Dyess C-130 flight engineer supports deployed airlift ops

Courtesy Photo | Tech. Sgt. Matthew Stiles, a flight engineer with the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, helps a child board a C-130 Hercules at Skardu Airport, Pakistan, Sept. 5, for transportation to another location inside Pakistan. The child and his family are among millions of Pakistani citizens who were displaced from their homes following record flooding in July and August. The 737th EAS, along with Airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Air Wing at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia, deployed multiple C-130 aircraft and more than 80 personnel in response to the disaster, airlifting more than 1,000 tons of relief supplies and 500 displaced persons between Aug. 30, and Oct. 1, when the squadron's role in the mission concluded.  

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, UNITED STATES

10.14.2010

Story by Master Sgt. Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Air Mobility Command

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Tech. Sgt. Matthew Stiles is C-130 Hercules flight engineer deployed with the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Stiles is deployed from the 40th Airlift Squadron, 317th Airlift Group, at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The 317th Airlift Group is comprised of the 39th and 40th Airlift Squadrons, 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 317th Maintenance Squadron, 317th Operations Support Squadron and the 317th Maintenance Operations Squadron. The group comes under the operational control of 18th Air Force and Air Mobility Command at Scott AFB.

In his deployed duties, Stiles supports airlift operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Most recently, Stiles was among the Airmen and aircraft from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing that joined the U.S. military's humanitarian relief efforts in flood-ravaged Pakistan. He was among two C-130 aircraft and more than 40 aircrew members, maintainers and support personnel who departed Aug. 30 for Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, a wing news report showed. They returned from their support in Pakistan in early October.

According to his official Air Force job description, the flight engineer is the "systems expert" for the aircraft.

During pre-flight operations, Stiles ensures the C-130's operating systems are working correctly and there aren't any non-flyable discrepancies. The pre-flight inspection of a C-130 includes an in-depth external look at the aircraft as well as internal checks, to include flight controls, hydraulics and various other components.

Once the pre-flight is completed, the flight engineer calculates take-off numbers for the pilots and runs a "before take-off" checklist for the pilots. Once it's time for the aircrew to take off on a mission, the flight engineer sets the engine throttles to the proper settings and the plane takes off, the job description shows.

When flying, the flight engineer manages various aircraft systems and components to include fuel, electrics, hydraulics, air conditioning and pressurization of the aircraft, the job description states. They do all these tasks in addition to backing up the pilots on correct information during the mission and they work with the in-flight refueling technician, or boom operator, to off-load fuel during air refueling missions.

A flight engineer "administers qualification flight to personnel engaged in flight engineer activities within flight test and operations organizations," the job description states. They also direct "standardization of flight engineer performance in conjunction with aircraft performance engineering, engine conditioning and preventive maintenance programs and ensures conformance with prescribed aircrew procedures."

Furthermore, flight engineers like Stiles have to maintain mandatory job knowledge in many areas to include electrical, communication, navigation, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems applying to aircraft and related systems. They have to know flight theory, minor in-flight maintenance, personal equipment and oxygen use, aircraft emergency procedures and using and interpreting diagrams, schematics, aircraft performance charts, loading charts, technical publications and flight manuals.

The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, located at an air base in Southwest Asia, is the primary tactical airlift hub for re-supply missions supporting coalition operations in Iraq and provides combat service support to land component forces throughout the Persian Gulf Region and Iraq, the 386th AEW Web site shows. The wing is comprised of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, and 387th Air Expeditionary Group and includes approximately 2,400 active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen.

• Date Taken: 10.14.2010
• Date Posted: 10.14.2010 12:37
• Story ID: 58101
• Location: SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US