The C-5 Galaxy embarked on its first flight for the U.S. Air Force in June 1968. Fifty years later, Gov. Nathan Deal called it the “ambassador of the skies” – and an economic development coup for Georgia.
The massive cargo-hauling plane, which dwarfed others on the runways outside the Lockheed Martin plant, was designed in Marietta to carry tanks, helicopters and other weighty equipment as far as 8,000 miles.
In a tribute to one of the world’s largest aircraft – it can carry a whopping 125,000 pounds – the celebration Tuesday emphasized the aircraft’s military contribution and its economic one.
The plant employs more than 5,000 people with a $700 million annual economic impact that has helped transform the region’s economy. At its height, the company had more than 30,000 building C-5 aircraft in the 1960s.
“You have made Marietta and the entire state of Georgia the envy of much of the world, and within our state, the envy of much of the state of Georgia,” Deal said.
The towering airplane has a storied history. It has participated in high-profile missions in Argentina, Iraq and Israel.
The C-5 Galaxy isn’t going anywhere soon. The Air Force partnered with Lockheed Martin in 2006 to retool the aircraft with a goal of extending its life. The final stage of that project will wrap up in 2018, and military officials said its shelf life should last until 2045.
“These boys,” Deal said, “they last a long time.”
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