Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

(e.g. yourname@email.com)

Forgot Password?

    Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Logo

    49th Avionics CMS ensures aircraft equipment is mission ready

    49th Avionics CMS ensures aircraft equipment is mission ready

    Photo By Senior Airman Michelle Ferrari | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Steven Perez, 49th Component Maintenance Squadron F-16...... read more read more

    HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES

    05.12.2023

    Story by Airman 1st Class Michelle Ferrari 

    49th Wing

    Avionics maintainers with the 49th Component Maintenance Squadron manage electronic equipment and provide critical support to ensure aircraft stay mission ready.

    The avionics team focuses on providing maintenance support for F-16 Vipers, repairing integral radar components and a variety of communication and navigational units.

    “Our avionics shop has the highest workload of any active duty avionics backshop,” said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Logan Norris, a 49th CMS F-16 Viper avionics apprentice. “We produce the most serviceable parts.”

    Air Force aircraft are equipped with critical electrical components that require rigorous maintenance. Ensuring these parts are thoroughly inspected is part of avionics specialists' responsibility that these systems remain perfectly calibrated.

    Professionals inspect and maintain everything from aircraft radar and weapons control to the testing equipment essential to the maintenance process, so when aircraft are deployed, every system is in perfect working order.

    “We won the 2022 maintenance group small team of the year award,” said Norris. “We screened 659 parts last year and returned 78% of those parts to serviceability. Our high to return serviceability rates can ensure that there are more jets functioning at a time so we can send out more pilots.”

    In February, the squadron moved locations to a larger upgraded facility, further increasing their capabilities.

    “This move represents an opportunity for avionics to be able to better execute its mission and meet repair requirements, adding additional capabilities to MXG repair options,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Dustin Zeillemaker, 49th CMS F-16 Viper avionics section chief. “The test stations we use have technical order requirements to be thermally stable similar to the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory.”

    The advantages of moving to the newer facility is that it's closer to maingate and mainbase, thus, being closer to the other maintainers. Parts arrive quicker and are turned around faster.

    “Our old building had fairly frequent issues pertaining to climate control and would cause work stoppages requiring a stability period and recalibration,” said Zeillemaker. “By being in the newer shop, 8-10 hours of calibration time is saved each month.”

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.12.2023
    Date Posted: 05.12.2023 12:39
    Story ID: 444641
    Location: HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO, US

    Web Views: 62
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN