LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --
As the workhorse of the U.S. Air Force, the C-130 dominates
the open skies of Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. However, the fleet shares
airspace with old feathery allies.
As spring begins, birds begin to migrate across the country.
During the season, the airways are bustling with activity, and the reality of collisions
between birds and aircraft are more prevalent.
Although there are programs, like the Bird/wildlife Aircraft
Strike Hazard program, which help reduce the number of bird strikes, accidents
still occur.
When they do, the 19th Maintenance Squadron Aircraft
Structural Maintenance Airmen are tasked with repairing the C-130 airframe.
“We repair the physical damage to the aircraft’s
infrastructure,” said Tech. Sgt. Anthony Duffin, 19th AMXS Aircraft Structural
Maintenance Shop day shift lead. “From cracks to tears, we fix it all and
repaint it.”
A recent collision challenged the structural Airmen to
perform a higher-level repair that would make an aircraft serviceable 270 days ahead
of schedule.
Their task was to create a leading edge for a horizontal
stabilizer from scratch, using Little Rock AFB resources and saving the base thousands
of dollars in repairs.
The leading edge is the front section of the C-130J back
wing. It’s a vital piece that allows aircraft to keep its lift during flight.
“This one was challenging because the horizontal stabilizer doesn’t
usually get hit,” Duffin said. “It’s harder to fix because it’s more compressed
then the wing.”
Due to the uncommon damage, ordering a replacement part would’ve
taken more than 250 days and cost over $150,000.
Despite the obstacle, the Airmen used their ingenuity and
initiative to build the essential piece and saved Little Rock AFB $127,000.
“We patched the outer layer of the structure and completely
remade the inner-skin of the part that allows gas to come through and keeps the
wing from icing over,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Lahey, 19th AMXS Aircraft
Structural Maintenance craftsman. “We’ve never done anything to that shape or
that radius before which was challenging until we got the proper tools made
from the Aircraft Metals Technology shop.”
The structural Airmen worked closely with metals technology,
employing their resources and manpower to create new tools and strengthen the
structural integrity of the newly overhauled part.
Through a shared dedication for their work and 504 manhours,
the technicians restored the leading edge of a once unserviceable aircraft.
"This is yet another mark that shows the expertise and professionalism of the maintenance shops in enabling Global Combat Airlift here
at Little Rock AFB,” said 1st Lt. Deanthony Johnson, 19th AMXS Fabrications
Flight commander.