Unreal C-5 Galaxy takeoff, gut wrenching!

[1to1scale]

Insane YouTube C-5 galaxy takeoff, short field.

 

C-5 shortfield takeoff

 

 

[LSP_Ron]

Well the runway is clean now!  LOL

[ScottsGT]

I saw that quite some time back.  It still impresses the crap out of me everytime I see it. 

FWIW, my Dad was on the C-5 design and test team.  Told me a story when they were practicing/testing this maneuver with the prototype they discovered counterfeit bolts holding down the pilots seat.  It broke loose when they released the brakes.   

Lockheed had to disassemble the plane and check every bolt.  

[aircommando130]

That was a C-5A/B with the TF-39 engines! TRT Standing takeoff...made many of those in my 14 years and 3500 hours in the "big jet". The re-engined M model has a ton more thrust and would of jumped off the runway. That was cool to watch from the spectator point of view now!

 

Cheers...Ron C-5A/B Loadmaster 1975-1989

[Guest Clunkmeister]

FOD check!

I saw C-5As fly in Springfield, Ma many years ago, and they were downright awe inspiring. 

compare that to the video on YouTube of the IL-76 leaving a civilian airport in Australia and using evert inch of runway plus a bit more.  

Awe inspiring, but in a different way.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2018 by Clunkmeister

[ScottsGT]

10 hours ago, aircommando130 said:

 

Cheers...Ron C-5A/B Loadmaster 1975-1989

 

Ron,  That was Dad's main job as well.  He was a Loadmaster that got his start during the Berlin Airlift.  In '66 we were stationed at Scott AFB (I was all of 4 yo at the  time) and that's when Dad was put on the design and test team.  After that work was done, he was put on designing the 437th Mobility Branch HQ in Charleston SC.   When he was done with that, they gave him the job of being the NCOIC of the 437th we and moved to Charleston in Dec of '69.

He was also a C-5 Loadmaster in Charleston until they moved them all to Dover, and he stayed and flew on the 141's at that point. 

He also designed the big flatbed truck they use to lift up loads into the C-5, as well as the ratchet tied down strap.   It's strange how never spoke of these things until long after his retirement in '78.

[Big Texan]

While stationed at Dover AFB, DE, the only all C-5 base on the east coast back in the mid to late 80's, we were treated to shows quite often of just how powerful and nimble these aircraft are. They would do short field takeoffs, and combat manouvers right there.  They look slow, but were much faster than C-141's on takeoffs. They were really something to see. Not to mention, all they could carry inside their cargo bay! Yep, it was a thrill to be at Dover for my first assignment.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Big Texan

[aircommando130]

I was at Travis in the 22nd MAS from 1975 to 1980. The A model was new still and in the gray and white paint with the blue line. We had a ton of gear trouble back then but they eventually got that worked out. Then went to Altus AFB, OK  in 1980 to 1989...was in the C-5 school house from 80-83 then went to the 443rd MAW. Picked up several B models new at Lockheed and we flew them to get the "bugs" worked out then deliver them to Dover and Travis. I was always amazed how big stuff we could haul in that airplane! Downed a few beers at the Brown Fox at Dover! Flew with some guys who were in the C-5 program at Charleston and then moved up to Dover. I left the C-5 program and went to Joint Special Operations Command from 1989-1993 and then went to Kadena AB, Okinawa from 1993-1996 in the MC-130P Combat Shadow...Came here to Kirtland in 1996 as the program manager loadmaster and retired in 1999 after 24 years and over 6000 flying hours. Had a great time in the "big jet" and it's sad to see those old tails that carried me all over the world being cut up in the Arizona desert. 

 

Cheers...Ron

[kalashnikov-47]

21 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

FOD check!

I saw C-5As fly in Springfield, Ma many years ago, and they were downright awe inspiring. 

compare that to the video on YouTube of the IL-76 leaving a civilian airport in Australia and using evert inch of runway plus a bit more.  

Awe inspiring, but in a different way.

 

I've been around (and flown in) a lot of Russian aircraft in my travels.  That's a standard Russian take off!

[Guest Clunkmeister]

1 hour ago, kalashnikov-47 said:

 

I've been around (and flown in) a lot of Russian aircraft in my travels.  That's a standard Russian take off!

 

Why use half the runway when you can use all of it.

 

One thing you learn real early when flying freight is to never,  ever accept an intersection departure,  even if the book  and your gut says you have plenty of room.  

Something can and will always go wrong,  or those carefully placed pallets over the spar might just be a fair bit heavier than stated on the manifest.

 

As to those Russians, they were sure taking their time. The C-5a crew stood on the brakes and didn’t release until the engines were steady at max thrust, the Russians did a rolling go with a slow application of power. They were still fiddling with the throttles a third of the way down the runway.  Space wasted. 

They didn’t even start lightening it up till 500ft from the end. Like the Aussies said, “If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed it”. 

Edited July 12, 2018 by Clunkmeister

[alaninaustria]

Good insight Ernie - eventhough our performance software says we can take an intersection - I’m going full length if we are just under max TOM ... and Normal t/o power - no reduction! These guys should have done a standing t/o with brake release once all four vodka burners were at max power!! They got away with it this time - absolutely crazy!! I once witnessed an Antonov 224 in Seychelles use full reverse to back out after delivering freight and refuelling - in an effort to save costs... they ended up blowing the entire roof off the airport building!! The fire department drove two armoured vehicles out onto the runway to block them from taking off as they tried to depart without clearance... absolutely crazy! The story didn’t end there either, after forcing them to return to the park stand the police gave the entire crew an alcohol test and every single Russian crew member blew over the limit... these guys were hauling multimillion dollar equipment (osmossis machines) from Europe down to Seychelles and were so inebriated they could barely talk - but, they were operating as if nothing was wrong... the cargo company had to pay for the airport roof replacement and the crew was detained in prison for over a week -  replacements came a week later to move the bird back to the continent for the next contract. I point this story out as a classic example - we have no idea if those pilots on that Il-76 (in the video) were drunk or not... but, my money is on the idea that they most probably were!!

Cheers

Alan

Edited July 12, 2018 by alaninaustria

[Guest Clunkmeister]

Agreed on that 76 Alan, they just might have been smashed, although you'd think the Aussies would have seen something if they were.

Back in my days, we never had software, just old (highly optimistic) performance tables and slide rules, and also the best tool of all, our gut. If I didn't think I had the room, I didn't do it, period. The ATC guy wouldn't be first on the scene, I would be.  The long trundle to the end was a pain for us too, especially in a big taildragger.  But I'm sure it saved our lives. And even with recips, we'd run them up,  and verify stable power before releasing the brakes.

 

That IL-76 would have made quite the stain on the landscape.

[Guest Peterpools]

Never a big fan of intersection takeoff as Ernie pointed out,. The runway behind you is as useless as the sky above you. 

Peter