Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load...

thestaton · February 15th, 2007, 13:00

I've got about 2,000 total pictures from all the places we've been but I just threw this together real quick with iphoto & iweb.

http://web.mac.com/thestaton/iWeb/Site/road.html

LoadMasterC141 · February 15th, 2007, 13:21

Nice stuff thanks for the memories!
I am going to have to scan in some of my pix for comaprison. Regretably, I was in before the age of the digital camera and now realize I never took enough pictures. I would say I carried a camera on less than a 1/3rd of my trips. sad.

Ian J · February 15th, 2007, 13:28

Awesome. I spent 7 days on a C5 ferrying 2 CH47s from Kentucky to Diego Garcia. Very nice ride, and I loved that we broke in Cali, Hawaii, and Guam. Was a nice pre-break before Afghanistan.

LoadMasterC141 · February 15th, 2007, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChinookDriver

Awesome. I spent 7 days on a C5 ferrying 2 CH47s from Kentucky to Diego Garcia. Very nice ride, and I loved that we broke in Cali, Hawaii, and Guam. Was a nice pre-break before Afghanistan.

That's why the call it a FRED! hehe. Seriously, the thing is so doggone immense, and its' hydraulic systems so complex, that it does break very often.

How long did you spend in Diego? Man I loved that place. Even though I was an east coaster, for some reason I managed to get to Diego about a half dozen times. One time, we broke there for a whole week. I always say it is like Hawaii without the freakin tourists and tourist traps!

Ian J · February 15th, 2007, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

That's why the call it a FRED! hehe. Seriously, the thing is so doggone immense, and its' hydraulic systems so complex, that it does break very often.

How long did you spend in Diego? Man I loved that place. Even though I was an east coaster, for some reason I managed to get to Diego about a half dozen times. One time, we broke there for a whole week. I always say it is like Hawaii without the freakin tourists and tourist traps!

Sadly, that was our shortest stop. Offloaded the 47s onto C-17s and next thing I knew I was in Kandahar.

GalaxyIFE · February 15th, 2007, 13:48

Why do you think we call Freddy the Per Diem Machine? HA!!! Oh the life spent on Bravo alerts...

LoadMasterC141 · February 15th, 2007, 13:57

You guys sit Phoenix Bravo and Alphas too? Huh, I did'nt know that. For prez support or something else? I used to call Bravo being "grounded" (The grounded when you were a kid type).
"Dude you want to go down to Philly tomorrow and party?"
"I can't...grounded"
"Sux"

At first, I really wanted a C-5 and was pissed when I got the Starlifter, especially seeing as the whole fleet was about to be grounded for weep hole problems. In retrospect though, I liked the "out-of-system" places we got to with the Starlifter. Once I got in the Lofty program, it was really awesome. And we still broke all the time too, but because the birds were old.

The other thing I did not like was that a C-5 sometimes seemed "Overrun" with Loads, and I was told the new guys were the passenger ho's and it took at least an enlistment to become primary at some point. I was primary as an E-3. I liked being the only load, or one of two, and we really did not carry pax that much.

Tell ya what though, nothing beats the awesome site of A C-5, inside and out. Your flight deck, and accompanying "rooms" is like a house compared to our crew loft and flight deck.

thestaton · February 15th, 2007, 14:00

about the per diem machine comment.

In those pics from Frankfurt we got to spend 17 days just a little *ironic*, because we where getting rid of the back fill of cargo the 17's could not keep up with.

2 crews shared the same plane so we would have 36 hours off, then down to the desert and back for 17 days. man best trip of my life. probably gained 5 pounds from all the beer, & food. ahhhh.

but, we where supposedly the last c5 going into frankfurt so

my first trip out as a student we sat in moron, spain for 15 days on a back up to the backup ON BRAVO for a banner...

we normally fly with 3 qualified loads & a student. and you are right usually e-4 and below ride troop and baby sit the pax which after you get a laptop is actually kind of relaxing. But the amount of crap we have to learn on the C-5 compared to a c17 or 130 is ridiculous and some times you need all 3 people. If you are loading a big truck you gotta have a spotter on each side, and one guy on the inside with the winch.

what I wont miss any more are the 24 hour + days and when troop is 110 degrees, while sitting on the runway in the desert with 70 pax all white faced and ready to die.

LoadMasterC141 · February 15th, 2007, 14:05

Did they ever open the hotel on base back up? Man that was one of the few onbase billets I was actually glad to be at. Party central. After they closed Frankfurt, and everything kept overflowing at Ramstein, we would always be back to the furt but staying at the Crowne Plaze or Marriott downtown. Sachsenhausen rocks! The stairs is scary!

I did the same kinda desert hauling as you. Whenever Saddam(May he rest in hell) played "war games" on the border, we would have big buildups. Also, during Bosnia there were alot of stages. I took a 30 day Frankfurt stage and eeeked it out into 60. Flew to Zagrab or Skopje one day, the next off. Had fallen in love with a smokin Swedish Nanny and didn't want to leave.

thestaton · February 15th, 2007, 14:09

We stayed at the Sheraton and just had the crew bus come and take us onto base when we needed to. We did go over to the dorms a few times to use the free internet and play xbox but we just kept the same rooms at the sheraton all 17 days.

The one picture that is red is from Sach's, we all did absinth shots hehe. As per the stairs, our student got pushed into a room and didn't come out for an hour later hehe.

LoadMasterC141 · February 15th, 2007, 14:16

Yeah its' funny how you wander over there, drunk as a skunk, with 6-7 crewmembers, just to visit. When you leave, somehow people are missing. haha.

GalaxyIFE · February 15th, 2007, 14:38

Oh yes Bravos...after 9/11 and the huge buildup, we all had the patch "Operation Enduring Bravo". We were in constant bravos for at least 2 years before they finally just cut missions for us. Loved the stage managers in Moron..."we're sorry but you're legal in 12+15...drink up" then sit in bravo up to hour 94 then get alerted @ 0330 for an out and back to the box. Geez...don't miss that at all. So are you still on Freedy and where were you stationed at? I was a 9th guy at KDOV.

thestaton · February 15th, 2007, 16:35

I was in the 3rd for a year and half at kdov *the fun years*, then with the draw down because the 3rd is now a c17 squadron got sent over to the 9th for the past 2 years.

the 9th is a good squadron but I've always missed my buds from the 3rd. Had 700 amazing flying hours with them

haha, gotta love those bed sheets in moron eh? !!!! I don't know if you have been in a while but they took all the fun out of moron. no more xbox room, no more pool tables / darts etc etc. really a bummer it used to be pretty fun with the bar, and all the crews would hang out.

n57flyguy · February 15th, 2007, 20:08

Amazing pictures! They fly over my house every now and then and they are loud, the C-5 that is.

Thanks for the pictures.

PGT · February 15th, 2007, 22:34

Nice pics, the Alps are friggin sweet from an airplane

GalaxyIFE · February 16th, 2007, 11:34

Oh Moron...what memories. I left the 9th in 2003 and went to Altus Ameica for 3 suck-a## years. Now I'm in San Antonio doing "active duty" advisor duties for the reserves. IT is way sweet...stay home most of the time and pick up a trip once in a while to get a cha-ching...a good deal. Just about 5 years the I'm out...hopefully the commercial side will still be hiring like mad...we'll see I guess.

LoadMasterC141 · February 16th, 2007, 11:39

Altus...yuck! Did you get forced there?
SA is cool though. I am in Temple now, but lived in SA for 3 years a kid (Dad was at Randolph).

FiveO · February 16th, 2007, 16:49

Those are some really cool pics. Thanks for sharing them.

Aero_Engineer · February 17th, 2007, 21:26

Nice pics, thanks for sharing them!!

Windchill · February 18th, 2007, 10:56

Thanks of the picks from Frankfurt ... particularly on the ramp. Brings back memories from a stint I did at Rhein-Mein back in 2004.

Kato · February 23rd, 2007, 10:44

Nice pics man -

C5Engineer · March 3rd, 2007, 15:11

Awesome collection, sure brought back some memories. I did the Go-kart thing in Frankfurt too (in between sitting year long Bravos.) My arms were sore for two days afterwards. It sure was great to see some pics of Ramstein again. Atlus...not so much.

GalaxyIFE · March 5th, 2007, 16:44

I didn't actually volunteer for Altus, but it worked out great. I hated the area, but made many good friends there. Finished school, all in all, not a bad assignment. Now get to hang around San Antonio, get the Master's done and get ready to do the battle for a seniorority # in a few years...woo hoo

what a great life, eh?

thestaton · March 5th, 2007, 17:05

looks like the ole address has changed. perhaps a mod can fix this at the top?

http://web.mac.com/thestaton

February 15th, 2007, 13:00	#1
thestaton Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 70	Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... I've got about 2,000 total pictures from all the places we've been but I just threw this together real quick with iphoto & iweb. http://web.mac.com/thestaton/iWeb/Site/road.html

February 15th, 2007, 13:21	#2
LoadMasterC141 Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Live in Temple, TX - From Ithaca, NY - Wish I was on an island in Fiji Posts: 1,912	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Nice stuff thanks for the memories! I am going to have to scan in some of my pix for comaprison. Regretably, I was in before the age of the digital camera and now realize I never took enough pictures. I would say I carried a camera on less than a 1/3rd of my trips. sad.

February 15th, 2007, 13:28	#3
Ian J Old Skool Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Moving to TN... Posts: 5,881 Blog Entries: 7	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Awesome. I spent 7 days on a C5 ferrying 2 CH47s from Kentucky to Diego Garcia. Very nice ride, and I loved that we broke in Cali, Hawaii, and Guam. Was a nice pre-break before Afghanistan. __________________

February 15th, 2007, 13:48	#6
GalaxyIFE Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: San Antonio TX or anywhere Uncle Sugar wants me.... Posts: 813	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Why do you think we call Freddy the Per Diem Machine? HA!!! Oh the life spent on Bravo alerts...

February 15th, 2007, 13:57	#7
LoadMasterC141 Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Live in Temple, TX - From Ithaca, NY - Wish I was on an island in Fiji Posts: 1,912	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... You guys sit Phoenix Bravo and Alphas too? Huh, I did'nt know that. For prez support or something else? I used to call Bravo being "grounded" (The grounded when you were a kid type). "Dude you want to go down to Philly tomorrow and party?" "I can't...grounded" "Sux" At first, I really wanted a C-5 and was pissed when I got the Starlifter, especially seeing as the whole fleet was about to be grounded for weep hole problems. In retrospect though, I liked the "out-of-system" places we got to with the Starlifter. Once I got in the Lofty program, it was really awesome. And we still broke all the time too, but because the birds were old. The other thing I did not like was that a C-5 sometimes seemed "Overrun" with Loads, and I was told the new guys were the passenger ho's and it took at least an enlistment to become primary at some point. I was primary as an E-3. I liked being the only load, or one of two, and we really did not carry pax that much. Tell ya what though, nothing beats the awesome site of A C-5, inside and out. Your flight deck, and accompanying "rooms" is like a house compared to our crew loft and flight deck.

February 15th, 2007, 14:00	#8
thestaton Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 70	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... about the per diem machine comment. In those pics from Frankfurt we got to spend 17 days just a little ironic, because we where getting rid of the back fill of cargo the 17's could not keep up with. 2 crews shared the same plane so we would have 36 hours off, then down to the desert and back for 17 days. man best trip of my life. probably gained 5 pounds from all the beer, & food. ahhhh. but, we where supposedly the last c5 going into frankfurt so my first trip out as a student we sat in moron, spain for 15 days on a back up to the backup ON BRAVO for a banner... we normally fly with 3 qualified loads & a student. and you are right usually e-4 and below ride troop and baby sit the pax which after you get a laptop is actually kind of relaxing. But the amount of crap we have to learn on the C-5 compared to a c17 or 130 is ridiculous and some times you need all 3 people. If you are loading a big truck you gotta have a spotter on each side, and one guy on the inside with the winch. what I wont miss any more are the 24 hour + days and when troop is 110 degrees, while sitting on the runway in the desert with 70 pax all white faced and ready to die.

February 15th, 2007, 14:05	#9
LoadMasterC141 Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Live in Temple, TX - From Ithaca, NY - Wish I was on an island in Fiji Posts: 1,912	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Did they ever open the hotel on base back up? Man that was one of the few onbase billets I was actually glad to be at. Party central. After they closed Frankfurt, and everything kept overflowing at Ramstein, we would always be back to the furt but staying at the Crowne Plaze or Marriott downtown. Sachsenhausen rocks! The stairs is scary! I did the same kinda desert hauling as you. Whenever Saddam(May he rest in hell) played "war games" on the border, we would have big buildups. Also, during Bosnia there were alot of stages. I took a 30 day Frankfurt stage and eeeked it out into 60. Flew to Zagrab or Skopje one day, the next off. Had fallen in love with a smokin Swedish Nanny and didn't want to leave.

February 15th, 2007, 14:09	#10
thestaton Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 70	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... We stayed at the Sheraton and just had the crew bus come and take us onto base when we needed to. We did go over to the dorms a few times to use the free internet and play xbox but we just kept the same rooms at the sheraton all 17 days. The one picture that is red is from Sach's, we all did absinth shots hehe. As per the stairs, our student got pushed into a room and didn't come out for an hour later hehe.

February 15th, 2007, 14:16	#11
LoadMasterC141 Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Live in Temple, TX - From Ithaca, NY - Wish I was on an island in Fiji Posts: 1,912	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Yeah its' funny how you wander over there, drunk as a skunk, with 6-7 crewmembers, just to visit. When you leave, somehow people are missing. haha.

February 15th, 2007, 14:38	#12
GalaxyIFE Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: San Antonio TX or anywhere Uncle Sugar wants me.... Posts: 813	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Oh yes Bravos...after 9/11 and the huge buildup, we all had the patch "Operation Enduring Bravo". We were in constant bravos for at least 2 years before they finally just cut missions for us. Loved the stage managers in Moron..."we're sorry but you're legal in 12+15...drink up" then sit in bravo up to hour 94 then get alerted @ 0330 for an out and back to the box. Geez...don't miss that at all. So are you still on Freedy and where were you stationed at? I was a 9th guy at KDOV.

February 15th, 2007, 16:35	#13
thestaton Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 70	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... I was in the 3rd for a year and half at kdov the fun years, then with the draw down because the 3rd is now a c17 squadron got sent over to the 9th for the past 2 years. the 9th is a good squadron but I've always missed my buds from the 3rd. Had 700 amazing flying hours with them haha, gotta love those bed sheets in moron eh? !!!! I don't know if you have been in a while but they took all the fun out of moron. no more xbox room, no more pool tables / darts etc etc. really a bummer it used to be pretty fun with the bar, and all the crews would hang out.

February 15th, 2007, 20:08	#14
n57flyguy Old Skool Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,744	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Amazing pictures! They fly over my house every now and then and they are loud, the C-5 that is. Thanks for the pictures. __________________ -Paul It ain't always 65 and sunny

February 15th, 2007, 22:34	#15
PGT Old Skool Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: IA & MN Posts: 3,061	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Nice pics, the Alps are friggin sweet from an airplane __________________ PPL Working on IR

February 16th, 2007, 11:34	#16
GalaxyIFE Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: San Antonio TX or anywhere Uncle Sugar wants me.... Posts: 813	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Oh Moron...what memories. I left the 9th in 2003 and went to Altus Ameica for 3 suck-a## years. Now I'm in San Antonio doing "active duty" advisor duties for the reserves. IT is way sweet...stay home most of the time and pick up a trip once in a while to get a cha-ching...a good deal. Just about 5 years the I'm out...hopefully the commercial side will still be hiring like mad...we'll see I guess.

February 16th, 2007, 11:39	#17
LoadMasterC141 Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Live in Temple, TX - From Ithaca, NY - Wish I was on an island in Fiji Posts: 1,912	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Altus...yuck! Did you get forced there? SA is cool though. I am in Temple now, but lived in SA for 3 years a kid (Dad was at Randolph).

February 16th, 2007, 16:49	#18
FiveO Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 1,979	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Those are some really cool pics. Thanks for sharing them.

February 17th, 2007, 21:26	#19
Aero_Engineer Old Skool Join Date: May 2005 Location: California, USA Posts: 2,035	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Nice pics, thanks for sharing them!!

February 18th, 2007, 10:56	#20
Windchill Old Skool Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Mid-Atlantic, KMRB Posts: 1,925	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Thanks of the picks from Frankfurt ... particularly on the ramp. Brings back memories from a stint I did at Rhein-Mein back in 2004. __________________ Ray II PPL [ASEL] *"If it can be taught--I can teach it!* -- Windchill High School Teacher Private Pilot, ASEL AOPA Air Safety Foundation www.aopa.org/asf

February 23rd, 2007, 10:44	#21
Kato Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Vance, AFB... for now Posts: 77	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Nice pics man -

March 3rd, 2007, 15:11	#22
C5Engineer Newbie Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... Awesome collection, sure brought back some memories. I did the Go-kart thing in Frankfurt too (in between sitting year long Bravos.) My arms were sore for two days afterwards. It sure was great to see some pics of Ramstein again. Atlus...not so much.

March 5th, 2007, 16:44	#23
GalaxyIFE Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: San Antonio TX or anywhere Uncle Sugar wants me.... Posts: 813	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... I didn't actually volunteer for Altus, but it worked out great. I hated the area, but made many good friends there. Finished school, all in all, not a bad assignment. Now get to hang around San Antonio, get the Master's done and get ready to do the battle for a seniorority # in a few years...woo hoo what a great life, eh?

March 5th, 2007, 17:05	#24
thestaton Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 70	Re: Couple pics from my time as a C-5 Load... looks like the ole address has changed. perhaps a mod can fix this at the top? http://web.mac.com/thestaton

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