Photo By Staff Sgt. Julio Olivencia Jr | Tech. Sgt. Michael Byerwalters, an air transportation specialist assigned to the 109th...... read more read more
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The 105th Airlift Wing, the only unit in the Air National Guard to train Air Guardsmen on the Turner 60K loader, held a three-day refresher course here Feb. 8, 2017.
The 105th Airlift Wing trains between 20 and 30 Air Guardsman annually whether in initial operation training or the refresher course.
Tech. Sgt. Michael Byerwalters, an air transportation specialist assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing in Schenectady, New York, said the refresher course is always a great hands-on opportunity to brush up on critical skills.
“A lot of times you’re not in a piece of equipment for a while,” Byerwalters said. “You like to sharpen your skills and get to know all the little intricacies of it.”
Tech. Sgt. Jose Zayas and Tech. Sgt. Owen White, air transportation specialists and 60K instructors assigned to the 105th Airlift Wing, said the refresher course covers the vehicle’s technical manual, vehicle basics, a written test, a confidence course, and loading and unloading freight with the machine from a dock.
White said they also go beyond just operating the loader.
“We expect them to troubleshoot the vehicle when things aren’t working properly,” White said.
The two instructors also teach a two-week initial course for Air Guardsmen.
Zayas said he looks to make sure students are comfortable operating the machine safely and that they are able to maneuver it through a confidence course with minimal mistakes.
“It can be intimidating at first,” Zayas said. “It’s definitely different. It’s not like driving a car.”
Byerwalters said the most important thing to remember when operating the 60K is to check your clearance so you don’t hit an aircraft or something else.
“It’s wide-bodied vehicle and it’s a heavy vehicle,” Byerwalters said.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2017 12:56 |
| Story ID: | 224473 |
| Location: | NEWBURGH, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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