Tag Archives: Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Watch A C-5 Galaxy Perform A “Short Take Off” From A Runway In Central America

A Galaxy uses every inch of runway 33 at Ilopango airport, El Salvador.

The following footage shows a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy taking off from Ilopango airport, located on the eastern part of the city of San Salvador, El Salvador. The massive cargo aircraft, with a wingspan of 222 ft 9 in (67.89 m), exceeding the runway’s 148 ft (45.1 m), generates a spectacular cloud of dust.

What makes the video really interesting is the fact that the giant American cargo aircraft uses most of runway 33 (2,240m/7,349ft in length), proving the somehow unknown STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) capabilities of the C-5. Needless to say, technically speaking, the Galaxy is not STOL: according to Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (JP 1-02) to be considered STOL the aircraft has to be able “to clear a 50-foot (15 meters) obstacle within 1,500 feet (450 meters) of commencing takeoff or in landing, to stop within 1,500 feet (450 meters) after passing over a 50-foot (15 meters) obstacle.”

Still, the C-5 has what can be considered excellent field performance for its size and weight. Indeed, according to its aircrews, Galaxy jets can operate out of a 5,000 foot long runway as well as from unimproved surface with substantial fuel and cargo load to support a special operation, even though such missions are nowadays preferably undertaken by C-17 Globemasters.

Please note: the video was filmed in 2011. The reason of the visit to El Salvador is not known.

This Photo Shows A C-5A Galaxy After It Performed A Gear Up Landing At Travis AFB in 1983

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A belly landing for a giant C-5 Galaxy.

The photo in this post was taken by one of our readers, Tyll Parker, at Travis Air Force Base, California, in July 1983.

Parker was a Lieutenant with the 1901st Comm Group at the time and the shot after he saw the C-5A 68-0216 just sitting there at the end of the runway, after a successful gear up landing.

“It was unusual to be there and I noticed one wing was low. So I drove along the perimeter road and took some pictures. I had heard a little about the landing from an ATC guy. (Air traffic control was under The 1901st) This was close to the 60 MAW ORI/MEI that year. Did nothing to help the CO…,” says Tyll in an email to The Aviationist.

The accident occurred as the Galaxy was performing touch-and-goes: during the final approach of the day, the crew did not lower the landing gear resulting in a belly landing and significant damage to the lower fuselage and main landing gear pods. Based on some articles published by newespaper at the time of the event, the crew had silenced the warning horns for the landing gear warning system by pulling the circuit breakers during the pattern work and forgot to reset the breakers on final approach.

According to the available details, the aircraft was flown to Marietta for repairs and, while there, was selected to become the first C-5A to be converted to the C-5C configuration.

As we have reported several times here, the C-5 Galaxy’s nose gear is part of a unique tricycle-type landing gear system consisting of a total of 28 wheels.

It is a fine piece of machinery made of four main units fitted in tandem pairs, each with a six-wheel bogie with two forward and four rear wheels: the MLG (Main Landing Gear) rotates 90 degrees horizontally to be accommodated inside the gear bays when retracted after take off; furthermore, it is steerable for a 20 degrees left or right for crosswind landings.

You can find several interesting videos online, not only showing the MLG at work but also a few gear up incidents.

The first is a video that dates back to August 1986, when a C-5A performed a nose gear up landing at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany:

The second incident occurred in May 2001 (we already posted a short story about it here), when a C-5 from Travis Air Force Base diverted to Rogers Dry Lake to perform a successful landing after the nose gear failed.

More recently, a U.S. Air Force C-5M Galaxy, registration 86-0020, performed a nose gear up landing at the Spanish airbase after experiencing an unknown failure that made it unable to extend its nose landing gear.

The C-5M that performed a nose gear up landing at Rota, Spain, in May 2017 (image via a reader who wishes to remain anonymous)

Top image credit: Tyll Parker

[Updated] U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy Performs Nose Gear Up Landing At Rota Air Base in Spain

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A USAF C-5 Galaxy airlifter has made a successful emergency landing in Spain.

The top image was reportedly taken yesterday at Rota Air Base, Spain.

Sent us by one of our Twitter followers (thank you @asetanton), it shows a U.S. Air Force C-5M Galaxy cargo aircraft, registration 86-0020, that was forced to perform a nose gear up landing at the Spanish airbase after experiencing an unknown failure that made it unable to extend its nose landing gear.

We have just received a photograph from Rota:

The C-5 after the emergency landing in Rota. (via anonymous reader)

According to a source who wishes to remain anonymous, while on approach into Rota, as well extending the gear, the nose gear showed a “red wheels” indication. This told the crew that the gear doors were open but the gear didn’t move.

One of the Engineers ran downstairs to the fiber optic scope that is used in these cases to verify the gears position. The check proved that the nose gear was still up in the gearwell.

After that the aircrew ran the emergency extension procedures. One was to use the emergency extension switch located on the flight deck, and the other was actuating the hydraulic valves on their own.

The crew members tried these procedures in holding for over an hour where they finally had to turn back for Rota as they had reached the bingo fuel. The aircrew attempted to normally cycle the gear numerous times and they eventually got the landing gear to extend roughly 6 inches.

On the way in they ran the “wheels up, crash landing” checklist which included the nose gear up provisions. The provisions have the crew keep the gear up and the doors closed to minimize damage (as seen by the other times this procedure has been run). However, with the gear stuck partially extended, this became impossible. But with luck the wheels were far enough out that the Galaxy actually only experienced visual damage equal to what a wheel on a car looks like after it scraps a curb. After the plane came to a complete stop, the aircrew evacuated the flight deck and then assisted the evacuation of the 21 passengers in the troop compartment.

The wheels were far enough out that the C-5 actually only experienced visual damage equal to what a wheel on a car looks like after it scraps a curb.

Here’s a clip showing the Galaxy as it approaches Rota for the gear up landing:

@asetanton @combataircraft @TheAviationist pic.twitter.com/N3vR7gjQma

— Aset Anton (@asetanton) May 23, 2017

The C-5 Galaxy’s nose gear is part of a unique tricycle-type landing gear system consisting of a total of 28 wheels.

Anyway, this was not the first time a Galaxy performed an emergency landing without an extended nose gear. You can find in the Internet at least a couple of videos of such gear up incidents.

The first dates back to August 1986, when a C-5A performed a nose gear up landing at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany:

According to the user who posted it on Vimeo, since Rhein Main shared the runway with the Frankfurt airport, and this gear up landing shut down the airport for at least a couple of hours.

Top image via @asetanton

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Watch a C-5 Galaxy drop a Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile during a test

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Although it didn’t make it to something more than a test, the mobile ICBM concept saw C-5 carry and drop a Minuteman missile.

In 1974, the U.S. thought that the best way to preserve its ICBMs (Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles) from Soviet nuclear strikes was to load them in C-5 Galaxy airlifters and keep them on the move.

A three-stage Minuteman, 56 feet in length and 86,000 pounds in weight, was attached to some parachutes that could drag it out of the cargo hold and then point it upward, then it was loaded into a Galaxy and air launched over the Pacific from the aircraft: a timer ignited the rocket motor and the missile flew for about 25 seconds before it cascaded into the Pacific Ocean.

This video shows the ICBM loaded into the C-5 Galaxy and air launched during the unique test. Cool.

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

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Awesome video shows C-5 Galaxy performing a nose gear up landing on dry lakebed

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C5 Landing Nose Gear Up at Edwards AFB’s Dry Lakebed

Few days ago we posted the fascinating video of a B-1 bomber performing a nose gear up landing at Rogers Dry Lakebed, Edwards Air Force Base, in 1989.

Here’s another interesting video, dating back to May 2001.

It shows a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy airlifter making a successful emergency landing once again at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The massive cargo was unable to extend its nose landing gear hence the crew diverted it to Rogers Dry Lake where the plane (that had departed from Travis Air Force Base) made a perfect gear up landing.

No injuries were sustained by the eight crew members and nine passengers aboard.