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New C-5M Trainer helps Airmen excel

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  • By Tech. Sgt. Matt Davis
Staff at the 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 3 have created a new C-5M Electrical Systems Trainer for students to learn their craft. Airmen pursuing a career in electrical and environmental systems on the C-5M Super Galaxy will have the opportunity to work on the trainer before being tasked to support an actual aircraft.

Using spare parts that were scheduled to be salvaged, the new C-5M EST upgraded outdated training equipment delivered to the Air Force in 1972. The project took around 16 months to complete and created two new training systems that will be located at Dover and Travis AFB. These trainers remove onboard C-5M training requirements, facilitating training in a controlled environment that maximizes benefits for both students and instructors. The EST's purpose is to develop electricians throughout the life cycle of the aircraft, which is estimated through 2045.

“What this is going to mean for the students is they are going to be better, well-rounded technicians when they leave here and ready to actually work,” said Tech. Sgt. James Keener, 373rd TRS Det. 3 C-5M electrical and environmental instructor. “Saving time is going to be crucial with this trainer. Before we were going to the flight line to multiple different [aircraft] trying to incorporate everything. Now we have a one-stop shop where we can go in and get it done, and be done in a few days rather than a couple of weeks.”

Some of the new upgrades to the C-5M EST include replicated cargo compartment bulkheads with line replacement units, AC/DC load centers with LRUs and flight deck control panels for each electrical system. There is also interactive multimedia instruction that can be initiated from the aircraft control panels located on the trainer. The trainers are scheduled to have an annual average of 1,200 hours of academic instruction.

“With the trainer, the students are going to be able to have hands on,” said Staff Sgt. Damien Allen, 373rd TRS Det. 3 C-5M electrical and environmental instructor. “They are going to be able to see the components. They are going to be able to remove the components and troubleshoot. If something were to break on the aircraft, the trainer can duplicate that and we can break it here in the classroom and the students can figure out how to properly troubleshoot that.”

The EST's upgrade conversion and configuration changes will also make the equipment more accessible to other training agencies by bringing the training environment to a single location. Organizations who work with C-5M aircraft that don’t usually have readily available access to trainers will now have an opportunity to participate when needed.

The 373rd TRS Det. 3 trains Airmen entering maintenance career fields such as crew chief, propulsions, avionics and hydraulics. The detachment also holds a variety of advanced courses for maintenance personnel while also providing localized training for Dover AFB aircraft.