The 445th Airlift Wing, the Air Force Reserve unit which operates Wright-Patterson’s C-5s, flies them each week to carry cargoes to international destinations in support of the U.S. war on terror. The big planes, appearing from the ground to be slow-moving, are often seen over the Dayton area on training flights.
The Air Force has 111 C-5 aircraft, some of which date to the late 1960s. The service is spending more than $8 billion to install upgraded navigation systems on 89 of those planes, including new engines for 52 of them.
Wright-Patterson’s older C-5s didn’t make the cut. They are to be retired, likely to the “boneyard” where retired planes are kept at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author