Fly by Wired is primarily a story of people shaped by their experiences growing up trying to find their places in the world, only to find themselves caught up in a plot to "tear down the whole system." But the characters are not only shaped by their experiences with each other, but with the aircraft in their histories. One of those that impacted three of the characters is the Lockheed C-5 "Galaxy."
— James Albright
Updated:
2023-12-15
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is the largest cargo plane in the U.S. Air Force. It can carry 265,000 pounds of cargo or 345 combat troops. The Air Force operated 131 of them between 1969 and 1989, but all but 52 have since been retired. Those 52 are operated by the Air Force Reserve.
In Fly by Wired, John Praeger was a C-5 maintenance squadron operations officer. Joe Staley, who was working as a civilian engineer for Lockheed at the time, worked an avionics modernization program for the airplane.
Photo credit: Matt Birch
(http://visualapproachimages.com/)
C-5 takeoff, Sierra Leone,
Photo credit: USAF
C-5 takeoff from Warner-Robbins AFB, GA,
Photo credit: USAF
C-5 on the ground,
Photo credit: USAF