Last C-5A Galaxy retired

[Duggy009]

The U.S. Air Force’s last C-5A Galaxy rests before being retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Sept. 7, 2017. The C-5A has been in operation for over 44 years and has over 22,500 flight hours and more than 5,470 full-stop landings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Frankie D. Moore)

[mike furline]

and has over 22,500 flight hours and more than 5,470 full-stop landings.

In Airline time, that's still a young pup!

[Pogo]

I have always wondered why they're being retired?

[Kyleb]

I have always wondered why they're being retired?

Those airplanes are going on 50 years old, so they are ready for serious upgrades - engines, avionics, and maybe some structural upgrades . Beyond that, the AF prefers to fund fighters (the F-35) as opposed to transports.

Sez the guy who saw the first flight of the first C5 when I was a little kid and all the men in the family worked for Lockheed, GA.

[ALOHADAVE]

Not exactly the last C-5A retired. Many airframes were upgraded to the new standard, the C-5M Super Galaxy is an upgraded version with new engines and modernized avionics designed to extend its service life beyond 2040.

[JohnB]

With all due respects for the venerable Lockheed, from personal experience, I know they had their fair share of maintenance issues (seemingly having to-do with the gear).

[sandiego89]

I believe the original plan was to covert all remaining A's, B's and C's to the C-5M standard (around 112 surviving airframes), but that was cut due to costs. Original production was 80 A models, 50 B models and the two converted C models. There was an earlier upgrade program called AMP that replaced some avionics and other gear that most of the entire fleet got, but only the 50 B's, the 2 C's, and perhaps one A (as a test) got the whole conversion to M. Think there will only be @ these 52 airframes in operation.

A's were not converted to B's, and perhaps only one A made it into an M.

Many of the A's have gone to the boneyard, some very early models A's being already scrapped there or reduced to spares, and only one to a museum, at Dover (a fantastic museum). Too bad a few more A's did not go to Museums as it will be decades before they get an M. Travis, Pima, Castle and the USAF museum would be great places for a C-5. A few other C-5 bases do not have a proper museum. With the need to keep some as spares and the daunting prospect of a C-5 gate guard perhaps making other museum donations impractical.

Perhaps most sad, the majestic "electric" sound of the A engines is gone forever. VERY distinctive.

[p51]

With all due respects for the venerable Lockheed, from personal experience, I know they had their fair share of maintenance issues (seemingly having to-do with the gear).

Yep, I sat in the upstairs PAX seating on one at McChord, waiting to taxi when the nose gear collapsed. Made for a very short trip.

[ALOHADAVE]

Travis AFB Heritage Center just received an "A" model on its final flight July 26. C-5A tail number 0451 which spent nearly 20 years operating from Travis is slated to be put on static display at Travis AFB. Travis currently employs a fleet of 18 C-5 M Super Galaxies.
Please add C-5A 0451 to the list of aircraft at Travis!

[raconnel]

A C-5 could be used AS a museum! Plenty of room for exhibits!

[Clifford Bossie]

With all due respects for the venerable Lockheed, from personal experience, I know they had their fair share of maintenance issues (seemingly having to-do with the gear).

Yep, I sat in the upstairs PAX seating on one at McChord, waiting to taxi when the nose gear collapsed. Made for a very short trip.

A friend who flew C-141s told me that if they flew into a C-5 base and there were no C-5s up on jacks it meant there were no jacks at that base.

[Pogo]

A C-5 could be used AS a museum! Plenty of room for exhibits!

All joking aside, it had crossed my mind that a C-5 could pull double duty and serve as a building...

Yes, the sound of a C-5 going over is something, alright. If it must go extinct, I suppose I should just be happy I got to hear it (unlike the B-36).

[JohnB]

In February I paid my annual visit to Pima, and you could clearly see a line of C-5s at D-M.
Even at a could of miles away, they looked huge.

I wondered when Pima would get one. It would be nice if they could open up both ends and use it as a covered picnic area over by the B-36.

[airnutz]

I wonder who'll be the 1st base CO to request "his" C-5 gate guard mounted on a stick?

[sandiego89]

Travis AFB Heritage Center just received an "A" model on its final flight July 26. C-5A tail number 0451 which spent nearly 20 years operating from Travis is slated to be put on static display at Travis AFB. Travis currently employs a fleet of 18 C-5 M Super Galaxies.
Please add C-5A 0451 to the list of aircraft at Travis!

Fantastic AlohaDave! Did not know Travis received one. Great news, and very deserving.

The Dover C-5A has been restored to the delivery scheme, the attractive white over gray (best C-5 scheme by far in my opinion) and does have some displays and display cases on the cargo deck. The C-133 also has a fire truck and a staff car on display on the cargo deck- so the idea of a mini museum does work!