Watch this huge C-5 Galaxy doing an “almost” touch and go at Westover Air Reserve Base

September 24, 2012 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

Filmed at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, on Sept. 20, 2012, the following video shows a C-5B Galaxy aircraft of the 439th AW (Airlift Wing) doing an “almost” touch and go during a training sortie.

Noteworthy, on final approach, due to the crosswind, the pilot “crabs” the C-5 to apply a WCA, Wind Correction Angle (nose and tail are aligned with the wind direction while the aircraft follows a different course).

Just before touchdown, the pilot reduces the WCA angle (he “decrabs” the plane) to align the wheels with the runway but, in this case, the aircraft doesn’t touch the ground and performs a go around.

Scary video: This is the kind of landing you should be frightened of. Wingtip touches the runway during banked approach (theaviationist.com)

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.