from the C5. The drop speed was lower than the stall speed. They would put it into a stall, drop troops and then kick the engines back to full throttle. The plane would loose altitude rapidly as you can imagine. Troop drops from the C5 were discontinued after a number of troop injuries and deaths. On several occasions a parachute was ripped in two due to the deployment speed being too high. Once on a jump I was involved in a paratrooper was sucked through an engine when a second plane began its run and lost too much altitude bringing it level with the already deployed troops of the previous drop. 504th 82nd Airborne

[@garretth8224]

Its kind of messed up they were using troops as Guinea pigs, but that is what we do. They could have at least started with some dummies, but apparently dummies are worth more than lives. The young dying for the old. Yeehaw!

[@ED-es2qv]

I fast roped from one as a Ranger. We landed one with jeeps and bikes after dropping the battalion from C-141s, but the airfield is not secure so we needed to get our perimeter out while the hydraulics lowered. The drop would have broken legs, so we had a fast rope rigged to get out once we were virtually stopped.

[@galaxyrider1391]

I'm guessing you were stationed in NC. Did they have the air dams yet? I know they put these air dams that pivot out to deflect wind flow for a safe egress.

[@joselatorre1575]

Retired C-5 flight Engineer- I loved flying this baby!!! The Cadillac of all AF airplanes!!! I miss you a lot C5!

[@Aldairion]

I live near the Lockheed facility in Marietta, Georgia. We regularly get to see C-130s in the sky, but every now snd then we'll catch a C-5 Galaxy up there - even from the ground, they look absolutely immense.

[@stevenanderson9719]

In the early 1980's, I was stationed at Pope AFB, NC. When ever I heard a C-5 was going to land, I would get my friends together and we would go to a park at the end of the runway.Watching a C-5 land is an amazing experience. The plane even with the landing gear extended, looked like the plane was coming in for a belly landing. Yet the C-5 would make a graceful landing. It made me wonder who designed a plane that large and yet it could fly.

[@frequentlycynical642]

Still plenty of C-133's in service. One night I was camping east of Palmdale, CA. That area is probably a couple of hundred feet higher in altitude than the Lockheed runway. A C-5 came in for a landing probably only two hundred feet above my head!! What a beast.

[@skyhawk_4526]

What the heck is a C-133?

[@jshicke]

I live near Charleston Airforce Base in South Carolina. There is a road that runs along the base perimeter, and the flight path to the east/west runway takes aircraft over this road. The runway is not far from the perimeter fence. People would park to watch the planes come in to land, until this became a no-no, and security would run you off. Coming round on this road, out from behind a strand of trees, I am faced with what looks like a locomotive train engine flying maybe 100 feet above the ground and appears to be blocking the road right in front of me. Yes, A C-5B was landing less than 500 yards in front of my truck. It is a caverness BEAST of an aircraft.

[@brandongaines1731]

My dad was an airplane mechanic at that exact same Air Force base in Oklahoma, and the C-5 was one of the airplanes that he got to work on. He says that a full-grown man could literally stand upright in the jet intake, those engines were/are so huge!

[@adzaaahhh]

Awesome vid as always. Unfortunately, I've never had the privilege of seeing one of these big beauties in real life! However, at about 4:23 you mentioned another good old aerial workhorse, the mighty Chinook, of which I have observed many in my time and always found to be quite awe-inspiring in its own right. Maybe even worthy of Megaproject status..?

[@lesflynn4455]

I saw one of them at Canberra Airport, Australia when Bush Sr visited in the early 90s. The number of vehicles and other random shit which emerged froom the aircraft was amazing (including a helo under a tarp with rotor blades unattached).

[@WasabiSniffer]

It’s insane what you can put in there. A cargo plane that can carry other cargo planes. Dropping these Cold War projects again. The A10/the flying gun, with the most beautiful song ever conceived by man. The Bradley IFV, whose development and battlefield presence redefined American mechanized warfare

[@Jordan-yb7zp]

Could we get a video on the A-10 warthog please? that would be amazing!!

[@bodegacoast]

I'll second this!

[@tr_vmi4844]

Been in and around the c-5 many times, but never had the opportunity to ride in one. Maybe Space-A travel one of these days. Such a unique SOUIND.

[@gdheib0430]

Nothing like riding backwards in one...Just seeing one in person taking off they almost look like they are not moving and the unique noise they make is pretty cool.

[@johnmorris7815]

It is also sloooowwww as F! I was flying across the Atlantic at FL410 one night when in the distance I saw an odd anti collision beacon layout ahead of us, this may sound geeky but most pilots can tell aeroplanes at night by the light layout and this bird was odd? Our TCAS system told us it was about 15 miles away but we were catching it pretty fast considering it was going in the same direction as us, as we closed with it it became clear that this thing was 2,000 ft above us but traveling about 30-50 kts slower than us, as we sailed underneath it the stars went out and the shear size of it became apparent, we could also see that the odd lights were in fact the top anti collision beacon reflected on the underside of the tail. Our aircraft was an A330-200 cruising at M.82 or about 250 kts indicated airspeed, that means the C5 was only going at about 200/220 kts or around M.75, the kind of speed an old B737 would travel at. The crews must get through a lot of crosswords on their way anywhere?

[@j.need4qlife483]

I have flown on the C5 so many times and it would most likely be flying below FL400 with TF39 engines since it had a hard time reaching GATM airspace requiements. The fuselage and wing design designed in early 60's does have normal amount of induced and parasitic drag for such a large aircraft, but before the 90's when extra attention was taken during the Depot inspection, it was like flying a new aircraft after Depot. Every panel was sealed lowerering drag which did help minimum cruise speed gains which was something notice going over the pond. I will mention the C-17 is a little bit slower and has shorter range. I remember taking 18hrs nonstop flight from Travis AFB to Yokota AFB that included two air-refuels on a C-17 whereas the C-5 did the same flight in 12 hrs with no mid air-refueling. I don't know how much more upgrades can be done to enhance its aerodynamics without totally design and build an all new aircraft that can exceed the C-5 capabilities for the future. Who knows, perhaps we may see the C-5's flying that are over 70 years old. There are some that are still flying that are 53 years old.

[@Yuki_Ika7]

Well keep in mind how large it is, the cargo capacity and if they wanted to fly with the best fuel efficiency they could

[@yewtoob2007]

Speaking of Antarctica, Operation Highjump (1946) was definitely a megaproject. Cool US Navy film available on youtube about it as well.

[@papabear562]

I got to fly in the passenger section on top once. Couldn't distinguish the seating and comfortability from normal airliner. It was that good. I've also get to see them take off and land at the military station where I work. I agree with others, it looks like they are going too slow to take off but wow, what a graceful bird!

[@gussygoro2469]

One of these buzzed my workplace five times in about as many minutes. The whole building shook as this awesome plane flew past.

[@PeterKKraus]

There's a C5 ARB near me. Before the last engine upgrade, (quieter) you ALWAYS knew when one was coming in or leaving the Springfield MA area. In 2003 they were VERY busy.

[@datasailor8132]

Dover AFB in Delaware is one of the main bases. Route 1 from the Delaware Memorial Bridge down to the beaches runs right outside the wire. I’ve seen them doing touch and gos while driving by and having them go directly overhead. Impressive.

[@gregw.1288]

I was fortunate to ride one. During one of my deployments, we were leaving a refuel location. During take off, we hit a flock of geese, (hard enough to dent the front nose cone, and one in the engine) and went from 200 knots to NOT! After skidding off the runway, and exiting, the brakes or tires, (not sure) were on fire. Crazy good times.

[@tommissouri4871]

I helped load some trainers into one at Fort Campbell several years ago. I had the opportunity to go with the load to Germany, but due to other obligations here, and the lack of knowing if the WVNG would get me back here in time, I had to pass. I really regret not getting to go. It is incredibly large and hard to explain to most people.

[@michaelgarrison451]

I live in Vacaville CA and we have Travis AFB and I get to see these fly every day. They hold an air show once and a while you can walk I them. Their wings make for a good place to sit under when is hot at the air show lol. One more thing they’re loud them engines have the Distinctive whine.

[@brucescott9773]

I used to live in Maybrook New York in the late 80's, right at the edge of the buffer zone and in line with the main runway for Stewart Air Force Base. When the C-5's , based at Stewart, would come in from the west they had to clear a mountain range and then drop like a stone to get to the base only about six miles downrange. My entire house would shake. I was sometimes certain they were going to land on my roof.

[@randygarcia4565]

I was fortunate to see a C141 and a C5 in the early 90s when I was in the Civil Air Patrol at "Camp" at Roosevelt Roads NAS... They parked side by side and the size difference was beyond words Don't get me started with how the C5 sounded, wow...

[@jeans117ful]

I've been waiting on this video for a while! I'm glad you did it man!!

[@psigeio]

Thank you! i have actually requested for such video and now this is available

[@allenseeallendo5844]

Lives saved vs the lost is incredible. Lockheed and America should be really proud of this plane. Great video.

[@fisternation8121]

You should do a mega projects on the A-10 warthog. It’s an amazing plan and I can personally contest to its usefulness to ground troops. Thank you and cool videos please keep them coming.

[@marvwatkins7029]

I walked through one of these at Transpo '72 at Dulles. It was like walking through a basketball court. I saw one also flying low over Marietta, GA, where it apparently built. It seemed to blot out the sun.

[@podunkcitizen2562]

Walked thru one at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee Ma. where they are stationed during an air show. I see them flying low as well as the F-15s. stationed at nearby Barnes Air Reserve Base in Westfield. To accommodate the C-5s Westover's longest runway is 11,600 ft by 300ft. It is the longest runway in New England

[@paddyneill1964]

I finally got my sampler pack Beard Boy, thanks for the suggestion. I’ve only tried the Basic Blaze and the Health and Growth Blaze but I’m am liking them so far. Look forward to the others. Thanks again Simon …. And thanks to the smart guy who created them 😎

[@davidhoman3807]

Surprised you have not done this one already. Good show! 1:50, 2:01 - started out saying Air Force, but at these two points he said Army?

[@charlesb.3569]

Pretty sure Fat Albert is a C-130. Specifically the C-130 that supports the Blue Angels. Not a complaint though. I love this channel.

[@jasonpeacock9735]

Fat Albert is the nickname for the Blue Angel support C-130, but Fat Albert has been used as a nickname for the C-5 for a long time.

[@Aupexx]

Finally a plane big enough to be called Mega

[@AFreakingAxeCH]

I just find it cute how it smiles when taking and removing cargo

[@davidanalyst671]

lolz

[@TheRealAb216]

This was my Taxi to Kuwait from California in 2003. Left from March air force base refueled in air some place over the east coast and on to Italy then Kuwait. 5 of us had the entire 75 person passenger section to our selves and the rest of my Command was on a ship taking the slow way over. When we landed in Kuwait the number of air craft on that run way was insane, the place was nothing but c-17 and C-5 and you had to wait in line.

[@Idahoguy10157]

I’ve taken several cross pacific flights on the C-5. It’s actually a more comfortable ride than any airliner I’ve flown on

[@BigErnieMcKraken]

We took a one way trip from Ft.Bragg to Iraq in one of these. Very cool airplane, and very cool experience when you are on the ground watching and listening to these take off. The sound is so unique and it looks like it moves to slow to actually lift off!

[@jmike8934]

While yes the C-5 has been referred to as Fat Albert a small number of times, I don't think it was enough for it to hold onto that lablel. When it comes to aircraft, the name Fat Albert is widely associated with the Navy's rocket propelled C-130 Blue Angles demonstration aircraft.

[@TheOtherGygax]

The only times I heard someone refer to the C-5 as “Fat Albert” were people not affiliated with the C-5. To us, he was Fred. Fred mechanic from 1993-2012.

[@StryderK]

@@TheOtherGygax FRED: notice all caps….For those who don’t know, it stands for F**king Ridiculous Expensive Disasters!!!

[@TheOtherGygax]

@@StryderK or Economic Decision or Engineering Disaster. I heard both over the years. Heck, the Grave Shift Pro Super for the AMXS said "call it whatever you want."

[@jaredslater7044]

rode in one a while ago, me and my coworker affectionally called it Oprah's Flying mansion.

[@thedyingmeme6]

Omg i FORGOT the damn Angels had that crazy methhead C130 lmaoooo

[@sbcwinn]

Say how about doing a video on the CN Towsr?

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

They fly directly over my house regularly as I live near Pease AFB. If I can I go to the viewing spot next to the runway and watch them land and take back off to do another circle. Makes me proud to be American.

[@DavidRichardson153]

I used to live close to Kelly AFB, back when planes would regularly fly in and out of there. I would see one of them flying low near my house on an almost weekly basis, usually on a landing approach. As a kid, its engine noise always stood out, and its sheer size always impressed me (though admittedly, the nose probably held my fascination the most).

[@adam-gg3zt]

I was on a load crew at Ellsworth AFB years ago and loaded and unloaded these as part of expeditionary training exercises. You cannot begin to understand how big the are till you’re in the belly. It’s absolutely insane.

[@KSIREBEL]

Should do the Essex class (The numerous aircraft carrier) or the Fletcher class (most numerous warship class ever)

[@andrewbleazy]

Do the globemaster next Simon

[@R3dhawk95]

the takeoff and landing performance of the aircraft is actually extremely favourable compared to other aircraft of similar size and there's actually a fairly large number of airfields that would support the takeoff and landing length requirements, the issue would be moreso with the landing weight. It's likely that similar to when the A380 was introduced the C-5 is restricted in where it may be able to land based on the runway/tarmac capability of handling an aircraft of that weight rather than runway length. the 777 and 747 are roughly similar in size while having a lower MTOW and both have a takeoff length at max capacity of around 3000m

[@AcuraLvR82]

Got to walk through one at an air show at I believe Whiteman air station back around 1992. Truly an enormous aircraft. Didnt mention that most models have quite a large upper deck for passengers on top of the cargo hold. And its a plane that does very well with in flight refueling.

[@steveskouson9620]

About 5 minutes, 20 seconds, Hangar One at Moffett Field. If I'm not mistaken, Google is re-surfacing the hangar, as well as leasing it for a few decades or so. I've seen a C-5, INSIDE that hangar, and it looks like a toy in comparison. That is REALLY hard to do. Make a C-5 look like a toy! Simon, look into doing a story about Hangar One. steve

[@DirtCheapFU]

I got to stand next to one of those at an airfield when i was COP hopping back in '08-'09. Freaking huge.

[@vanpenguin22]

HEY!!!!!!!! Finally! A halfway worthwhile suggestion! How does this sound? : How about an edition on the history and development of three-dimensional gaming and simulations?

[@mrd1433]

I saw one at NAS Oceana and watching it take off was definitely different because I was used to the jets the Navy used. It looked like it was barely moving as it climbed.

[@galaxyrider1391]

You might hear them at night too. We used to do a lot of special ops stuff down there.

[@13lbaseball]

Hey Megaprojects team, if you haven't maybe a video or video series on the shipping on the Great Lakes of North America. The Soo Locks, the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge, the 1000ft ships, and the monstrous infrastructure of the the various harbors that move millions of tons of cargo not just around the US, but also internationally.

[@snchilders]

I worked on C-5s for 9 years and I still live near Dover AFB. They still amaze me.

[@galaxyrider1391]

HI Steve! I remember you lol.

[@michaelpipkin9942]

Thank you for doing the YF-23 vs the YF-22 finally. Can you do the history of the Thunderbirds? It's tragic and beautiful.

[@downwindchecklist6567]

I had the chance to walk through one of these at the NATO days in Ostrava. Impressive machines, thx for the video. Idea: Universidad Laboral in Gijon, one of the largest buildings in Spain.