New C-5M Inspection Hangar Opens at Westover Air Reserve Base
By Carl Niemitz, P.E. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District
CHICOPEE, Mass. — Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve, industry and the local community gathered Sept. 10 at Westover Air Reserve Base to celebrate the completion of a new Regional Isochronal Inspection Hangar. The approximately $52 million, 105,000-square-foot high-bay facility will provide a modern space for major inspections and maintenance of the C-5M Super Galaxy and support the men and women responsible for keeping the aircraft mission-ready.
The project, awarded in June 2021 and completed in April 2026, was delivered through a partnership between the USACE New England District, USACE Louisville District, Air Force Reserve and industry partners. The project included construction of the new hangar as well as site work necessary to make room for the facility, including relocation of a government vehicle fuel station and demolition of the existing Building 2426.
The new hangar replaces an aging facility that had supported the C-5 maintenance mission for decades. Originally constructed more than 70 years ago for the B-36 Peacemaker, the existing structure presented challenges for maintaining an aircraft as large as the C-5M. Over the years, Westover maintenance personnel developed ways to work around the limitations of the facility, but the growing requirements of the mission created a need for a purpose-built space.
The C-5 arrived at Westover in 1987, marking a significant change in the installation's mission and infrastructure. Westover subsequently developed an isochronal, or ISO, inspection capability, and the installation became a regional center supporting C-5 inspections for aircraft from across the Air Force. Today, the Regionalized Isochronal Inspection operation supports both active-duty and Reserve C-5M inspection requirements.
The scale of the aircraft itself illustrates the challenge. The C-5M is approximately 247 feet long, has a wingspan of more than 222 feet and stands nearly 65 feet high. The new high-bay facility was designed around those requirements, providing the space, equipment and work areas needed by maintainers to perform detailed inspections and repairs.
“The hangar will include an office area, rest rooms and a sheet metal shop,” said Carolyn Russell, project manager with the USACE Louisville District, who worked with the New England District on the project. The project also required careful coordination outside the footprint of the new building. Before construction could begin, the government vehicle fuel station had to be relocated, while Building 2426 was demolished to clear the site for the new facility.
For the maintenance workforce, the completed hangar provides more than additional square footage. It gives maintainers a facility designed around the aircraft and the work they perform, with improved space, equipment and workflow to support the inspection mission.
Approximately 200 members of the 439th Maintenance Group are expected to work in the new facility. ISO inspections involve detailed examination of the aircraft and can take up to three weeks to complete. Westover is one of only two Air Force installations capable of conducting regional isochronal inspections on the C-5M. “This is a world-class facility supporting the entire C-5M enterprise,” said Col. Jordan Murphy, commander of the 439th Maintenance Group, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The ceremony brought together representatives from the organizations that helped make the project possible. Charles Cianchette, Carl Niemitz, Kristin Russell, Chicopee Mayor John Vieau, Col. Jordan Murphy, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Col. Christopher Holland and Chief Master Sgt. Kirsten Maloney participated in the ribbon cutting. Capt. Carl Johnson, Fred Pike, Alex McCoy, Sherre Brown, and Pedro Constanzo of Burns & McDonnell were also among those attending the ceremony.
Following the ribbon cutting, attendees toured the new facility and saw firsthand the infrastructure that will support the next generation of the Westover maintenance mission.
For New England District, the project represents the kind of work that often happens behind the scenes of a ribbon cutting. Delivering a specialized military facility requires close coordination with the customer, designers, contractors and other stakeholders, as well as careful management of design, construction, site requirements, and the operational needs of the people who will occupy the building.
The project also demonstrates how military infrastructure evolves with the mission it supports. Westover has adapted its facilities to changing requirements throughout its history, and the new Regional Isochronal Inspection Hangar continues that tradition by providing modern infrastructure for a long-standing C-5 mission. During the ceremony, Col. Christopher Holland, commander of the 439th Airlift Wing, told the maintenance workforce, “This facility belongs to you.”
For the people who will work inside it, the new hangar represents the completion of years of planning and construction and the beginning of the next chapter for a mission that helps keep the C-5M fleet ready.
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