Strange Lockheed C-5m from panama

[SA_tx_88116]

I’m on Flightradar24 right now and on the west side of San Antonio there’s a military aircraft with a call sign of RCH105 just circling, why would a military plane fly from Panama and then just circle? Anybody know what this could be?

 

[KevinC]

I’m on Flightradar24 right now and on the west side of San Antonio there’s a military aircraft with a call sign of RCH105 just circling, why would a military plane fly from Panama and then just circle? Anybody know what this could be?

Waiting for a storm to pass before landing?

 

[SA_tx_88116]

Waiting for a storm to pass before landing?

There was a storm here but it long passed the plane is now on course for lackland

 

[SA_tx_88116]

Lackland just cleared it

 

[KevinC]

There was a storm here but it long passed the plane is now on course for lackland

A plane that big takes a long time to turn around.

 

[SA_tx_88116]

Why would the US be in Panama anyway

 

[KevinC]

Why would the US be in Panama anyway

The US is everywhere.

 

[SA_tx_88116]

The US is everywhere.

True

 

[mmckenna]

Why would the US be in Panama anyway

The US has agreements with Panama to utilize air fields to support other operations in the region.
Back (probably before you were born) the US controlled the Panama Canal. The canal and military bases were all turned over to the Panamanian government in 1999.

 

[dsmiley]

The US BUILT the Panama Canal

 

[KK4JUG]

The US BUILT the Panama Canal

But we gave it away.

 

[Linn]

I’m on Flightradar24 right now and on the west side of San Antonio there’s a military aircraft with a call sign of RCH105 just circling, why would a military plane fly from Panama and then just circle? Anybody know what this could be?

According to Wikipedia there is a reserve C-5 unit at Lackland. When I was growing up in the 80's my dad was stationed at Kelly and the current Lackland runway was the Kelly runway. Different aircraft would fly into Kelly then because there was a depot facility there. Back then C-5's flew over my school all the time headed to Kelly. The space shuttle also flew over for a stop at Kelly while on the 747 that transported it.