Westover's Shifting Landscape

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Caruso
  • 439th Airlift Wing
The C-5 Galaxy has been a mainstay of the Westover Air Reserve Base landscape since the late 1980s. And for three decades, so has the not-so-gentle roar of its four powerful engines.
Airmen and residents of the local area alike are well aware every time a C-5 takes off, performs an engine run, or circles the skies of the Pioneer Valley.
But the landscape at Westover is changing. Fewer local flights. Less frequent engine runs. Less noise. All due to the fact that there are very few planes at Westover.
Those familiar with Westover may have even noticed diminished numbers of the epic C-5 “T-tails,” towering high above the tarmac.
But the C-5 is not leaving Westover for good. True, some have been re-purposed to other Air Force units, but eight Westover C-5s are being sent to the aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin for major upgrades as part of an Air Force program to modernize the global C-5 fleet.
The program, known officially as the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engineering Program (RERP), will return the C-5M models to Westover ARB beginning in June.

Big Upgrades
As part of the “M mod,” all of Westover’s airframes are being outfitted with new General Electric CF6-80C2 (military designation F138-GE-100) engines.
The new engines are capable of producing more than 50,000 pounds of thrust, a 22 percent percent increase over the current capability, and will reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.
Additionally, according to a Lockheed-Martin press release, “the C-5M also has a 58 percent greater climb rate to an initial cruise altitude that is 38 percent higher than the current C-5.” Combined with the dramatically increased fuel efficiency, this will enable airlift flights originating on the U.S. east coast to travel directly to the CENTCOM AOR without making the usual en-route refueling stops in Europe.
In other words, the C-5M will enable Westover crews to fly farther, carry heavier payloads, and refuel less frequently. Teamed with Lockheed’s C-5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP), RERP promises a significant return on investment.
First Hand Knowledge As part of the planning effort, Westover maintenance personnel are already preparing for the huge changes coming to the Westover flight line. Several maintainers have attended courses at Dover Air Force Base Del. These training classes focus on all aspects of the C-5M, including avionics, electrical systems, hydraulics, and the engines themselves.
Thus far, 66 maintainers from the 439th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron have already completed in residence training at Dover, some having attended multiple courses in temporary duty status there. Nearly 40 more Airmen are expected to attend classes at Dover in the coming months.
Given the massive engine overhaul central to RERP, much of the training is for jet engine mechanics, who could attend up to six or more courses for qualification to maintain the newly installed GE engines. Crew chiefs, electrical/environmental mechanics, and avionics systems technicians are also attending advanced training.
The biggest change for avionics systems technicians, according to Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Horrigan, is the incorporation of an embedded diagnostic system (EDS), which reduces required troubleshooting time substantially. The EDS records in flight data and conducts analysis in real time to highlight possible faults for maintenance personnel.
Staff Sgt. Garyson Winn, who spent a total of 54 days TDY at Dover, was also very optimistic that the upgrades would enable technicians to isolate engine system malfunctions much sooner. He said the learning experience was “career changing.”
Staff Sgt. Thomas Mancarella, an AMXS crew chief, discussed his positive experience in Dover indicating that the “in-depth training gave [him] a much better grasp of how to approach troubleshooting.”
Managing this large-scale training program has been no small feat, as school funds are limited and slots are often allocated to active duty personnel before the Reserve component, said Chief Master Sgt. Jeff McCarthy.
To overcome these barriers, AMXS has implemented a cascading training strategy, to get the most bang for the buck. Priority for school slots is being given to full-time air reserve technicians. Upon returning from training in Dover, attendees share knowledge gained and course material with their counterparts.
McCarthy also mentioned that other cost effective training options are being explored, such as hosting a mobile training team here at Westover.
Overall, maintenance group leadership is not only managing technical change.
The C-5M model is causing it to rethink the way it manages people and conducts business, as well. Master Sgt. James Griffin stated that the C-5M program is helping “breed better mechanics.” Because the system is much more integrated, each specialty needs to learn about other disciplines. They need to “work in teams and take a full system approach,” which will ultimately lead to greater integration across the whole maintenance organization.
Kinder, Gentler C-5 Roar Despite the increased power and thrust these engines will deliver, their cumulative effect on noise will be music to Airmen and residents’ ears. The C-5M is the only strategic airlift asset that is Stage IV noise compliant. That means that the all-too familiar roar of the C-5 engines screaming overhead will be greatly diminished with the new ones.
For maintainers and operators alike, this will greatly reduce the risk of noise related hearing injuries and create a more pleasant working environment.
Less is More The C-5M modification is expected to extend the lifespan of the airframe well beyond 2040.
Even though the Patriot Wing will have fewer C-5s than it has historically, the enhanced capabilities of the C-5M will enable Westover personnel to continue to deliver critical airlift capabilities for decades to come.
For members the 439th Airlift Wing, residents of the local area, and our forces and allies around the globe, the C-5M upgrade holds tremendous promise as the fleet shrinks from 16 to 8: Less is truly more.