That's one big friggin plane

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Got this email and accompanying pic from my brother-in-law who is retired Air Force:



NORFOLK Naval Air Station Virginia -- One of the military's largest transports got stuck at the end of a runway atop the I-564 overpass for more than 16 hours. It was unable to turn around at the West end of Chambers Field at the Norfolk Naval Station. The incident forced the closing of the field to all but helicopter traffic and made for a dramatic sight for hundreds of motorists passing beneath it during morning rush hour.

"That thing's like a big building sitting there.'' said motorists. The nose of the aircraft actually stuck out and OVER the Interstate!

The aircraft's nose was so far over the end of the ramp, the crew was unable to see the runway where it was supposed to turn around so the pilot simply had to leave it at the end of the runway. The Air Force C-5 Galaxy, largest airplane in the free world, is almost as long as a football field and as high as a six-story building.

Weighing 420 tons with a full load, it uses a system of 28 wheels to distribute its weight. The aircraft had to wait for a specially made tow bar trucked in from Dover, Del. When the tow bar arrived, it was used to hook the C-5 to a tractor that then turned the aircraft around. The plane was not damaged.




Really Big Plane
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
The C-5 can carry 5 tanks as a payload, it is incredible aircraft to say the least, easily one of the largest (ariborne) carriers in the world.
 

Ive seen those planes alot around the space coast of fl, those suckers are insane.
Talk about a driving distraction.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: fredtam
Cool. Also they are not limited to the airforce.
cpaisadick@gmail.com Was that you?

No, I don't have a gmail account. Someone must not like me :( or it's just a coincidence. Did you get an email or something from that address?
 

Megatomic

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
20,127
6
81
I go past there every day to and from work. Too bad I missed that incident. I'm gonna have to ask my coworkers if they saw it.
 

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
Interesting factiod: The C5 can carry 73 passengers plus an additional 270 passengers, two M1A1 tanks, 7 Huey helicopters, one 73-ton Army scissor bridge, or a fully assembled F-117A Stealth Fighter.
 

TheVrolok

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
24,254
4,092
136
I used to go to a few air shows around my area and I've been inside a C-5.. they are indeed absolutely massive. The scary part is when the show would be going on you coudl see crewmen sitting on top of the tail with their legs dangling over the edge. Now that's scray high.
 

Twista

Diamond Member
Jun 19, 2003
9,646
1
0
Originally posted by: fredtam
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: fredtam
Cool. Also they are not limited to the airforce.
cpaisadick@gmail.com Was that you?

No, I don't have a gmail account. Someone must not like me :( or it's just a coincidence. Did you get an email or something from that address?
DP

WOW! freebie ;) Someone make a twistaisabooboohead@gmail.com i want another!

once again at this story!

HOLY WATERY BOO BOOS SH!T
HOLY WATERY BOO BOOS SH!T
 

fredtam

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
5,694
2
76
Anyway on topic the Marines use them and it amazes me they can fly. They always look like they are about to fall out of the sky.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
Originally posted by: fredtam
Cool. Also they are not limited to the airforce.
cpaisadick@gmail.com Was that you?

uh? The AF is the only branch to have the C-5

just a little trivia. The Air Force took deliver of the first C-6 in 1969 and the first C-5 was in operation in 1970.

only two C-5's have ever crashed since 1968. the first one was on 4 April 1975 and the second was 29 August 1990 at Ramstein AB, Germany in support of Operation Desert Shield.

My wife and were driving back from Paris on our way back to Hahn AB and as we were driving by Ramstein we saw the fireball from when the C-5 crashed.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: hypersonic5
Looks like a bad photoshop.

I thought the same thing at first, but this pic came as a bmp and I converted it to a jpg. Shouldn't really affect the resolution but maybe it did. In any case, I'm not sure my brother-in-law or his buddies know much about photoshop.
 

fredtam

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
5,694
2
76
Originally posted by: Citrix
Originally posted by: fredtam
Cool. Also they are not limited to the airforce.
cpaisadick@gmail.com Was that you?

uh? The AF is the only branch to have the C-5

just a little trivia. The Air Force took deliver of the first C-6 in 1969 and the first C-5 was in operation in 1970.

only two C-5's have ever crashed since 1968. the first one was on 4 April 1975 and the second was 29 August 1990 at Ramstein AB, Germany in support of Operation Desert Shield.

My wife and were driving back from Paris on our way back to Hahn AB and as we were driving by Ramstein we saw the fireball from when the C-5 crashed.

Really why do you think there are so many C-A at MCAS Beaufort?

Edit I guess they may be only AF but there are always a few @ MCAS Beaufort.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
umm maybe support missions? MAC crews get stationed all over the world. Its not unusual to see other branch aircraft parked at another branches airbase. WHen i was at Nellis AFB We had a squadron of F-14's permantly stationed there. Or maybe the landing strips at Travis are being redone. When i was at Grand Forks AFB they had to rebuild our runways so all of our KC-135's and B-1b's had to be stationed at another base for a few months. Man that was nice and quiet, but when they reopned the runway those damn hotdog pilots let everybody know they were back.
 

trilks

Golden Member
Aug 16, 2002
1,117
0
0
I have heard that the AF is becoming less reliant on the C-5 because of its size. It can't take off from smaller airports, so it is limited in where it can go. I think the C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules are the transports of choice.

That said, the C-5 is still a workhorse, and I don't think there is another military plane that can transport as much cargo.
 

fredtam

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
5,694
2
76
Originally posted by: Citrix
umm maybe support missions? MAC crews get stationed all over the world. Its not unusual to see other branch aircraft parked at another branches airbase. WHen i was at Nellis AFB We had a squadron of F-14's permantly stationed there. Or maybe the landing strips at Travis are being redone. When i was at Grand Forks AFB they had to rebuild our runways so all of our KC-135's and B-1b's had to be stationed at another base for a few months. Man that was nice and quiet, but when they reopned the runway those damn hotdog pilots let everybody know they were back.

I already said you could be right. Just so used to seeing them at a MCAS