Airmen from both the 445th Maintenance and Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons perform periodical inspections of the wing’s nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to ensure they are mission ready. These assessments are called home station checks.
Safety and efficiency play a key role in the Air Force mission. While aircraft are not actively flying, they are constantly receiving maintenance. For every flight hour a C-17 is operational, it takes roughly 20 hours of maintenance to keep the aircraft in peak operational condition.
“Every 180 days, each aircraft is required to be pulled into the hangar. We will then work with multiple shops to inspect and diagnose different areas of the aircraft,” said Master Sgt. Stacy Tompkins, an HSC technician with the 445th MXS. “Our schedule allows us to mainly focus on critical parts of the C-17 and the maintenance items that need addressed in a more timely manner.”
The C-17 is a mobile powerhouse capable of carrying more than 170,000 pounds. of cargo. It is a key asset in global military operations, and the maintenance squadrons work together to supplement and enhance the wing commander’s ability to direct this aircraft in support of the Air Force mission.
While the mandatory HSC every 180 days is a requirement, HSC crews can also inspect planes and schedule repairs at shorter intervals. Each aircraft is scheduled for a different 180 day timeframe, and these staggered inspections ensure that there are always planes ready to fly.
“The HSC is important because it’s scheduled,” said Tompkins. “We can have designated maintenance downtime without negatively impacting the fully mission capable timeline, though we are also able to do one time inspections or fulfill other maintenance tasks whenever necessary. We want to keep our planes as green as possible, and this is a team effort between squadrons and shops that allows us to meet our objectives.”
Inspection schedules that rely on standard maintenance timelines but offer flexibility when additional maintenance is needed are essential for maintaining a high operational tempo.
“Flexibility is key when it comes to maintenance,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Edens, an aircraft mechanic with the 445th MXS. “While we can perform maintenance at any time, HSCs allow for comprehensive and thorough checks. We can have aircraft ready to go when we understand how our timelines impact the mission.”
From troubleshooting errors to making hands-on repairs, maintenance professionals spend each HSC ensuring that 445th airlift Wing aircraft are always ready for flight and the wing is prepared to carry out its mission.
“The HSC definitely impacts wing readiness,” said Edens. “The Air Force is about air superiority and control, and that takes aircraft. Without the steady and concerted effort of flight line maintenance crews, HSC personnel, and every single maintainer, these planes won’t be able to fly safely and effectively. A lot of what we do day to day isn’t necessarily glamorous, but what maintenance does is critical to the success of the Air Force.”
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2022 09:27 |
| Story ID: | 416712 |
| Location: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 184 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Home station checks keep C-17s mission ready, by SSgt Ethan Spickler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
