A single, three-engine flight was authorized for the C-5 Galaxy airlifters to perform permanent repairs
The unique photos in this article, which first appeared in Code One Magazine, feature trick-or-treat C-5 Galaxy flights.
The article’s main image features a C-5, flying with only three engines, landing at Dobbins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia, on May 25, 1977, after flying from Travis AFB, California. Originally, this C-5A—the fourth Galaxy constructed—was a member of the flight test fleet. With 14,518 flying hours, it was retired in February 2004 from its final location at Kelly AFB in Texas.
On June 29, 1979, a C-5 aircraft, powered by just three engines, landed at Dobbins AFB in Georgia after taking off from Dover AFB in Delaware, as depicted in the second picture. This aircraft (Air Force serial number 70-0450) experienced a low-pressure turbine failure in November 1978, destroying the left outboard engine and causing damage to the pylon. The engine was removed after the aircraft landed safely, and the pylon was temporarily faired over to decrease drag. Therefore, the Galaxy was approved for a one-time, three-engine flight to Marietta for permanent repairs. With 16,165 flight hours, this C-5A, the sixty-fourth Galaxy ever constructed, was retired in April 2004 from Altus AFB, Oklahoma.
In June 1970, Lockheed-Georgia Co. delivered the first C-5A Galaxy into service to the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston AFB in South Carolina.
In 1998, Air Mobility Command initiated a vigorous campaign to update the C-5 aircraft after a study revealed that 80 percent of the airframe’s service life was still intact. Upgrading the avionics to enhance communications and the navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management systems to ensure compliance with national and international airspace requirements were all part of the C-5 Avionics Modernization Program, as were a new autopilot system and upgraded safety equipment.
The C-5 modernization plan included a comprehensive Reliability Enhancement and Re-engineering Program as well. 2018 saw the completion of the RERP upgrade for the final 52 C-5s owned by the Air Force. By September 2017, the remaining C-5 fleet had retired.
Four General Electric TF-39 engines were replaced with General Electric CF6-80C2-L1F (F-138) commercial engines to power the C-5 aircraft. This engine will enable far more cargo to be carried over longer distances and will give a 22 percent boost in thrust, a 30 percent shorter take-off roll, and a 58 percent faster climb rate. After undergoing system improvements and engine replacements, the C-5A/B/Cs modified by RERP evolved into C-5M Super Galaxies.
Photo by Lockheed Martin