Westover ARB C-5 Galaxy visits Hanscom

Published May 16, 2006
By Airman 1st Class Clinton Atkins
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Airmen from around Hanscom gathered at the flight line May 4 to climb aboard a C-5A Galaxy from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., to gain a better understanding of the Air Force's "big picture."

The C-5 was flown to Hanscom to show Airmen what the aircraft brings to the "fight," while the crew fulfilled training hour requirements.

"I think a mission brief of all of New England's units using their training hours would be very beneficial to Hanscom," said Master Sgt. Tim Morse, Electronic Systems Center Special Security Office superintendent, who arranged the visit.

"Hanscom plays a huge role in fielding great systems, but it is hard to beat the roar of aircraft and a crew briefing to add some variety and add professional development," he said.

"This was a great opportunity for Airmen, because a lot of them haven't had an opportunity to get up close and personal with a C-5 -- and they were pretty excited about it," Sergeant Morse said.

The excitement was evident on the faces of the Airmen as the C-5 Galaxy touched down on the tarmac and taxied down the runway to where they stood waiting anxiously to see the Air Force's largest aircraft.

"I really wanted to come out and see the C-5 in person. It's not often a plane like this comes to Hanscom, so it was a great opportunity for me," said Senior Airman Thomas Deckert, 350th Electronic Systems Wing special programs information manager.

Soon after the plane rumbled to a stop, Airmen were given signals to approach it and were greeted by the crew.

"The whole reason why we came to Hanscom was to tell the Airmen our story and to show them around the plane and what its capabilities are," said Senior Airman Carla Sullivan, C-5 Galaxy loadmaster.

According to www.af.mil, the C-5 Galaxy provides Air Mobility Command inter-theater airlift in support of U.S. national defense. The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world. Ground crews can load and unload the C-5 simultaneously through the front and rear cargo openings.

"The C-5 can hold 23 million ping pong balls or six Greyhound buses. One C-5 can generate enough electricity to power a small city," said Staff Sgt. Paul Flipse, Westover ARB Public Affairs specialist.

Sergeant Flipse also said the C-5 carries enough fuel in its tanks for the average car to drive around the world 31 times.

The C-5's abilities were on display recently when the aircraft played a role in the evacuation of Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., following Hurricane Katrina.

"It was really neat to be there when the pilot was briefing the group about how they went to Keesler and evacuated hundreds of people, who were all packed into their plane, after Hurricane Katrina went through," said Senior Airman Elizabeth Dillard, 66th Air Base Wing Command Post. "It was really neat to see how big and powerful our Air Force is to do stuff like that."

Out of all Air Force servicemembers, only a small percentage are on flight status or in a career field that enables them to fly on an aircraft such as the C-5.

"A lot of Airmen who aren't on flying status really do wish they could get out and fly once in while," said Senior Master Sgt. Gary Miller, Westover ARB C-5 flight engineer. "This gave them a chance to really see what a flying unit does. It's just too bad they weren't able to take a ride with us."

Airman Dillard was happy enough to just see the other side of what she does in the command post.

"It was really cool to see the plane fly in and be there on the opposite end of my job. I was able see to where they sat and what they communicated through," she said.

Airman Dillard communicates with military aircraft from the command post as they fly into Hanscom Field and takes information from pilots about how much fuel they need and how many people they will be picking up, if any.

"Seeing the C-5 really makes me want to go to a base that has a flying mission, so I can see more of the Air Force and what it really has to offer," Airman Dillard said.

As the Airmen walked away with their heads held high, a rekindled spark could be seen in their eyes.

"When young Airmen come out of basic training, they usually have a spark in their eyes and sometimes along the way they lose that," Sergeant Morse said. "I think you need things like this to stay [Air Force] 'blue' and stay motivated. It really makes you see that you're a part of something more special than people realized."

HANSCOM FIELD, Mass.