Photo By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Swanson | Master Sgt. Bob Ackley of the 104th Fighter Wing prior to going on an incentive flight...... read more read more
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After over 30 years of working on aircraft in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, the tables suddenly turned on Master Sgt. Bob Ackley.
“As a Crew Chief I’ve strapped in hundreds of people into airplanes throughout my career, but to be in the perspective of being the one in the seat, it was kind of strange,” said Ackley.
Ackley was one of 19 fortunate members of the 104th Fighter Wing to go on incentive flights in the F-15D aircraft during Checkered Flag, a large scale total force exercise held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida, Nov. 6-17.
“It was amazing,” said Ackley. “You hear from other people what it’s like, but you have to experience the acceleration and the g-forces. Words cannot really describe what it’s really like. When you take off, the acceleration pins you right back in the seat, and just when you think that’s impressive, the afterburner kicks in and you get pushed back even further.”
Ackley continued “To experience that after over 30 years of working on airplanes was very rewarding.”
Ackley grew up in Western Massachusetts and had several family members that served in the military during World War II. He decided to join the Air National Guard at Barnes after graduating from Gateway Regional High School in Huntington, Massachusetts in December of 1986.
“I’ve always loved working with my hands, so it was a great opportunity to work with the A-10’s,” said Ackley.
Ackley continued to describe his career “It’s a challenging responsibility to be in charge of the airworthiness of an aircraft. It’s really satisfying because it’s one of the few jobs where you can really see the results of your work in real-time. You’re the last person to see the pilots when they go up, and the first person they see when they come back. I think it’s the best career field in the Air Force.”
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2017 09:42 |
| Story ID: | 255925 |
| Location: | WESTFIELD, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 567 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, F-15 Crew Chief Launches in the Seat after 30 Years of Service, by TSgt Thomas Swanson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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