C5 Galaxy Max performance take-off in San Salvador

[Dick MacKenzie]

I have no idea how or why this plane landed on this base in San Salvador. Got this from a buddy, a retired C5 flight engineer flying out of Dover AFB.

He says "Bet this got his interest level elevated. Looks like the outboards dug a couple of new ditches on either side of the runway. Any max performance takeoff has you checking the charts before you say, "Here We Go!" I would have liked to have viewed that TOLD card. C-5 taking off using every inch of runway - San Salvador. Max power and loaded out to use all of the runway which wasn't that long. A nail biter. Pucker time as he rotates!!!"

 

[303Radar]

Holy carp! I know the runway at Hunter Army Airfield was just over two miles long and being loaded for Somalia, we needed a lot of it!
This plane must have been nearly unloaded.

 

[303Radar]

BTW, what's the one thing you can do in a C5 (ok, most cargo planes) but can't in do in any other aircraft? Get up, stretch your legs, have a donut and use a real toilet.

 

[409newby]

Was working at the Portland airport years ago when a C5 landed then lowered to ground level entire nose opened to unload then reload, was a real monster

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

What cargo plane has wheels outboard on the wings?

 

[Quickshift409]

Dave, the C-7 Caribou has outboard landing gear. Used a lot in Vietnam.

 

[Dick MacKenzie]

What cargo plane has wheels outboard on the wings?

Dave,
He was talking about the outboard engines digging ditches.

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

Dave,
He was talking about the outboard engines digging ditches.

A friend got me up close and personal at the Air Force base near Detroit a few years ago. A C5 or something similar came in for a landing and it just kept getting bigger and bigger as it landed and came towards us. I swear it had wheels outboard on each wing.

 

[Mearl]

B-52's have wing tip wheels. I flew on a C-7 once and have flown on many Air Force planes, including an F-15 but I never got to go on a C-5. Airman magazine did an article on them once and told how much the paint weighed on the thing, of course I don't remember anymore but it was a lot.

 

[LMBRJQ 60]

Mearl,
If you have another beer this weekend you might remember?
Those planes are massive

Do they come from Texas

Steve

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

B-52's have wing tip wheels. I flew on a C-7 once and have flown on many Air Force planes, including an F-15 but I never got to go on a C-5. Airman magazine did an article on them once and told how much the paint weighed on the thing, of course I don't remember anymore but it was a lot.

Paint 2,600#

http://www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/c5_specs.asp

http://www.theaviationzone.com/factsheets/c5_specs.asp

This plane can take off in wartime with a total gross weight of 420 tons.............wow, most semi trucks are 80,000 pounds gross. The plane takes off with the same weight as 10 1/2 loaded semi's...............friggin amazing.......I suppose a rock can fly if you give it enough horsepower......

 

[rstreet]

I'll bet MacKenzie doesn't want to be load master on one with that much cargo.
Robert

 

[303Radar]

The other things I remember flying to Somalia in a C5 are:
200'ish seats, we only needed 30 - 40 of them
4 windows
2 lights
1 bathroom.
It's loud as hell! No noise insulation, cuts down on the cargo capacity.
And nearly everyone got motion sickness for all three mid flight refuels. Must have been a lot of turbulence generated by the refueling aircraft.