By SSgt. Charles Ramey Thunderbird Public Affairs
Whether it's war or an air demonstration, lives and mission accomplishment hang in the balance every time an aircraft leaves the runway. More than 100 aircraft maintainers in 12 different specialties ensure the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron's fleet of 11 F- 16s are mission-ready and their pilots step into a safe and reliable aircraft every time they fly.
Averaging a 98 percent mission-capable rate which jumped to 99 percent during a 24-day deployment in the Pacific, Thunderbird maintainers upheld their perfect record of never canceling an air performance due to maintenance difficulties during the 1994 show season.
Maintenance is broken down into several areas, but each person is either a crew chief, specialistor show-line member.
Aircraft maintainers, commonly referred to as crew chiefs, are the "Mr. Goodwrenches" of the Air Force. Assigned to a specific aircraft, each is ultimately responsible for all that happens to their F-16.
"Everything from servicing the aircraft with fuel, to routine inspections and major part changes fall into our domain," said F-16 Crew Chief Tech Sgt. Eli Lessing. "If there is a problem with an aircraft, it is our responsibility to ensure it is documented and fixed quickly and correctly."
Thunderbird crew chiefs are no different than their counterparts in the everyday Air Force, but the performance and appearance of their aircraft are judged by hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.
"The jets are only as successful as the maintenance performed on them," said Staff Sgt. Scott Stout, a former F-15 crew chief from Jim Thorpe, pa. "So whether it's changing a stripped screw or an engine, we put the same amount of emphasis into each task."
Crew chiefs oversee all maintenance performed on an aircraft, but skilled professionals are required to maintain specific systems. Some of these areas include avionics, electrical and environmental systems, egress, structural maintenance and fuels.
Avionics is responsible for communication, navigation, and flight control systems. "The F-16 is a'fly-by-wire' aircraft and this ties most of the aircraft's systems together," said Staff Sgt. Brian Litman,an avionics specialist in his first year with the Thunderbirds. "We need to be familiar with what others do on the aircraft because when a problem occurs, it helps us troubleshoot and resolve things quickly."
Tying those systems together are electricians who navigate through a maze of wires and maintain aircraft environmental systems.
"We maintain all electrical systems on the jets," said Tech. Sgt. Carey Shoff, an electrician who has worked on both A-10s and F-16s. "We're also responsible for cabin pressure, oxygen, air conditioning and the aircraft's anti-skid brakes."
Other specialists include egress technicians who ensure ejection seats and canopies are safe and will operate if a pilot needs to eject from an aircraft. "My job includes everything from inspecting the seats to arming all explosives in the seat and canopy," said Tech Sgt. Keith Mitchell, an egress technician from Salisbury, Md.. "Everything must work the first time, every time. If it doesn't, it could cost a pilot his life."
Structural maintainers are tasked with maintaining the integrity of the airframes and painting the aircraft. "We have a paint schedule and deploy to either Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., or Hill AirForce Base, Utah, where we sand, prime and paint an aircraft," said Staff Sgt. Mike Law. We also stencil each aircraft and paint the team's support equipment."
Fuels specialists are not glorified gas station attendants. "If an aircraft loses an engine, a pilot loses power," said Staff Sgt. Todd Piazza. "We have an emergency power unit (EPU) that kicks in and restores electricity and hydraulics so he or she can land safely. We're responsible for servicing hydrazine which fuels the EPU. It's a hazardous substance that requires special handling. We also fix fuel imbalances and replace all fuel sensors and lines when needed."
At the end of each show season, 22 crew chiefs and specialists who show they have the initiative and drive it takes to keep the team's F-16s mission-ready are assigned to the squadron's new showline. Led by a highly-motivated senior enlisted aircraft maintainer known as the line chief, the showline travels with their aircraft the entire year.
"To finally be here as a crew chief on the Thunderbird show line is a great feeling," said Staff Sgt. Terrell Murray who is responsible for the team's number-six aircraft. "This is the only place inthe Air Force you will see a pilot walk out, jump into the cockpit and take off. Just knowing that mypilot trusts me with his life is an honor that makes me work harder to give him a quality piece ofequipment."
In addition to keeping the aircraft ready to fly, the show line's military appearance and bearing are on display.
"We use a series of drill commands to launch and recover our aircraft," said Staff Sgt. Rich Street, who crews the number-four aircraft. "Everyone on the show line cues off the number onecrew chief and must be precise. If one person makes a mistake, it ripples down through the line."
"The Thunderbirds are a small glimpse of how 400,000 Air Force professionals perform everyday," said Maintenance Superintendent Chief Master Sgt. Don Miller. Operation Desert Storm is aprime example of the capabilities of American airpower and those who train on a daily basis to ensure our nation has the assets necessary to fly, fight and win. We're here to represent the quality of the aircraft maintainers, pilots and aviation support personnel who have made the U.S. Air Force the best in the world."