Travis' last C-5 departs for upgrade

By Airman 1st Class Amber Carter
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

8/7/2015 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.  -- Travis Air Force Base, California, sent its last C-5 Galaxy to Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Aug. 4 to be upgraded to a C-5M Super Galaxy.

This will mark Travis from a transition base to a completed C-5M base.

"[The transition includes] upgrades to avionics, electrical, bleed air, pressurization, auxiliary power systems and new engines that are more powerful and more fuel efficient," said Master Sgt. Scott Horant, 22nd Airlift Squadron training superintendent. "The power increase is equivalent to adding a fifth engine to a legacy C-5."

The first C-5M arrived at Travis in April 2014. It has taken approximately 18 months for the 22nd Airlift Squadron, 60th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 349th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 312th Airlift Squadron to jointly accomplish the conversion.

"The final C-5M will arrive back at Travis [in] December 2017," said Tech. Sgt. Samuel Callison, 22nd Airlift Squadron C-5M flight engineer and NCO in charge. "This will increase the capability of our mission planners to fulfill combatant commander requirements more effectively."

A Travis C-5M broke records this past April, setting 45 new world records for a total of 89 for the aircraft.

"The C-5M has a higher reliability rate which means less time and money is spent repairing the aircraft," Callison said. "It can reach cruise altitude quicker, which means increased fuel efficiency and it can fly farther than ever before."

The new engine upgrade is also quieter than its predecessors.

"This allows the aircraft to be flown in areas that the C-5B was restricted due to noise ordinances around the world," Callison said.

The upgraded C-5M is expected to be in service well beyond 2040.

"It is a great investment because it saves the taxpayers money and ensures cargo will reach the warfighter in the combat zone and our fellow citizens during a natural disaster," Callison said.