Crew Chiefs put finishing touches on KC-135

Photo By Senior Airman Ryan Zeski | Master Sgt. Carl Tyynismaa and Senior Airman Andrew Parke, 191st Maintenace Squadorn crew chiefs, apply grease and lubricant to a KC-135 Stratotanker after being washed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., July 28, 2018. The KC-135s are requied to be washed every 180 days, or more often as needed. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Ryan Zeski)  

MI, UNITED STATES

07.28.2018

Story by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Heaton 

127th Wing

It might not seem like the final step in washing an airplane would involve a grease gun, but in the Air Force, it does.

Master Sgt. Carl Tyynismaa and Senior Airman Andrew Parke, both KC-135 Stratotanker crew chiefs with the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, put the finishing touches on one of the big air refueling aircraft after it was washed during the July training assembly of the Michigan Air National Guard at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

The KC-135s are washed every 180 days, or more often as needed.

“The process of washing the aircraft allows us to corrosion, any cracks or damage to the air frame,” Tyynismaa explained.

Following the wash, crew chiefs apply lubricants in key locations around the aircraft. This forces out any water that may have collected amongst the aircraft’s moving parts. Lubricants were also applied to various cables in the aircraft’s wings.

Parke said the work ensures that the cables are protected when exposed to the outdoor elements.

For Parke, working on aircraft at Selfridge was a logical next step. He served in the active-duty Air Force for six years before joining the 127th Wing at Selfridge about a year ago.

“I was born and raised right outside the front gate,” he said, a grease rag in his pocket as he tended to the needs of the KC-135. “When I got off active duty, I still wanted to keep a hand in it, so joining the Air National Guard just made sense.

An electrician now in his civilian job, Parke worked on KC-10 Extenders, the larger of the Air Force’s two primary air refueling aircraft, when he was on active duty.

“The big ones, the smaller ones – they all require the same attention to detail. The job is very similar between the two. It’s just something I enjoy doing,” he said.

• Date Taken: 07.28.2018
• Date Posted: 07.29.2018 13:50
• Story ID: 286182
• Location: MI, US