Fortunately, the U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy in the above image was eventually able to get airborne.
However, the amoung of extra drag caused by the rain on the runway and the risk of hydroplaning (and dirty water being injected in the engines) may have put the takeoff at risk.
We originally posted the actual video of the take off, but the footage was pulled because the YouTube account associated with it was been terminated. Still, the above screenshot gives an idea of the challenging conditions of the runway as the aircraft departed.
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.
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