All language subtitles for Mighty.Planes.S01E05.Super.Galaxy.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-BurCyg_track3_[eng]

[Narrator]
The C-5 is the largest plane

in the U.S. Air force.

[Man] This baby's the Cadillac.

[Narrator] With a mighty
job...

[Man] Two! Three!

[Narrator] ...flying cargo
into a war zone.

[Man] You are writing the next
chapter in this dynasty.

[Narrator] On tap
for this C-5 crew--

fly their Super Galaxy
nonstop to Afghanistan

in record time

by refueling in midair.

[Man] You feel movement?

[Man] When it's time to
air refuel, it's game time.

[Man] If you're coming in
too fast,

that may create
a dangerous situation.

[Narrator]
It's a marathon mission...

[Man] Going into a combat
environment at night,

there's a lot of
factors against us.

[Narrator] ...that puts the
C-5 in the line of fire.

Dover Air Force base
just outside of Philadelphia

is home base to
a fleet of aircraft

unparalleled on the planet.

[David Hafer] You guys are
standing in jumbo country.

This is arguably the most
strategically important

mile and a half strip of
concrete on the east coast.

[Narrator] This bustling
airfield is the starting
point

for tons of supplies shipped
to U.S. forces in
Afghanistan.

On the ramp, major Jason
Wolff directs traffic.

Dover Air Force
base moves more cargo

than anybody, hands down.

It starts right here and goes
straight to the war fighter.

[Narrator] For cargo
too large and too urgent

to be shipped any other way,

the Air Force relies on the
C-5,

America's biggest
strategic airlifter.

The pace is relentless.

You guys get ready to push.

Alright, slow it down
a little bit.

Slow it down a little bit!

There it is.
Let's not get carried away.

Alright, slow it down,
slow it down.

[Narrator] Every day,
about 150 giant pallets

are flown out of Dover on
C-5s.

[Man] Two! Three!

[Narrator] That's the
equivalent

of more than five
747 cargo jets.

I'm talking
game changing principle.

What I could land on this
puppy,

you can't put on
four or five other birds.

You got the corner
in right here.

[Narrator] On this C-5,
bound for Afghanistan...

[Man] Roll it!

[Narrator]
...Wolff needs to load almost

120,000 pounds of cargo

in just two hours.

[Wolff] We're going to have
to push this thing.

[Narrator] He's got eight
crewmembers to help him

get it on board.

This massive plane is
a beast of burden,

capable of carrying
300,000 pounds,

the weight of six city buses.

Almost as long as
a football field

and more than six stories
high,

its wingspan stretches
over 200 feet.

Hydraulics in the nose lower
the big plane to truck bed
height.

And a ramp unfurls for speedy
loading and unloading.

[Wolff] What needs
to get there now,

what needs to get there fast,

what needs to get
there critical.

We'll move everything
from the small--

a one pound electronic
component box with a
gyroscope--

all the way up to
a nuclear submarine prop.

[Narrator] Wolff and his crew
wrap up the job

30 minutes ahead of schedule.

In less than 48 hours, this
C-5 will land in
Afghanistan.

On the outskirts of Kabul,
Bagram airfield is a linchpin

in the effort to supply
U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The war, a response to the
9/11 attacks on America's in
2001,

has lasted over a decade.

There are more than 100,000
troops on the ground,

and everything they need
to survive in combat

comes from halfway
around the world.

[Controller] Tower runway 3,
full length, estimated 350 at
3.

Clear to land runway 3.

[Narrator] And much of it
arrives at Bagram

on the mighty C-5s.

[Steven Hertenstein] Right now,
we're downloading the apache

that's behind me,

and then behind that
we have a couple of hueys

as well as some pallets
we can offload as well.

[Narrator]
This is a combat zone,

and the base is a prime
target.

So the rule is, get in,
offload and get out...

Fast.

We want to minimize
the ground time of the C-5,

because obviously
when it's in the air,

it's moving cargo to the fight.

[Narrator] Back at Dover,
more than 100 C-5 pilots,

engineers and loadmasters
are involved

in the effort to get
lifesaving equipment

to soldiers in the field.

Colonel David Hafer prepares
his handpicked squad

for their missions
into hostile terrain.

I've stood
in this room many times

and told you guys
you're a dynasty.

You are writing the next
chapter in this dynasty.

If you're not in this room,
then you want to be in this
room.

[Narrator] For Hafer,
the C-5 is much more

than a big transport plane.

It's a potential
knockout punch.

Nobody ever gets to tell
anybody in this room,

"Thank you for supporting
the war fighter,"

because you are the war
fighter.

Those airplanes are weapons.

They may not have bombs
hanging off the bottom of
them,

but when you have
a kinetic force

that you want to deliver,

we get that payload on the C-5,

and we put that ability in
the war fighter's hands.

I would just ask you one thing
in conclusion--

fly the hell out of
these airplanes!

Fly the airplane.

[Narrator] Captain Scott
Korrel is about to do just
that.

The C-5 pilot has
just received orders

for a flight to Afghanistan
that leaves in two days.

Afghanistan is
an austere environment.

It poses new challenges.

Obviously the traffic and
terrain are big issues

in Afghanistan.

Every time we go in there,

you're always on
the edge of your seat

and have a heightened
awareness.

[Narrator] Korrel is a
veteran C-5 commander,

but this flight
will be different.

He'll attempt to set
a new world record

by flying nonstop from the
U.S. to Bagram in under 14
hours.

C-5s out of Dover usually
land in Europe for refueling

and a crew change before
continuing on to Bagram.

But Korrel will cover the
almost 6,200-mile distance

without ever touching down.

His record-setting attempt
will be made

in the latest model of the
C-5--

the C-5M Super Galaxy.

C-5s have been
the military's workhorse

for more than 40 years.

Now the fleet is getting
a massive overhaul.

At Lockheed Martin's
Marietta facility in Georgia,

Greg Russ heads a program to
transform some 50 aging C-5s

into state-of-the-art
C-5M super galaxies.

[Greg Russ] What we're doing
with this aircraft

is unbelievable.

We're taking an aircraft,
these B models,

bringing them back in here,

and we're actually redelivering
those aircraft

with much more capability.

[Narrator] It's mainly new
engines and avionics,

but the upgrade
includes 70 items

and can take a year to
complete.

[Man] We're moving sticks,
actually,

taking fuel probes out...

[Man] Something new
we've been doing

is changing out these
jackscrew assemblies as needed.

[Narrator] In the next few
days,

Russ' team will
mount new engines

and install a
state-of-the-art glass
cockpit.

If all goes well,

they'll deliver a
rechristened C-5M Super
Galaxy back to Dover.

[Narrator] The new Super
Galaxy is a game changer,

giving pilots the ability
to fly nonstop

almost anywhere in the world,

and redefining just
how fast and how far

every resupply mission
can take them.

Alright, good morning,
I'll brief this up.

I'm the air fuel instructor
this morning.

[Narrator] The nonstop flight
will require

a delicate and dangerous
air-to-air refueling.

If you see a malfunction

or have something that's
not safety of flight,

please just state what it is,
tell us to back out.

[Narrator] Korrel and his
crew need to show

they can execute the maneuver
flawlessly

in a training mission,

or they risk losing out
on the job.

Air refueling is
one of those things

that if you're not doing it
on a monthly or weekly basis,

you will get rusty doing it.

[Narrator] The risks are
real.

Two huge aircraft flying
just a few feet apart

at over 300 miles an hour.

Margin for error--

zero.

[Rucker] When you have
two aircraft this size,

operating that closely together
within 10 feet of each other,

I mean, it's obviously
a pretty big deal.

If you are
by any means unclear

of what we are doing today,
please speak up.

I don't mind telling you
10 more times what we're doing.

[Narrator] Everything about
the mission is scrutinized,

including the weather.

Even slight turbulence
can be deadly.

We're going to be on air
at 3:15, from 15 to 16 Zulu...

[Woman] Clearing right now,

there's some stuff to the west
moving slowly to the northeast.

[Korrel] Jet's ready to go.

[Narrator] Engineers and
loadmasters give

Korrel's C-5M Super Galaxy

a thorough pre-flight
safety check.

But just before takeoff...

[Man] That looks like a hole.

[Narrator] ...a glitch.

The pre-flight exam reveals
a small hole in the airframe

by the rear cargo doors.

We can't have any
dents, nicks, scratches,

or anything on this panel.

So that little hole
is no good for this.

So they're either
going to have to...

[Narrator] The tiny puncture
could cause

a loss of air pressure in
flight and put the crew in
danger.

Until it's fixed,

this Super Galaxy
isn't going anywhere.

We're going to be
setting a world record,

and with that is
a lot of notoriety,

and we're looking forward to
it,

and setting another record
in the C-5M.

[Narrator] But their training
mission to rehearse

an aerie refueling maneuver
has been delayed

by a tiny hole
in the C-5's airframe.

While they wait for a fix,

Korrel and co-pilot Ian
Turner make the most of the
downtime

by heading to a simulator.

And let me know
when the throttles,

when they're aligned, and we
can start flying from there.

Alright,
coming off freeze.

[Narrator] Aerial refueling
is

one of the most difficult
assignments for C-5 pilots.

Even in the simulator,

the job demands the crew's
full attention.

[Korrel] We have two
jumbo aircraft here,

both flying within 15 feet,
10 to 15 feet of each other

at extremely high speeds.

When it's time to air refuel,
it's like kickoff in the NFL.

It's game time.

[Narrator] It's a dangerous
but essential element

for a 6,200-mile nonstop
flight to Bagram.

If Korrel can do it,

he will prove
the C-5M Super Galaxy

can move supplies to
Afghanistan faster and
cheaper

than ever before.

[Korrel] When you
over control the airplane,

it is not friendly to you,

and will exacerbate any
negative scenario you may have
already.

[Narrator] The fate of the
C-5 and tanker crews

are in their hands
during the maneuver,

so Korrel and Turner aim
for seamless coordination.

In the air, there will be
no second chances.

The C-5M Super Galaxy has
a 21st century glass cockpit,

including the latest
navigation computers

to help the pilots rendezvous
with the tanker.

They're a key component in
the C-5M modernization
program.

At Lockheed,
aging C-5s are stripped

of their old analog
instruments

to make room for
new digital displays

that keep pilots constantly
abreast of their position

and performance
during their mission.

But the electronic upgrades
spread far beyond the
cockpit,

and that means a massive
rewiring job.

John Evans makes sure
everything is going to the
right place.

This is the flight deck

encompassing the Nav Station,

flight engineer station,
pilot, co-pilot.

[Narrator]
More than 11,000 wires

are threaded through
the big plane.

They'll control everything
from flaps to landing gear

to the lights in the cargo
bay.

We're routing in
the incoming wires,

we've already deleted the wires

that have to be brought off
the airplane,

and now we're adding the wires
coming back in.

And we route them to
the appropriate place.

[Narrator] Evans has to
keep track of 103 miles

of new wiring.

[Evans] There is a method
to the madness.

It does, it is a little
overwhelming to look at,

at first.

[Narrator] When the new
flight deck is finished,

this 30-year-old C-5 will be
as up-to-date as a modern
jetliner.

It's a good, sturdy airplane

with much better
electronics now.

It takes a lot of the workload
off the pilot.

Some things are automated now,

where before
they had to manually do

or think about something.

Computers take care of a little
bit of that for them now.

[Narrator] Back at Dover,

another C-5M Super Galaxy
has been prepped,

and Scott Korrel's training
mission is back on track.

[Korrel] This delayed us
about 30 to 45 minutes,

which is enough time to
miss our tanker today,

so we're trying to move as
fast as we can out of here

to make our timing today.

[Narrator] While Korrel
hopes to show

that his team is up to the
job of setting a world
record

in the C-5M Super Galaxy,

the training flight is
especially important

for co-pilot Ian Turner.

He'll fly the C-5 to within
50 feet of the tanker.

[Turner] Standby co-pilot.

[Korrel] Standby pilot.

[Narrator] If he's ever going
to sit in the captain's
seat,

he will need to deal with
the pressure to get it right.

[Turner] NCWA is removed,
or, yeah, removed.

[Controller] Jumbo 70 heavy,
runway 19 taxi via alpha
delta,

hold short of runway 32.

[Narrator] For Korrel,
Turner, and the two flight
engineers,

it's all systems go.

-[Korrel] Clear for takeoff.
-[Turner] Clear for takeoff.

[Narrator] The big plane
hurtles down the runway.

[Korrel] 80 knots.

[Narrator] In just 30
seconds, it's doing 140 miles
an hour.

[Korrel] Go.

[Narrator] Takeoff speed.

[Korrel] Gear up.

[Turner] Heading selector.

[Korrel] Selector.

[Turner] 7,000, flaps up.

[Korrel] Flaps up.

Verify.

[Turner] Execute.

Executing.

[Narrator] The refuel
training mission is on.

Your average
air transport pilot

in the civilian community

does not get to fly within
10 feet of another aircraft.

Especially one this size
in the contact position.

So it's definitely
a dangerous maneuver,

requires a high proficiency
skill level

to accomplish the maneuver.

[Narrator] Within 15 minutes,

the Super Galaxy has climbed
to a cruising altitude

of 20,000 feet.

They missed their
original rendezvous

and are racing to
catch the tanker

before it calls
an end to the day.

[Korrel] 2992 co-pilot.

[Turner] 2992 pilot.

[Narrator] Lieutenant Ian
Turner, Korrel's co-pilot,

is moments away from
taking control

and putting them just steps
away from the tanker.

Today I'll be
flying the rendezvous,

so I'll be getting us about
50 feet away from the tanker,

and then Scott
will be taking over

and actually doing
the aerial refueling.

[Narrator] For the C-5 crew,
everything is on the line.

The slightest error by either
pilot could be catastrophic.

Watch the speed
on the descent.

Weather is still looking
skosh on the track.

We're in and out of clouds,

we have light to moderate
turbulence.

[Narrator] Already at
the rendezvous point,

the tanker circles at
an altitude of 21,000 feet.

Korrel will bring his C-5
onto the planned rendezvous
track

1,000 feet below the tanker.

When he's within a mile,

he'll start a slow climb
while gradually reducing
speed.

The final 50 feet
are the most crucial.

Once hooked up, fuel will
flow to the C-5's 12 fuel
tanks

built into the wings.

[Turner] Anti-collision
strobe lights.

[Narrator]
They're now within sight.

[Korrel] We're about 15 miles
from the tanker.

We just got visibility
on him now.

[Turner] Open, lights on.
Contacts should be clear.

[Korrel] Fix.

[Narrator] It's white-knuckle
time for Korrel and crew.

In the tail of the tanker,

sergeant Adam Craft,
the fuel boom operator,

prepares for a face-to-face
meeting with the C-5

at almost 300 miles an hour.

Every time
we're scheduled for a C-5,

it's always kind of remarkable.

We do a lot of big airplanes.

This one is, you know,
by a large margin,

a lot bigger than
all the rest of them.

[Narrator] As the two giant
planes come closer together,

the swirling winds around
them reach hurricane force.

It's a phenomenon Korrel and
Turner need to compensate
for,

literally on the fly.

What it can do is
cause our nose to come down,

so we may need some up trim
in the air,

and it's causing the tanker
aircraft's tail to rise,

so they're going to
have to trim as well.

[Narrator] Making slight
adjustments in the cockpit

will allow both pilots
to maintain altitude

without aggressively pulling
back on the stick.

But it takes a deft touch.

If you're coming in too fast,

that force can be too great

and they may not be able to
trim at a fast enough rate.

It can create
a dangerous situation.

It could easily
turn into a bad situation

if we're not all
paying attention.

[Turner] 100 feet to checks.

[Narrator] Scott hands
the controls to Ian,

ready to jump back in
at the first sign of trouble.

Nice and stable,
nice and slow.

A little high.

You feel movement?

[Turner] Yup. I feel movement.

[Korrel] Very nice.

Nice and stable,
staying in there.

Feeling around, up and down.

Nice thing about the "M"
is the power.

If you need it, it's there.

How's that feel?

[Turner] It's a lot easier
than I thought.

That's a good thing to
say rather than the opposite.

Good.

[Narrator] 50 feet
from the tanker,

Scott takes back the
controls, and the hardest
part begins--

moving the final 30 feet
to the fuel boom.

[Korrel] Right here it looks
pretty good to me,

pretty good picture.

[Narrator] Korrel uses
visual references, sound
cues,

and surgical precision
on the controls.

[Korrel] Okay, attempting.

[Narrator] With the C-5
in position,

it's now up to sergeant Craft
in the tanker

to guide the boom into place.

Alright, we just got
contact with the tanker.

Nice and stable
in the envelope here.

Just maintain position here.

[Narrator] Behind Korrel,
the flight engineers go to
work,

opening the taps and
distributing the fuel.

We're constantly
monitoring the system,

so as the fuel comes out,
we're going to make sure

it comes on in
the correct sequence.

And we have fuel
coming into

each side of our manifold.

We don't want one wing having
all the fuel and vice versa.

[Narrator] Now under the same
pressure as the pilots,

no one on board wants to be
the guy who slips up.

If we fail on
getting the gas,

you know,
our mission will fail.

[Narrator] After 1,000 pounds
of fuel is pumped into the
C-5,

it's mission accomplished.

[Korrel] I'm going to
disconnect now

and back out from the tanker.

Nice and slow...
One-foot-per-second movement.

Once we're laterally separated,

we're going to descend to
1,000 feet below the tanker.

[Narrator] As the C-5 slips
away from the tanker,

there's a sigh of relief
on the flight deck.

Air-to-air refueling
requires C-5 pilots

to demonstrate their
precision.

However, arriving in Bagram
on the other side of the
world

demands some aerobatic
skills.

Bagram airfield has been the
target of several attacks.

To land safely,

C-5 pilots must perform a
hair-raising tactical
approach.

[Controller] 350 at 3,
clear to land, runway 3.

[Narrator]
It's a stomach-churning

roller coaster ride

that ends with a steep dive
to the runway.

Captain Austin Horn has just
put his C-5 through one.

[Austin Horn]
It's the size of a 747,

but this thing can maneuver and
bank up like anything else.

And it's hard to imagine, but
it really does do a great job

getting into tight areas,

getting in here
swiftly and safely.

[Narrator] The resupply
mission runs 24/7,

giving pilots barely enough
time to stretch their legs.

The C-5s are on the ground in
Bagram no more than four
hours.

[Narrator]
Just minutes after landing,

this C-5 is peeled open...

Revealing its cargo--

two helicopters,

including
a 25,000-pound Chinook,

vital for moving
troops and supplies

into the heat of battle.

[Craig Baker] This aircraft is
one of the few aircrafts

that can carry
the outsized cargo.

So if it's big enough
to be traveled by air,

this is the only thing
that's going to take it.

[Man] One! Two! Three!

[Narrator]
In less than 30 minutes,

the Chinook is off the C-5
and good to go.

[Man] Start pushing!

[Narrator]
And 30 minutes after that,

this C-5 will be heading
back to the U.S.

[Woman] Good morning, everyone.

Just an overview--

on Sunday morning
you'll be leaving to Bagram.

[Narrator] Back at Dover,

Korrel and his crew get
an intelligence briefing

on enemy activity around
Bagram.

The U.S. have blamed
Haqqani network

for multiple attacks in Kabul.

During this attack,

it was assessed that they use
RPGs, AK-47s, and also ieds.

[Narrator] If they needed
a reality check,

they're getting it now.

[Woman] Thank you.

[Narrator] Tomorrow Korrel
and his crew will begin

their record-setting
flight...

...into the line of fire.

We got about 51 total
from air IP to exit...

Time on track.

[Narrator] The devil is
in the details.

Every "what if" is
considered.

They're going to
want to come out early.

Like, you know,
to try to hit us

and give us our gas,
and say that's it.

[Narrator] Including the
failure to refuel in midair,

a must-have if they're going
to make it nonstop.

There's a point we have
on air refueling track

called the bingo point.

If by that point we have not
received the required gas

that we need to continue
on to our destination,

we will divert to an alternate
location and land.

[Narrator] Meanwhile,

the ground crew gives
Korrel's Super Galaxy

one last top-to-bottom
inspection...

...including the big wheels,

28 of them attached to
five sets of landing gear.

We had to make
a few adjustments earlier

to make sure it rotates enough

so it doesn't hit anything
as it goes up, damage anything.

Good to go now.

[Narrator] Then it's on to
the flight line and an engine
exam.

[Aaron Shear] We're pulling out
magnetic chip detectors

to make sure we don't have
particles from the engine

that could possibly
damage the engine.

[Narrator] Across the base,
tech sergeant Wally Schmidt

is in charge of sourcing the
load for Korrel's Super
Galaxy.

We normally plan
for 120,000 pounds of cargo,

even though it can carry
a lot more than that.

[Narrator] He uses computer
software to work out

where it will go in the C-5.

You don't want
to be nose-heavy,

because then the pilot
will be pulling up too much.

If it's too tail-heavy,
it will basically flip over.

[Narrator] As soon as
he hits "Send,"

a squad of million-dollar
robots springs into action.

Everything the troops
in Afghanistan need

is stored in Dover's
massive warehouse,

packed onto numbered pallets,

each weighing almost
10,000 pounds.

Once the robots retrieve the
pallets for Korrel's
flight...

They're trucked
out to the plane.

Major Wolff supervises the
load.

The cargo includes new panels

to protect armored
personnel carriers

and replacement props
for a Hercules C-130.

It's all strapped
securely into place

for the dizzying descent
into Bagram's combat zone.

Nothing worse,

you're dropping 10,000 feet
really quick.

People always compare it to
being on a roller coaster.

Your hands go up,
well, guess what.

We don't want
the cargo to go up,

we want it to stick tight
and be right.

[Narrator] With the C-5
loaded,

four pilots, three engineers
and five loadmasters are
ready

for a 14-hour journey to the
other side of the world...

...and into the record books.

[Woman on radio] 3002.

3002, got that.

Pre-flight,
I just did a radio check.

Right now I'm just getting
everything booted up

so we can do normal operations,
get ready to start engines.

[Engineer] Make sure
the top is on top.

[Narrator]
The one big variable--

weather.

Right now at the air-to-air
refueling point,

it's borderline.

To set the world record

we'll have to complete
our air refueling.

Obviously, if we have to
divert tonight,

the world record will go
by the wayside.

[Narrator] It's taken
the combined efforts

of hundreds of specialists
at Dover

to get the C-5M Super Galaxy
ready.

Now it's up to Korrel and
his crew to come through.

[Korrel] We're real pressed
for time right now.

We have about 20 minutes
to check lists.

A few things still need to be
done for our sequence of events

to get this mission
departing on time.

[Narrator] Among the upgrades

that put the "super"
in Super Galaxy

are four powerful
new CF6 turbofan engines.

They deliver better
performance and fuel economy

than the old TF-39s,

but installing them
has been a challenge

for Lockheed engineers.

Each new engine is
over 1,000 pounds heavier

than its predecessor,

and that means reinforcing
the C-5's wings.

Jason Nichols supervises
the changeover.

If we didn't
beef this structure up

when we put those
new engines on,

it would absolutely rip
this wing apart over time.

The stress fractures,

it would just not be able
to take the thrust

that these engines are
going to be putting out.

[Narrator] Accommodating
the new engines

requires a replacement
of the cowling,

fortifying the pylons

that connect the engine
to the wing.

And finally, reinforcing
the skeleton inside the wings

to withstand the increased
stress on the airframe.

[Nichols] We cut out
the existing structure

and put in something
more beefed up,

able to hold the thrust
of those big engines.

[Narrator] The process takes
more time and manpower

than any other modification
on the C-5,

but it's worth it.

[Nichols] There are missions
and capabilities

where you have to push
your equipment to the limit.

And we just want to get
these planes ready

to where they can do just that
and maybe even beyond.

[Controller]
Visibility 10 miles,

a few clouds at 900,

scattered 14,000,
temperature 22, 3.22.

Altimeter two-niner,
eight-niner.

[Narrator] Back at Dover,

Korrel's Super Galaxy
is ready for takeoff.

[radio chatter]

Departure fly,
runway heading maintain 3,000,

runway one.

[Narrator] 833,000 pounds of
plane, fuel and cargo

are on the move.

The new engines, each
delivering over 50,000 pounds
of thrust,

propel the C-5M Super Galaxy
into the night sky.

We're about 50 minutes

from coasting out
across the ocean.

[Narrator]
Climbing to 31,000 feet,

they'll overfly Boston
before heading out

across the North Atlantic.

They'll need to complete
a perilous refuel

over the north sea

before continuing across
eastern Europe

and finally into Afghanistan.

Korrel is scheduled to
rendezvous with the tanker

in six and a half hours.

And unlike their training
run,

this time they need
to arrive on time.

We're about seven,
eight minutes early,

so we went ahead and
slowed the airplane down

to get us a little bit behind.

[Narrator] Over the ocean,

the flight crew monitors
their position

but leaves the flying
to the Super Galaxy's

new and improved autopilot.

[Korrel] It automatically
corrects for winds

and route corrections

and maintains us
on center line for our route.

North 030 west,
57 north, 020 west...

[Narrator] The Super Galaxy
has new engines and
avionics,

but the galley
remains old school.

We only cook the
finest of frozen meals on here,

and it looks lie we're going
to be having lasagna

and a little Texas toast today.

Yeah, everything tastes better
at 30,000 feet.

[Narrator] The C-5 will cross
10 time zones in 14 hours,

throwing body clocks
into a tailspin.

[Turner] Yeah, fatigue can be
a big issue for us,

especially on
a flight like today

where the alert time for us
is at night.

So we've been up
for most of the day.

Getting good sleep
is very crucial.

[Narrator] On this flight,

Korrel and Turner
are the a-team,

at the controls for
the aerial refueling

and the tactical approach
at Bagram.

[Korrel] Air refueling
is definitely an event

that you want to be
well rested for.

So during the coast down

I'm going be jumping
out of the seat

and letting a couple other
crewmembers fly,

and I'm going to try and get
some sleep in the bunkroom.

Pilot's checking off.

See ya, rock star.

[Narrator] Getting them
across the Atlantic falls to
the B-team

led by lieutenant colonel
Matt Ahern,

who's content to play
a supporting role

on this record-breaking
flight.

[Narrator] The outcome of
this mission could change

military resupply operations.

If it succeeds,

the C-5M Super Galaxy
will prove itself capable

of moving heavy loads farther
and faster than ever before.

Back at Lockheed, the hope is
that this nonstop flight

will be the first of many
for the C-5s being
overhauled.

C-5M, the Rerp
modification is complete

on this aircraft,

modification effort to it.

It's just
an outstanding aircraft.

[Narrator] After 11 months
in the shop,

another C-5 has been reborn
as a C-5M Super Galaxy.

[Russ] A finished product to
everybody in this business,

you take a look at it,

and it's just a great
feeling of pride.

[Narrator] For some,

watching the C-5Ms
embark on a second career

is a reminder of their
original rollout from this
same facility

over 40 years ago.

I remember as a kid
here in Atlanta,

hearing them take off

and watching them come over
the airfield.

It goes way back for me.

The love of watching
these giant things

that don't look like they
should even be able to fly,

it's an incredible sight.

[Narrator]
After a few hours of sleep,

Korrel is back at the
controls

and on his a-game for the
critical air-to-air
refueling.

We're about 15 nautical
miles from the tanker.

He is in sight off of our
11:30.

[Narrator] As they come up
on the rendezvous,

Korrel delicately maneuvers
the Super Galaxy

directly below the tanker.

The weather, once borderline,
is now clear and bright,

giving Korrel another
problem--

a blinding early morning
glare.

He struggles to get the
visual references he needs.

[Korrel] The sun can still pose

a huge limitation for
air refueling.

[Narrator] The two planes are
less than 30 feet apart.

The boom extends toward the
C-5.

[Korrel] I'm just going
to back out. I can't see.

[Narrator]
Korrel tries to meet it.

Finally, using
the shadow of the tanker

to block the glare...

[Korrel] Ah, yes.

That looks like
a good picture to me.

[Narrator] He hooks on.

[Korrel] Using all the envelope
to kind of shade yourself

from the sun
is a good technique,

and we were able to do that
and get our gas today.

Alright.

[Narrator] 100,000 pounds
of fuel flows into the C-5

in just over 15 minutes.

With their tanks topped up,

Korrel and crew will spend
the next six hours

cutting across eastern Europe

before reaching Bagram's
busy airspace.

[Controller] Bagram tower
runway 3 full length,

an estimated 350 at 3.

Clear to land runway 3.

[Narrator] Shelby Strunk is
an air traffic controller

at Bagram.

He'll slot Korrel's C-5
into a maze of traffic.

[Shelby Strunk]
We can be talking

to aircraft up to 20 miles out,

up to 20,000 feet,

overhead the field at
15,000 to 20,000 feet.

They spiral down.

[Narrator] Controllers
at Bagram benefit

from his 20 years of
experience commanding traffic
stateside.

[Strunk] And so everything that
I've done throughout the years

has led to a point where I was
able to work this traffic here.

It certainly is as
complex as it gets,

and just throwing in
the little things

that go along with
being in a war zone

make things interesting
on a daily basis.

[Narrator] The C-5 demands
particular attention.

It needs to touch down
on the longest runway

and it needs plenty
of personal space.

[Strunk] Keeping aircraft
away from them

so that they don't get
knocked out of the sky,

especially the helicopters.

And that's the aircraft

that will wind up getting
closer to the C-5s,

because they'll be departing
off to the side.

[Narrator]
Korrel and his Super Galaxy

are now 20 minutes
from touchdown,

and on track to set
a world record.

[Korrel] Bagram sits
like in a bowl

surrounded by mountains
essentially...

[Narrator] But now
in Afghan airspace,

they're within reach
of hostile fire.

So the crew prepare
themselves and their cargo

for a bumpy ride down.

Alright, we're beginning
our initial descent

into Bagram now.

Everyone on the airplane
is in position

for the combat environment,

and we should be
on the ground shortly.

[Narrator] After almost
14 hours in the air,

nobody's talking about
writing their names in the
record book.

They'd happily trade the
notoriety for a safe arrival.

[Korrel] It's been a long day.

We've seen daylight and night
twice on this mission,

that's very unique.

We've had an air refueling,
extremely long sortie,

going into a combat environment
at night,

with terrain and traffic

and a high pressure altitude
environment.

So obviously, there's a lot
of factors against us.

[Narrator] And now add one
more.

Korrel gets a weather update
from Bagram.

Reach 324 heavy,
just be advised there is

a 20-knot crosswind advisory
effect at Bagram.

You are number 3 following
a second F-15...

[Narrator] Strong crosswinds
can create havoc

for a giant like the C-5.

If Korrel doesn't nail the
landing on his first attempt,

the world record will
be out the window.

[Korrel] To corridor,
Chevik is in As.

4 heavy Bagram tower, runway 3.

Estimated 3203,
cleared to land.

[radio chatter]

[Korrel]
I got the terrain in sight.

Gears down, flaps are landing,
clear to land.

[Narrator] Descending below
10,000 feet,

the Super Galaxy is
vulnerable to hostile fire.

But right now, the wind is
their greatest threat.

3013 pilot.

I've got a fairly stiff cross
from left to right.

[Turner] Okay.

[Korrel] Make sure it doesn't
bounce around on us.

215 decelerating, flaps 40.

[Turner] Flaps 40.

[Narrator] Korrel fights to
keep the plane on the glide
slope.

[Korrel]
Those are some strong...

I was on the left side,
now I'm on the right side.

[Automated voice] 100...

50...

40...

30...

20...

10.

[Narrator]
He steadies the plane...

[Turner] Very nice.

[Narrator] ...and makes
a textbook landing.

In the dark,
landing lights are left off

as a precaution against attack.

[Turner]
Nice landing. Good job.

[Korrel] Thanks.

I tell you, it was all over,
it was like, left and right.

[Turner] It was sporty.

[Korrel] It was.
Every time in here, it is.

[Turner] Especially
after a 14-hour day.

[Narrator]
Everyone's glad to be down,

but in no mood to celebrate.

They need to park and
begin offloading ASAP.

[Korrel] This is kind of
our biggest moment right now

for potential incidences.

[Narrator]
In the cover of night,

Korrel taxis the C-5

through the traffic and chaos
of Bagram airfield.

Finally coming to a stop
at the ramp,

intact and on time.

[Craig Harmon]
The pilot did an awesome job

putting it on the deck,
smooth landing.

Set the bar pretty high.

[Narrator] After the pressure
of an epic flight

and tricky crosswind landing,

at last, Korrel can
catch his breath.

[Korrel] For the aircrews,
for the maintainers,

the command and control system,

we're all just proud to
be able to go out there

and move the mission
with the C-5.

It's a fantastic airplane.

[Narrator] And now the moment
he's been waiting for--

the chance to write his name
in the record book.

I have the paperwork right
here.

We're going to
head up to the tower

and talk to
the air traffic controller

to report our official
land time.

[Narrator] In the meantime,

loadmasters and ground crew
go to work.

Clear!

Learn something?

[Narrator] 112,000 pounds
of cargo is transferred

onto Bagram's monster trucks.

After a 24-hour workday,

the crew still manages
to offload the cargo

in less than 90 minutes.

Korrel returns with good
news.

The tower confirms

5,169 nautical miles from
Dover to Bagram,
Afghanistan,

in 13 hours and 51 minutes--

the fastest time ever for
a C-5 flying from the U.S.

C-5M, as usual,
was a rock star,

it's done phenomenal for us.

[Narrator] Mission
accomplished

for the record-breaking crew
and their remarkable
aircraft.

[camera beeps, shutter clicks]

[Narrator] As more
Super Galaxies are delivered,

the Air Force will keep
pushing the limits

of their capabilities,

flying them heavier, faster
and farther than ever before.

We'll be attempting to
break about 39 world records.

So if that goes well,
this aircraft, the C-5M,

will be the all-time,

all-aircraft
world record holder.

We just received
our FR clearance

to our following destination.

[Narrator]
For Korrel and his crew,

it's a short hop to Europe
and then finally back to
Dover...

[Turner] All right, copy,
clear to depart Bagram.

[Narrator] ...having done
their part to demonstrate

the C-5M Super Galaxy's
new capabilities

far exceed those of
the original C-5's.

I think right now
we're rewriting the books

on what we can lift, how fast,
and where it can go.

There's nowhere in the world
we can't reach.

[Hafer] There is not one time

when I won't turn around
and stop if I'm walking

and I see a C-5 doing a
touch-and-go or doing a takeoff

where I won't watch
just in awe of that airplane.

[Narrator] This mighty plane
is expected to fly

for another 30 years,

proving that, in the world
of heavy lifting,

it has no equal.