DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Inside Dover Air Force Base’s Isochronal Inspection Dock, Airmen renovated the interior of a C-5M Super Galaxy, replacing worn crew spaces and returning a cleaner, more functional aircraft to the flight line without adding maintenance downtime.
Beginning in late February 2026, the Dover Air Force Base C-5M Galaxy Flight Deck Refurbishment project initiated when the 436th Maintenance Squadron determined there was an immediate need to restore the worn-out interior areas of the C-5M Super Galaxy. The first aircraft selected for this effort was Tail 6020, a Dover-based C-5M.
“This project was needed because the C-5 will be flying for the next 20 years,” said 1st Lt. Aleksandr Buechter, 436th MXS. “That’s something that we took a hard look at: our flight deck conditions. We knew we needed to restore comfort and professionalism back into our flight deck, which goes a long way for our maintainers and our aircrews taking care of the mission day in and day out.”
While the mission of the C-5M Super Galaxy remains unchanged, to move oversized cargo, equipment and personnel around the world, years of continued operational use have left many of its interior spaces old and in need of repair.
The project focuses on the aircraft’s flight deck, crew bunks, relief crew area and portions of the cargo compartment interior. Work associated with this project includes replacing interior trim panels, refurbishing crew tables, repainting walls, replacing seat coverings and improving worn components that aircrew and maintainers rely on during long-duration missions.
“The aircraft had worn seat covers just from wear and tear by maintainers and aircrew,” Airman 1st Class Marshall Shorkey, 436th MXS crew chief, said. “The ceiling had stains from daily use, and a lot of the paint was chipping.”
The refurbishment is occurring during the aircraft's Major ISO inspection. An ISO is a heavy maintenance period estimated to be approximately 60 days. The team completed the work needed to upgrade the aircraft during this time frame by incorporating the upgrades into the current ISO flow. As a result, no additional maintenance downtime has been added.
In addition to making the aircraft look better, the effort will assist in eliminating over 150 delayed discrepancies per aircraft resulting from a worn-out and outdated flight deck environment. Additionally, hundreds of maintenance man-hours will be redirected from continuously removing and reinstalling unserviceable parts during inspections to installing new or refurbished components.
“This gives a refined and clean product back to the flight line to execute the mission,” said Staff Sgt. James Cato, 436th MXSquality assurance inspector. “It breathes some life back into the C-5M so aircrew and maintainers feel more pride in the aircraft they work to keep flyable day in and day out.”
The team involved in the project consisted of ISO Dock flight deck area crew chiefs, sheet metal back shop Airmen, contracting professionals and a local vendor. Crew chiefs removed and installed various components, coordinated with sheet metal Airmen for fabrication and painting support, and developed new skills through their involvement in the first aircraft in this pilot effort.
Additionally, this project allowed crew chiefs to enhance communication among shops.
“I’m proud of the pride brought back into the C-5 and making it basically a brand-new airplane that maintainers will love and aircrew will love,” Shorkey said. “For myself, it was some of the stuff I learned working with other shops and doing things a normal crew chief never would have done, such as painting or learning different tools.”
The 436th Contracting Squadron had to rapidly coordinate efforts with contractors to accomplish this project. The 436th CONS Services and Commodities Flight utilized Rapid Acquisition Procedures to award the contract in 62 days, which was a reduction of nearly one month compared to the typical 90 days it takes to award a contract under normal conditions. Components for refurbishment were delivered to the contractor May 1, 2026, one day after award, and final customized modifications were accomplished June 11, 2026.
“The 436th Contracting Squadron executed the Dover AFB C-5M Galaxy Flight Deck Refurbishment project at an unprecedented pace to meet an urgent mission demand,” said 2nd Lt. Travis Ambrose, 436th Contracting Squadron commodities and services flight officer in charge. “This effort began when the 436th MXS approached us with an urgent need to overhaul C-5 interiors, and our team knew we had to move quickly to support the mission.”
Task Order for Tail 6020 totaled approximately $82,000.
“The future of the mobility fleet is entirely dependent on how we sustain the assets we have today — we only have the planes we have, so we must take care of them,” Ambrose said. “When 436 MXS shared their vision of restoring the airlift heritage of the C-5, our team knew we had to make it happen.”
Tail 6023 is scheduled to follow as the next aircraft in the pilot refurbishment effort. Leaders plan to use the results from Tail 6020 to evaluate how the process supports future C-5M sustainment during routine ISO operations.
For the maintainers who spent hours painting, cleaning, fabricating and installing parts, the project represents a renewed standard for the aircraft and the people who fly and maintain it.
“I’m super proud of the amount of pride that the maintainers had with this project,” Buechter said. “This is something that’s been long overdue, and I think a lot of maintainers and operators are going to be really happy with it.”
As the C-5M continues to project power and deliver hope across the globe, Dover Airmen are ensuring the aircraft’s interior reflects the professionalism of the crews who keep it flying.
“Our main goal is just to get rid of all daily wear and tear from crews and try to make it look great,” Shorkey said. “Basically, make a brand-new plane from something we’ve had for a while.”