New C-5 Simulator delivered to Dover

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Padgett
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Dover Air Force Base received a second C-5 simulator Oct. 10, a year ahead of schedule.

The new simulator will allow Dover Airmen to continue training at home station while the simulators go through the upgrade process.

"(The simulator) allows us to practice emergency procedures, especially the ones you don't want to practice in the air," said Lt. Col. Mike Semo, 709th Airlift Squadron C-5M project integration office. "The simulator allows us to make mistakes, analyze mistakes and make sure we don't make those mistakes while in the air."

Dover doesn't let these machines simply gather dust, with some of the highest utilization rates in Air Mobility Command, the C-5 simulator is in use 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, 360 days a year, said Colonel Semo.

Dovers new C-5 simulator will undergo upgrades to simulate the new C-5M Super Galaxy.

"The new simulator was delivered a year early, it's going to go through an avionics moderation program first and then the other simulator will be brought up to a C-5M," said Colonel Semo.

While the new C-5M looks like the C-5 Galaxy on the outside, the inside will be very different.

"The new C-5M looks like the same airplane, but it will be approximately 10 percent more reliable," said Lt. Col. Tom Loper, 436th Operations Group C-5M project integration office . "The C-5M addressed just about every system on the airplane to increase reliability. It will look the same but it has more thrust so it can climb higher, faster and carry more cargo."

The C-5M is scheduled to arrive at Dover in February.