Photo By Staff Sgt. Miranda Loera | Col. Christopher Sage (left), 4th Fighter Wing commander, and Maj. Brian Privette...... read more read more
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“The maintenance depot strengthens mission partnership by allowing both bases to share a common goal,” said Capt. Bryan Hladik, 336th Fighter Squadron flight commander. “By striving to produce a mission-capable F-15E, both the depot personnel as well as the 4th FW personnel have to work together over a pretty significant distance.”
Approximately every three years, pilots assigned to Seymour Johnson AFB fly more than 400 miles to Robins AFB to undergo a structural overhaul in the maintenance depot, where the F-15E fleet undergoes a complete revamp at the WR-ALC.
During their time at the depot, the F-15Es are entirely stripped down, inspected, repaired and modified depending on the aircraft’s condition. The purpose of stripping the aircraft down is to help replace any malfunctioning pieces of equipment and ensure pilot safety.
“The depot is crucial because it allows major repairs and modifications to be made to the aircraft,” Hladik said. “These changes require a significant amount of time, support, and infrastructure that most bases don't really have room or personnel for.”
The jets are referred to the depot upon reaching 1,200 flying hours; in which time, it will be prepped and flown out for a facelift. Flying hours are scheduled out so a set number aircraft ready to deploy at a moment’s notice remain at Seymour Johnson AFB.
“The depot allows the overall life of the jets to be extended,” Hladik said. “Our F-15Es were made in the late 1980s and have seen a lot of flying. Sending the jets to the depot helps to accomplish the major inspections as well as major repairs which, in turn, keeps the jets flying longer.”
The depot’s inspections ensure the Strike Eagle is capable of accomplishing the mission by extending the life of the bird to keep it flying longer.
Recently, Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander, flew an F-15E to Robins AFB to personally thank the members of the WR-ALC and help strengthen the partnership between the bases.
“The feedback I received from the 4th FW maintainers is that the relationship is stronger than it has been in years,” Sage said. “Relationships matter, and they take effort. We will continue to put significant effort into strengthening these bonds.”
| Date Taken: | 12.20.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2016 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 218300 |
| Location: | SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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