15 June 1969: At Edwards Air Force Base, California, the second Lockheed C-5A Galaxy transport, 66-8304, set several records, including the heaviest takeoff weight, 762,800 pounds (346,000 kilograms), and the heaviest landing weight, 600,000 pounds (272,155 kilograms).
The Dayton Daily News reported:
C-5 Galaxy Heaviest Ever Flown
The world’s largest airplane, the Air Force’s Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, took off weighing more than three-quarter of a million pounds Sunday, the heaviest weight ever flown in an aircraft.
The flight was made at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., as a routine step in the continuing C-5 test program, according to Aeronautical Systems Division officials at Wright-Patterson AFB, where the C-5 program is managed.
THE PLANE WEIGHED 762,000 pounds at takeoff. This included 325,000 pounds for the plane itself, 50,000 pounds of test equipment, 233,000 pounds of fuel, and 154,000 pounds of water ballast simulating cargo.
Previously the C-5 had taken off at a record weight of 728,100 pounds.
THE HEAVYWEIGHT was the No. 2 C-5, which flew from Marrietta, Ga., where teh planes are built by the Lockheed Georgia Co., to Edwards.
Meantime, C-5 No. 5, which will come to Wright-Patterson next year, has made its maiden flight at Dobbins AFB, Ga.
The big transport plane flew for an hour and 25 minutes over north Georgia last Thursday.
THE PLANE IS SCHEDULED to arrive at ASD’s directorate of flight test for all-weather testing in March, 1970.
—Dayton Daily News, Vol. 92, No. 281, Monday, June 16, 1969, at Page 3, Column 1
© 2015, Bryan R. Swopes
The original C-5’s had an amazing number of problems. The new “M”model ranks with the best in the world. Huge and reliable.
Jack, your name reminded me of a C-5 joke I heard while living on base as a dependent:
What does it mean when you see a C-5 with five jacks under the landing gear? Maintenance ran out of jacks
Good one!
My first flight in the C-5A was August 15, 1973 at Altus AFB, OK…after 40 hours in the simulator. The IP was Rudy Hartog–Rudy, are you out there?
Jake Lodato
Saw that airplane come in to Moffett Field, Sunnyvale. Was hooked. Joined the 312th in March 1974 at age 42. Retired as a Chief in Feb. 1992, age 60. What a ride. One of my better decisions. They let me join because of my Korean War B-29 Gunner time. Twenty-eight combat missions out of Okinawa. 30th BS, 19th Bomb wing. Have been retired for 30 years. Celebrated 90th Birthday last Feb. 28, 2022. Saw a lot of the World.
Jake so good to hear about you
Harley Irish
68304 was my first girl in the late 80’s
Aug 7th, 1977 interviewed for a loadmaster job on saturday with a 141 squadron. All the guy could talk about was the length of my hair and how I was going to have to shape up. Sunday I interviewed with the 301st. Walked in to the loadmaster section at 9am and there was Scotty, Stan Alsing and 6 other loadmasters who had just come off a flight, there was a garbage can full of beer in the center of the room. Flight suits half zipped and they looked at me and asked me what I wanted. I told them I was there to interview for a loadmaster job. Stan looks at me and says “you want a beer” and I said yes. He looks around the room and says, “you’re hired”. That was the beginning!
Proud to have been part of this history with the best aircrew members in the business.
Don Schell
Hey Harley
It’s good to hear from you. Sorry I missed the June 2022 reunion, but I will be there in the fall. And no, nobody was hurt in that wreck! 🙂