180FW excels during extreme weather conditions

Photo By Tech. Sgt. John Wilkes | An F-16 Fighting Falcon sits on the flight line at the 180th Fighter Wing in Swanton, Ohio as the pilot prepares for launch during extreme cold on Jan. 7, 2018. Temperatures throughout January have reached record lows across the country. In Northwest Ohio, the wind chill has consistently been in the -10 to -20 range, even dipping close to -30 at times. Extreme weather situation such as this help prepare Airmen at the 180FW to operate in austere environments.  

SWANTON, OH, UNITED STATES

02.11.2018

Story by Staff Sgt. John Wilkes 

180th Fighter Wing Ohio National Guard

Temperatures throughout the winter season have reached record lows across the country. In Northwest Ohio, the wind chill has consistently been in the -10 to -20 degree range, even dipping close to -30 degrees at times.

Airmen at the 180th Fighter Wing in Swanton, Ohio have continued to operate and fly despite this bitterly cold winter weather.

“It has been very cold out these past couple weeks,” said Senior Airman Jacob Beckman, an F-16 Fighting Falcon mechanic assigned to the 180FW. “However, we have a job to do.”

Extreme weather has various impacts on daily operations. The core job functions of maintenance personnel do not change much in extreme weather situations.

“We have been preparing the aircraft and getting them ready for their flight overseas in support of the 180th Fighter Wings deployment to Estonia,” said Beckman. “With the exception of de-icing the aircraft there are not many big changes to the processes in what we do.”

To de-ice the jet, a deicing fluid is applied to the affected areas until the aircraft is free of frost. This process can take up to 30 minutes per jet depending on the temperature and conditions. Various other systems in the aircraft are also more likely to fail during extreme cold weather.

“The cold weather makes everything more difficult,” Beckman said. “We have to bundle up. Personal protective equipment is very important. Things like gloves, hats, under shirts, coats and overalls are a tremendous help.”

There are many things Airmen can do to keep warm but with each layer added there are additional safety concerns.

“Operations tend to continue at a slower pace,” said Senior Master Sgt. David Chandler, flight chief at the 180FW. “Bulkier equipment and other items that keep Airmen warm also hinder their movements and may present safety hazards.”

While wearing this equipment, Airmen are bulkier and must be careful while working to avoid injury.

“There are a lot of hazards and moving pieces around the aircraft that we have to be mindful of,” Beckman said. “Airmen are more prone to getting injured if not they are not careful.”

Dexterity is also reduced. When your fingers are extremely cold fine motor skills are impaired.

To combat this, the Air Force mandates that a work-rest cycle is put in place. There are different work-rest cycles for varying weather conditions which determine how long Airmen are allowed to work outside before coming in to warm up.

When the mission requires Airmen to be outside in these conditions for prolonged periods there are large industrial heaters that can be used to negate the effects of the cold.

“Regardless of the weather, we still have to do our jobs,” said Beckman.
Extreme weather situations such as this help prepare Airmen at the 180FW to operate in austere environments.

“When there is extreme cold, snow and ice, things are slow and methodical,” said Chandler. “We have to slow down and do our best so everyone is in a position to succeed. Everything we do we have to keep safety in mind.”

The 180FW and Air National Guard conduct daily training, in realistic environments, under realistic circumstances to ensure our force maintains the highest levels of proficiency and readiness for worldwide deployment.

• Date Taken: 02.11.2018
• Date Posted: 02.11.2018 16:53
• Story ID: 265556
• Location: SWANTON, OH, US