Riding The Storm Out: MacDill is safe haven for some of the Air Force's largest aircraft

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn Rhodes
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  With the eastern seaboard of the United States preparing for Hurricane Sandy, people are gathering their belongings and getting out of town. On Sunday, October 28, a group of Air Force Reservists found themselves hurrying out of the storm's path with a fleet of planes that each weigh the same as 36 male elephants.

The C-5B Galaxy is one of the largest aircraft in the world, measuring more than 65 feet tall, weighing 380,000 pounds and capable of hauling a 74-ton mobile bridge. They are each valued around $179 million, and were directly in the path of the hurricane.

"When the word came in at 9 a.m. on Sunday to move these planes, we had a lot of work to do," said Capt. Robert Dossman, the 349th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Operations Officer. "Lucky for us, it was a drill weekend and our reservists were on hand to get the job done."

"With the storm heading north and possibly turning west, this is one of the Air Mobility Command's bases that has the ramp space and runway capability needed for these planes and keeps them out of the path for the storm," said Capt. Matt Sayers, an instructor pilot and chief of wing safety with the 927th Air Refueling Wing, the reserve wing at MacDill.

It took three shifts of Westover Air Reserve Base's Airmen working round-the-clock to get the 16 planes off the ground and out of harm's way.

"We've coordinated with MacDill Air Force Base to be our primary evacuation site," said Col. Jeff Hancock, the vice commander of the 439th Air Wing. "We knew we would get the support we needed from MacDill. All it took was a phone call."