Last C-5B climbs into history

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe
  • 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE --  For decades, the howl, whine, and growl of the C-5’s four engines has reverberated throughout the Pioneer Valley. On Jan. 18, that signature sound got much closer to disappearing altogether, as the Air Force’s last C-5B Galaxy departed here and headed to the venerable airlifter’s manufacturer to get its second life as a modernized C-5M.

An aircrew with Lockheed-Martin piloted tail number 87-0043 – the newest Galaxy to fly with the Patriot Wing – into the drizzle and fog of the morning. Vapor and clouds clustered around its wings as the Galaxy eventually vanished into the low cloud cover.

Local media and public affairs photographers and videographers huddled at the control tower to capture another military aviation milestone at Westover. The C-5’s takeoff was the end of an era as the last B-model made its way south to become the last of eight C-5s to be modified to M-models. All eight modernized C-5s, equipped with newer, quieter and more powerful engines, are scheduled to be fully operational at Westover by June 2018.

The remaining fleet of 52 C-5Bs will see a new life with the engines and modifications throughout the 1980s-era airframes.

“They’re going to be like B-52s. They’ll be around forever,” said John Linville, a civilian flight engineer with Lockheed-Martin, who was part of the crew. Also on the crew as Senior Master Sgt. Todd Holt, a flight engineer with the 337th Airlift Squadron, and a civilian flight engineer with Lockheed. He has accrued about 5,000 hours flying time, having flown C-5 missions since 1992.

After takeoff, Holt flew for a final time in the B model. The crew returned to Westover briefly to drop Holt off before taking off again for Georgia.

“It was bittersweet, he said. “I knew it would be the last time I hear those engines running on that airplane.”

But the veteran flight engineer’s C-5 experience is far from over. He’ll be among the first cadre of Patriot Wing aircrew members who will head to Dover Air Force Base, Del., for 90 days beginning in February to begin training on the C-5M Super Galaxy. In fact, as a civilian with Lockheed, he’s already trained. Now he must be qualified on the military side. With all of the experience Holt has with the C-5M, he’ll be training his fellow crew members in the spring.

The first C-5M is expected to join the historic Westover flight line in late spring.