Photo By Edward Aspera | The 116th/461st Maintenance Squadron Propulsion Flight is the only unit that...... read more read more
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ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Part of a unique, robust platform, the engines behind the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System ensure one of the Defense Department’s most valued assets can fly when they’re needed.
To put that in perspective, the JSTARS mission involves the support of six combatant commands including U.S. Pacific, Northern, Southern, Africa, European and Central commands.
The folks responsible for maintaining those TF33-PW-102C engines are assigned to the 116th/461st Maintenance Squadron Propulsion Flight here. And, they’re one of a kind.
“We’re the only ones who maintain the engines for this aircraft, the only place that performs across all four realms of maintenance for this platform,” said Master Sgt. Andy Sotak, 461st MXS Propulsion Flight chief, referring to the E-8C, a modified Boeing 707 passenger jet.
Those four realms of aerospace propulsion maintenance include flight line operations, jet engine intermediate maintenance, isochronal inspections and a test cell. It’s an advantage for those on active duty stationed here or civilian technicians who work throughout the week – nowhere else could you have opportunities to see all aspects of engine propulsion operations, then jointly deploy yearly.
“We’ve impressed upon our folks that you have to be on your game. Because you have anywhere from four to 21 crew members’ lives at stake on an aircraft,” said Senior Master Sgt. Tony Boland, 116th Propulsion Flight superintendent. “What we do is very important – and we do everything we can to keep these aircraft flying.”
One-of-a-kind facility Walk into one of the flight’s buildings on any given day, and you won’t notice a difference among its 80-plus personnel, consisting of active duty and Georgia Air National Guard members. That’s because all serve wearing the same uniform, learning from one another in support of the same mission.
On active duty for three years, with Robins as his first base, Senior Airman Daniel Spear takes pride in his work where he is able to enjoy the training and certifications as part of his job. His work on the flight line primarily supports E-8C sorties at launch and recovery.
“During launch, we show up and make sure we’re there to tackle any problems that may arise with the engines, and address them so aircraft can go up in a timely fashion,” said the aerospace propulsion journeyman. “In recovery, we’re also available to talk to flight engineers and pilots to get an idea of how the engines ran.”
On the successful maintenance work that occurs here that help warrant a successful mission for the aircraft, he said, “It’s very important because without these engines, the aircraft wouldn’t be able to get up in the air.”
Technical Sgt. Robert Robertson III, with the 116th Air Control Wing, is currently one of the lead technicians in the propulsion flight’s test cell. He helps operate and maintain this one-of-a-kind facility that exists as part of a dynamic environment within the flight.
“If we didn’t do what we do to provide quality engines and a quality product to the flight line, the aircraft couldn’t fly,” he said. “Without the aircraft flying, we’re not making sorties. We’re not making sorties – we’re not making missions. And we’re not providing the overwatch that we can with our capabilities downrange and here at home on our training missions.”
That test cell can get an engine up and running in less than two minutes. Its job is to assess the 1960s-era TF33 engine. A total of four of the Pratt and Whitney engines are installed on a single JSTARS. Robust and reliable, each weighs about 6,500 pounds.
Maintenance on components can occur on the front and back ends of the engine at Robins, which has been a significant savings in depot costs. However, any time internal work is needed in the core engine, it’s shipped and overhauled at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
As one engine sits inside the enclosed building waiting to start up, Robertson awaits inside a room. On several monitors he’s carefully observing a check list that includes engine fan speed, idle limits, fuel flow, fuel inlet pressure, vibe pickups, thrust measurements and fuel leak checks.
“We’ll bring them in here, run them up and set the performance level of the engine so that flight crews have the full range of thrust available to them,” he said.
As the engine is turned to full power, its distinctive high-pitch sound resembles that of an authoritative and powerful rush of collective air – it’s pushing out almost 17,000 pounds of thrust, that while up in the sky, ultimately helps move the aircraft to where it needs to go.
Various testing runs for an engine can last several hours. The full process takes about three days for an engine to be installed, run and taken out of a test cell. Tests such as these can help indicate issues such as fuel or oil leaks, which can spray as they leave an engine.
All are thoroughly inspected before they’re put back into an aircraft, and training and deployments can occur as needed.
“On maintenance, when we’re deployed downrange, we do a lot of thrust reverser system work and throttles. We’re constantly adjusting our fuel controls and performing evaluation runs,” Robertson added, referring to about 80 percent of what is usually seen by engine maintainers in the field. Safety and sacrifice The 116th and 461st Air Control wings have continuously deployed side by side for the last 15 years, with a reach that’s spanned across the planet supporting various ground, naval and air forces.
The propulsion flight’s guard members work right by their active duty counterparts in the 461st ACW, who are home an average five months before deployed yet again to a new location.
Getting these aircraft through the skies safely and consistently has been no easy task. With an aging fleet of aircraft, it’s never been more important than at the present time to safeguard the lives and equipment on board each JSTARS.
While routine maintenance, testing and inspection goes on round the clock, engine maintenance helps to make sure the mission happens, every time.
“Without propulsion – the aircraft is nothing but a big piece of metal sitting on the ground,” said Robertson.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2016 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 203415 |
| Location: | ROBINS AFB, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 468 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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