Saw Something "Odd" While On The Rez...

[monkeyswrench]

Now, I'm no expert on Native American anything. That said, pretty sure "The Nation" doesn't have an Air Force. We were southbound, maybe 15-20 south of Horseshoe Bend, and something got my attention...
A C-5 or C-17, not sure which, in a climb as if it had just taken off. When I first saw it, it was maybe a thousand feet over the hills on our horizon. As we closed, it banked in it's climb, veering N/NE. In doing so, very clear view of 4 big turbines and the whale tail.
I don't think Tuba City's airport can handle something that big, but I also don't think the USAF would be doing maneuvers there either...but I could be wrong.
Any ideas?

 

[Shlbyntro]

Dropping off bales of cash from that federal support.

Covids a bitch

 

[JB in so cal]

C17 can handle short fields. Maybe training. Maybe a local is now an air force officer and got ok to do a fly by/touch and go...

 

[monkeyswrench]

C17 can handle short fields. Maybe training. Maybe a local is now an air force officer and got ok to do a fly by/touch and go...

The length of the runway wouldn't be an issue, seen them do stuff that's really impressive...the width of the runway and proximity to stuff is what I question. Would be cool to have kids out there see one though. Hell, when Trump's jet landed here, it was pretty damn impressive to me!

 

[rrrr]

Dunno about Tuba City, but the Holbrook airport can easily handle a C-17.

 

[was thatguy]

There’s no mistaking a C5.
If you saw a distinct climb and bank it almost assuredly was not a C5.
The easy way to tell at a distance is the wingtips, and if not able to see that then if the inboard turbines look close to the fuselage it’s a C17.
The C5’s are hung out on the wing further by a lot.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Dunno about Tuba City, but the Holbrook airport can easily handle a C-17.

As a "crow flies", that's probably not to far away if they were cruising low altitude and just pulled up south of the hills/mountains I was headed towards.

There’s no mistaking a C5.
If you saw a distinct climb and bank it almost assuredly was not a C5.
The easy way to tell at a distance is the wingtips, and if not able to see that then if the inboard turbines look close to the fuselage it’s a C17.
The C5’s are hung out on the wing further by a lot.

Dunno about wing difference, but the outer turbines appeared to be mid wing, and the inners closer to 1/4...so a C17 I would guess.
Just huge when there isn't anything else in the sky, no clouds, no birds, just a huge flying, battleship grey, winged mass

 

[24 Sleekenforcer]

They may have been doing a practice landing at the Page airport without landing. They have been doing that here in Gallup for the last few weeks. What a site to see.

 

[4Waters]

Top to bottom, C130, C5, C17

C130 fuselage going into a C17

C17 and C5 side by side

The C5 is big ass plane, we used to get a C17 flyover on the 4th of July every year at about 800-1000 ft right over my house, if you weren't ready for it you'd think we are being invaded, loud AF shaking the house. obama put a stop to that unpatriotic fuck!

 

[24 Sleekenforcer]

Not my photo but this is one someone took here in Gallup.

 

[HTTP404]

I live on the approach to March Air Reserve Base and I see c-17s flying low overhead all day long. They are rad!

 

[69 1/2]

I saw it flying low in Monument Valley today. It was propeller driven and what appeared to be 3 engines under each wing

 

[Ancientriverdude]

There used to be a low level training route through there.

 

[702sandman]

There is a layover or transport going on right now and there was like 50+ military aircraft stopping here in Boulder City and then going on. I just remembered my wife telling me about it yesterday, so this may be part of that

 

[rrrr]

C130 fuselage going into a C17

View attachment 1059740

That's a C-5. Note the full span leading edge slats, the wing to fuselage fairing profile, and the bullet point on the vertical stabilizer.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well F' me, I didn't see any vertical wing tips, and the "nose" was more pointed...it was BIG!
At least now I learned how to differentiate the 2.

 

[mjc]

C5... as my dad called then an "Aluminum cloud".

 

[was thatguy]

I used to fly on C5’s all over the Pacific as a civilian DoD employee.
I was usually the courier for our equipment so would fly along with it, always in the cockpit seating and had free run of the plane while in flight.
They are literally a flying warehouse.
Just getting to the cockpit is a climb up a ladder from the forward cargo deck.
Above the cargo deck is the passenger deck that holds i dont know how many people? Hundreds maybe? I never looked in the passenger section.
It’s like a double decker 747 with cargo below a passengers above.
I think all the ones I flew in were C5-A.
Sitting in the cockpit is like looking out of a 4 story window! The tail is 65’ tall kneeled.
Taking off in the cockpit is a rush. It’s amazing when they rotate and that beast starts unweighting!
The cockpit has a bunch of passenger seats as well, maybe 20? I don’t really remember.
But they faced backwards on all the ones I rode in.
First time I flew one was from Elmendorf to Travis. Then I tailgated my equipment to another C5 to Hickam. (Honolulu)
On that flight I was sleeping and woke up somewhere over the Pacific.
I got up and looked forward and I was the only person in the cockpit. The windows were solid white and it was just droning along all by itself.
One of the pilots came climbing up the ladder and laughed when he saw my horror.
As I recall we were at 40,000’
The ceiling is rated at 41K I think but they told me they routinely fly over 40,000

Anyway, they are bad ass planes.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I've been in a C17 at an air show with my boys. It had a small staircase up front, and cockpit was setup with a sleeper, kind of like a semi truck. The pilots were there, and answered all types of questions. They were based out of March, and at the time they were they patient transport between the middle-east, Germany and stateside. They were responsible for moving wounded soldiers.

A few years later, we took the family to an airshow at March. We saw a C5 "parked" next to a C17. I had never seen one in person, and it had ramps down, like a giant cavern.

It baffles me that anything that massive can fly, can haul enough fuel to get airborne and still have such a payload capacity.

 

[was thatguy]

I've been in a C17 at an air show with my boys. It had a small staircase up front, and cockpit was setup with a sleeper, kind of like a semi truck. The pilots were there, and answered all types of questions. They were based out of March, and at the time they were they patient transport between the middle-east, Germany and stateside. They were responsible for moving wounded soldiers.

A few years later, we took the family to an airshow at March. We saw a C5 "parked" next to a C17. I had never seen one in person, and it had ramps down, like a giant cavern.

It baffles me that anything that massive can fly, can haul enough fuel to get airborne and still have such a payload capacity.

Just shy of a million pounds loaded.

 

[Ziggy]

I've observed military performing maneuvers with aircraft on the Havasu Landing airstrip a couple times. Predominantly with Helicopters but did see some touch-n-go too. Both times I've seen it they did not have runway lights on.
I thought that was interesting.

 

[Taboma]

I used to fly on C5’s all over the Pacific as a civilian DoD employee.
I was usually the courier for our equipment so would fly along with it, always in the cockpit seating and had free run of the plane while in flight.
They are literally a flying warehouse.
Just getting to the cockpit is a climb up a ladder from the forward cargo deck.
Above the cargo deck is the passenger deck that holds i dont know how many people? Hundreds maybe? I never looked in the passenger section.
It’s like a double decker 747 with cargo below a passengers above.
I think all the ones I flew in were C5-A.
Sitting in the cockpit is like looking out of a 4 story window! The tail is 65’ tall kneeled.
Taking off in the cockpit is a rush. It’s amazing when they rotate and that beast starts unweighting!
The cockpit has a bunch of passenger seats as well, maybe 20? I don’t really remember.
But they faced backwards on all the ones I rode in.
First time I flew one was from Elmendorf to Travis. Then I tailgated my equipment to another C5 to Hickam. (Honolulu)
On that flight I was sleeping and woke up somewhere over the Pacific.
I got up and looked forward and I was the only person in the cockpit. The windows were solid white and it was just droning along all by itself.
One of the limits came climbing up the ladder and laughed when he saw my horror.
As I recall we were at 40,000’
The ceiling is rated at 41K I think but they told me they routinely fly over 40,000

Anyway, they are bad ass planes.

I'm just amazed how with your sketchy history of nefarious shenanigan's (No, not you Hula ) you got on with the DOD or were even allowed anywhere near a military aircraft

Not to switch gears here, but you ever do any work for Russ Meyers Construction out of New River ? They're supposed to start working an old silver mine near our ranch property, some drilling and I know de-watering involved.

 

[HCP3]

Like many people already said, the C-17 has amazing takeoff and landing capabilities for its size.

 

[Taboma]

In the early 70's and temp based in Frankfurt Germany, we'd play some softball just past the end of the Rhine Main AFB runway. Those C-5s would take off right over our heads and seemed as if they weren't as much flying, but suspended above our heads until they'd finally just fade away. The game would always stop, with everybody marveling that the damned things could even fly.

 

[4Waters]

Like many people already said, the C-17 has amazing takeoff and landing capabilities for its size.

View attachment 1059793

Yeah, not really the length as that plane can utilize pretty short runways but it if the runway is designed to handle the weight of a C5

 

[Backlash]

Monkey Wrench, I thought you were going to say you saw someone on a "Rez" cleaning up trash or mowing a lawn. Now THAT would have been "Odd!"

 

[Sleek-Jet]

There is a Military Operations Area (MOA) that lies across that part of the Navajo Reservation. Likely you saw an aircraft training. I also doubt they landed at Tuba City but no reason they didn't just fly a low approach to the runway.

Still, pretty cool to see those sorts of operations "in the wild".

 

[77hallett]

Alright gents, it’s the USAF weapons school conducting low level training for their course. They have 3 tails out of McChord AFB doing ops out of Kirtland AFB. We use Tuba City and Kayenta as reference points for ATC for when we fall off of their radar during low levels and are looking to pickup an IFR clearance back to whichever location. Roughly need to climb to 14k to be able to transmit.

We also use the monument valley area right at the overlook to do turns about terrain. Pretty fun stuff.

 

[LazyLavey]

Migrant Distribution.....

 

[coolchange]

Migrant Distribution.....

That’s only night opps

 

[4Waters]

Migrant Distribution.....

If it was A10's I'd say migrant eradication

 

[was thatguy]

I'm just amazed how with your sketchy history of nefarious shenanigan's (No, not you Hula ) you got on with the DOD or were even allowed anywhere near a military aircraft

Not to switch gears here, but you ever do any work for Russ Meyers Construction out of New River ? They're supposed to start working an old silver mine near our ranch property, some drilling and I know de-watering involved.

I know right??

Dude, I had secret clearance...Lol
I grew up on bases and have flown in every every AF aircraft short of fighter jets...although I’ve sat in a bunch.
I had access to the fighter “cells” on every
forward response base in Alaska.
Been inside Cobra Danes control room on Shemya and watched them run incoming missile simulations!
This was in Waikiki on that same trip.
I was equivalent to a 2nd lieutenant.
You should have seen their faces when I’d show up at billeting with my orders signed by Col Coulahan. Lol

 

[stephenkatsea]

Once did a fuel stop at Hickam on a C17. There was a C5 parked next to us. That C5 dwarfed our C17. When we came back from the terminal that 6 engine Soviet transport, Antonov - Mriya, was parked next to the C5. He dwarfed the C5. Kind of interesting, that huge Soviet aircraft was being operated by the Brits. At that time the Soviets could not afford to operate it.

 

[LazyLavey]

That’s only night opps

The people are on to the night drops.... hide in plane sight

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

C5's would come into Alamatios Reserve Base in OC every once in awhile. You thought there was a solar eclipse going on the frikin thing blocked out the sun. People freaked out when they went over low and slow on approach, then slammed on the reverse thrusters to get the thing to stop.

 

[RogerThat99]

Had a C5 fly low over my house a couple weeks ago. Landing gear down.

 

[wallnutz]

My grandmother had a place up in Payson AZ. When we were kids we stayed her quite a bit during the summer. We had friends that had a cabin up by Christopher Creek and would go there quite often also. B-52's used to train low level flying below the Mogollon Rim Then follow the contour up and over. There were times we could see the pilots looking out they were so close. Those things ran wet, there would be jet fuel vapor that would fall on us if we were directly under them or a breeze would blow it on us. They would leave a black cloud also from the 8 jet engines. Then came the deafening sound, it was so awesome. On a real still clear day you could follow the exhaust trail from her home up on the side of a mountain all the way up above the rim.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Alright gents, it’s the USAF weapons school conducting low level training for their course. They have 3 tails out of McChord AFB doing ops out of Kirtland AFB. We use Tuba City and Kayenta as reference points for ATC for when we fall off of their radar during low levels and are looking to pickup an IFR clearance back to whichever location. Roughly need to climb to 14k to be able to transmit.

We also use the monument valley area right at the overlook to do turns about terrain. Pretty fun stuff.

...and this my friends, is why I mentioned this here! Strange things on the Rez may be stuff like Bullhead on steroids, but this was a bit different. I figure someone on here knew something!

 

[Cobalt232]

Alright gents, it’s the USAF weapons school conducting low level training for their course. They have 3 tails out of McChord AFB doing ops out of Kirtland AFB. We use Tuba City and Kayenta as reference points for ATC for when we fall off of their radar during low levels and are looking to pickup an IFR clearance back to whichever location. Roughly need to climb to 14k to be able to transmit.

We also use the monument valley area right at the overlook to do turns about terrain. Pretty fun stuff.

Can't ATC use their ADS-b location?

 

[77hallett]

Can't ATC use their ADS-b location?

Technically yes if they’re running the pucks. In that particular area we work with Denver center due to the airfields in the area being unmanned. Once we go below a certain altitude they can’t pick us up. Even the pucks sometimes have difficulty transmitting in those environments.

 

[77hallett]

...and this my friends, is why I mentioned this here! Strange things on the Rez may be stuff like Bullhead on steroids, but this was a bit different. I figure someone on here knew something!

Yuuuuup. We also use havasu sometimes because there’s a DZ down in Parker that MARSOC likes to use.

 

[just_floatin]

Damn @was thatguy and @77hallett you guys are for real bad MF’s. Respect Patriots. Someday I hope our paths cross so I can you a beer or three.

 

[nameisbond]

Boeing uses an airport near Moses Lake, WA for training. So does the military. Due to Boeing it has extra long runways. You see all kinds of commercial and military planes going in and out of there.

 

[69 1/2]

This is the plain I saw on Monument Valley low and looping around though monuments.

 

[69 1/2]

 

[stephenkatsea]

Earlier in this thread there was mention of a “Secret Clearance”. It reminded me of the time my wife came home from working the snack bar at our daughter’s softball game and said their was a father down there bragging that he had an extremely high level clearance called blah blah blah etc. I explained to my wife: (1) Either he’s lying, or (2) He’s violating his Clearance. Period, end of story. That’s the way it worked. If that’s changed, ? ? ?. But, maybe old Scranton Joe has made some Executive Order Modifications.

 

[was thatguy]

Damn @was thatguy and @77hallett you guys are for real bad MF’s. Respect Patriots. Someday I hope our paths cross so I can you a beer or three.

I’m not a bad ass at all.
Just have had an extremely non typical life.
Doesn’t everyone fly to Greenland and move a lake to clean out pcb’s then move it back, then fly to Yokota Japan for a 2 week site assessment before hopping a ride on a C5 thats heading to New Zealand to pick up a fighter jet fuselage for an aircraft museum before flying back to Alaska?? (Just for the adventure)

 

[was thatguy]

Earlier in this thread there was mention of a “Secret Clearance”. It reminded me of the time my wife came home from working the snack bar at our daughter’s softball game and said their was a father down there bragging that he had an extremely high level clearance called blah blah blah etc. I explained to my wife: (1) Either he’s lying, or (2) He’s violating his Clearance. Period. That’s the way it worked. If that’s changed, ? ? ?. But, maybe old Scranton Joe has made some Executive Order Mods.

Secret is the most basic clearance as you know.
Everyone had to have the minimal clearance to disembark at some of our job sites.
It isn’t bragging, it’s low level shit.
I’ve talked about some of the shit I’ve seen many years ago on here.
It isn’t espionage... lol

To tour the Dane required a 2 week wait for a one day top secret “pass”, with an escort of course.
Even so, Saying one had/ has this or that clearance is not a violation of that clearance.
Only revealing the details of what that clearance revealed is the violation.
I’ve never posted anything that isn’t public domain.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Believe the most basic level of clearance is actually “Classified”. Carry on

 

[stephenkatsea]

“2 week wait for a TS pass.” I’ve honestly never heard of that. But, there’s other parts of what you’re saying I’ve never heard of. Sorry. Maybe we’ve moved into the Obama/Biden Land when it comes to the topic.