PHOTO : Lockheed C - 5A Galaxy ( U.S.A.F. ) on the ground, somewhere in Europe

The C - 5A Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed, and now maintained and upgraded by its successor, Lockheed Martin. It provides the United States Air Force ( U.S.A.F. ) with a heavy intercontinental - range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsized and oversized loads, including all air - certifiable cargo.

The first C - 5A ( serial number : 66 - 8303 ) was rolled out of the manufacturing plant in Marietta ( Georgia, United States ), on March 2nd, 1968. On June 30th, 1968, flight testing of the C - 5A began with the first flight. It was flown by the following crew ( call sign : " Eight - Three - O - Three Heavy " ) :

• Leo J. Sullivan ( 1919 - 1995 ), Chief Engineering Test Pilot.
• Walter E. Hensleigh, Test Pilot.
• Jerome H. " Jerry " Edwards, Flight Engineer.
• E. Mittendorf, Flight Test Engineer.
• Lieutenant Colonel Joseph S. Schiele, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot.

The C - 5A weighed 497,000 pounds ( 225,435 kilogrammes ) at take - off. After a 3,800 foot ( 1,158 metres ) take - off roll, it lifted off at 123 knots ( 142 miles per hour / 228 kilometres per hour ). It remained in take - off configuration while it climbed to 10,000 feet ( 3,048 metres ) at 140 knots ( 161 miles per hour / 259 kilometres per hour ). The flight lasted 1 hour, 34 minutes. On landing, the Galaxy’s touchdown speed was 116 knots ( 133 miles per hour / 215 kilometres per hour ).

The first C - 5A was delivered to the U.S.A.F. on December 17th, 1969. Wings were built up in the early 1970s at Altus AFB ( Oklahoma ),  Charleston AFB ( South Carolina ), Dover AFB ( Delaware ) and Travis AFB ( California ). The C - 5A's first mission was on July 9th, 1970, in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. The photograph has probably been taken in Europe, but we can neither confirm the location, nor the year.

( source : Wikipedia, www.thisdayinaviation.com, thetartanterror.blogspot.com, books.google.be )