Photo By Senior Airman Maria Umanzor Guzman | Senior Airman Alejandro Buentello, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight...... read more read more
Subscribe
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea--The 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment flight is here to gear up the 80th and 35th Fighter Squadron pilots and ensure their safe return back on the ground.
AFE plays a crucial role in pilot safety during Kunsan’s flying operations. Their main priority is to ensure that aircrew members in their care, have the appropriate and functional equipment needed when flying on an aircraft.
“One section of AFE is assigned to the 80th FS pilots, and the other is assigned to the 35th FS pilots,” said Tech. Sgt. Courtney Tanner, 8th OSS noncommissioned officer in charge of 80th FS aircrew flight equipment. “Both sections are frontline maintenance for the F-16 pilots at Kunsan AB. We inspect, maintain, and repair their helmets, harnesses, masks, survival vests, night vision goggles, and everything else we give them when conducting flying operations.”
Additionally, Tanner said that the third shop, also known as the back shop functions as the main “hub” of AFE. They are responsible for maintaining and repairing the parachutes, flotation equipment, and survival kits that partake in the ejection seats of the aircraft.
“Another big responsibility AFE has is fitting all the aircrew in their gear,” said Senior Airman Madison Gang, 8th OSS aircrew flight equipment journeyman. “We ensure that every flyer’s anti-gravity suit, known as a G-suit, and other pieces of gear are worn properly so that they can safely fly.”
Gang added that before every pilot’s flight, AFE conducts pre-flight inspections, and thoroughly checks G-suits, helmets, and flight gear before pilots step to their aircraft. They also ensure that pilots have their GPS systems, and mobile recovery devices in case of an ejection.
To continue to maintain their diligent equipment expectations to comply with Air Force regulations, AFE works with the 8th Maintenance Squadron as well.
“Whether it’s an oxygen mask, a microphone attached to the helmet, or a harness, we also work with the 8th MXS to repair them,” said Tanner. “On the other hand, if a pilot notices something that needs to be corrected or can be a discrepancy before they fly, maintenance will call us to respond to that issue.”
AFE not only fulfills its responsibilities to support aircrew in successful flight operations, but also prioritizes preventative maintenance for potential malfunctions that may occur during a flight.
“Our mission in the simplest form is to ensure we never let the pilots down,” said Tanner. “Even if the worst case scenario happens during a flight, we prioritize the safety and reliance of our equipment such as survival kits, to function properly so that our pilots return home safely. We worry about these potential situations so that pilots don’t have to and can just concentrate on accomplishing Kunsan’s mission.”
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2024 04:29 |
| Story ID: | 474960 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Suited to Fly: How AFE equips pilots for the air, by SrA Maria Umanzor Guzman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
