Ohio Reserve wing bids farewell to C-5 mission Published Feb. 1, 2012 By Stacy Vaughn 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The last C-5 Galaxy assigned to the 445th Airlift Wing took its final flight Jan. 31, 2012, when it flew to its resting place in Arizona. The aircraft executed one last touch-n-go as a final hurrah before ascending into the Ohio skies towards Arizona. Tail number 70-0457 now sits at its new home, the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, also known as the "Boneyard " at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Ariz. This was the last of the 10 assigned 445th AW C-5s to leave the unit as the wing finishes its transition to the C-17 Globemaster III. The crew taking the aircraft to Arizona included pilot Lt. Col. Philip A. Pierce, Jr., 89th Airlift Squadron, 89th Airlift Squadron flight engineers Senior Master Sgt. Allan Blackwell, Master Sgt. Bryan Ayers, Tech. Sgt. Philip Probst, and 445th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief Tech. Sgt. Chris Falloon. Because most of the 89th AS crewmembers are now trained and qualified in the C-17, a pilot and loadmaster from the 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, Martinsburg, W.Va. were called in to help with the transfer. This is the fourth C-5 Pierce has flown to AMARG since the wing started its conversion to the C-17 in January 2011. "This last C-5 was a necessity for the unit to seek its C-17 conversion goal of becoming an up and running C-17 unit. Until it left, it was taking away from that because we still had to maintain and keep it operational and current," Pierce said. "I'm glad it has found its final resting place." Chief Master Sgt. Nathan Wilson, 445th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent, said the aircraft had to retain its currency while still under obligation to the 445th. This meant the engines had to be run periodically, the aircraft had to be towed and various areas on the plane had to be serviced. As the time drew near, the 445th Operations Support Squadron Aircrew Flight Equipment Shop stepped in to remove various equipment items from the C-5. "We came in and removed all of the equipment that is primarily used for survival. Some of these items included life rafts, survival vests, drop down oxygen masks, and life preservers. Because we removed all of these items, we issued the crew a depot kit for their flight to Arizona that consisted of oxygen masks, a minimum survival kit and a flyers safety harness," said Senior Master Sgt. Alan Berens, aircrew flight equipment NCO In Charge. When the crew got to AMARG, Pierce said after they turned in all their aircraft forms, AMARG personnel inventoried all the required items that should be on the plane. Anything missing or not meeting their requirements could have resulted in a delay or refusal of acceptance. After the inspection, the plane was turned over to AMARG. Once the plane was out of their hands, Pierce and his fellow 445th crew members reflected on the past missions the plane has flown. As he nears his own retirement, Pierce reflected on his past experiences as a pilot with the wing, earning 9,300 flying hours with the C-141 Starlifter before it's conversion to the C-5. With the C-5, he earned 1,100 flying hours. "I'm going off into the sunset with the C-5s. I'm more accepting of that inevitability. I was in the mindset of, 'I'm never going to retire.' Now that I know it's just around the corner, I've come to accept it," Pierce said.