Photo By Senior Airman Ashley Talley | Two F-15E Strike Eagles taxi on the flightline following a hot-pit during Exercise...... read more read more
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ROYAL AIR FORCE LOSSIEMOUTH, Scotland -- U.S. Airmen assigned to the 492nd and 493rd Fighter Generation Squadrons traveled from RAF Lakenheath for multinational Exercise Point Blank, an initiative created to increase the tactical proficiency of U.S., U.K. Ministry of Defence and other NATO forces.
Senior Airman Austin Clark, 492nd FGS avionics journeyman, participated in a hot-pit dual certification initiative, qualifying Airmen on the F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-35A Lightning II aircraft.
Screaming down the runway, an F-15 rolls towards the taxiway. Approaching quickly, the aircraft maneuvers to the left, closing in on the maintainers waiting below, as it towers over them.
During the exercise, Airmen like Clark put their training to the test, allowing pilots to conduct landings and takeoffs to continue critical training maneuvers for the exercise. Hot pit procedures allow maintainers to refuel an aircraft while simultaneously keeping the engines running.
"My role in the operation at [RAF] Lossiemouth was to apply the training I received in refueling F-35s, combined with my experience refueling F-15s, to ensure the aircraft were quickly refueled and back in the air as fast as possible," said Clark.
Digging into a new opportunity, the Airmen faced a unique set of challenges while transferring their skills to fifth-generation aircraft, while also assisting their counterparts on fourth-generation aircraft. Together, the team cross-certified on alternate airframes, reducing the time required to hot-pit the aircraft, while ultimately changing how the Air Force turns jets.
The crew chief’s arms draw in to an X, holding the aircraft in its place. Airmen flank from behind, consuming the belly of the aircraft, checking each essential bolt, panel and bracket; the engines never stopping, even for a second. Avionics technicians and weapons specialists alike lift the fuel hose, trailing and snapping it into place.
“It's a new way of being able to keep the global air dominance we have,” said Clark. “When we're out deployed somewhere and we need aircraft refueled quickly back up in the sky, having multiple people who are able to work on multiple different aircraft can really help.”
For these Airmen, adaptability means stepping far outside their normal career field and learning tasks and aircraft systems they would not typically encounter, even within their own squadrons, providing them with capabilities most of their peers have yet to touch.
“We’re reinforcing the Multi-Capable Airmen concept to the point where Airmen like Clark know how to put gas in a jet. Five years ago, you wouldn’t have seen an avionics troop with this sort of cross-certification. Out here we have [the 492nd FGS known as] “Blue” and [the 493rd FGS known as] “Gold”, crews that can rearm both airframes comfortably immediately prior to launch and make sure they are ready to go,” said Master Sgt. Sean Millay, 492nd FGS mission capability crew team lead.
Gallon by gallon, filling the reservoir rapidly, anticipating what is to come on the next flight. 10 minutes have passed, and time is almost up. The fuel is ready, the Airmen are in place - ready to sprint into position.
This expanded skill set does more than increase flexibility on the flight line; it fundamentally changes how the force can deploy and operate.
“The cross-certification of Airmen creates the capability to deploy a small team that has the ability to turn multiple airframes, transforming a system that previously would have needed 15 to 20 people to turn an F-15 and F-35 at the same time,” said Millay. “This takes the manning footprint down to a mission capable team, providing the capability of sending teams all over England with the ability to land, refuel, rearm and take off from any airfield, revolutionizing global air dominance.”
“Being able to work on these historic aircraft feels very good, and it’s very cool to look back in the history books and see pictures of these same aircraft that I’m putting my blood and sweat into on a day-to-day basis, and see that we were doing the same thing 20 or 30 years ago - it’s truly an awesome job,” said Clark.
Fueled, checked, (and double-checked), the F-15 is ready for departure in record time. Jetting to the runway, the aircraft is back once again into the skies, defending our nation and its Allies.
| Date Taken: | 02.06.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2026 05:52 |
| Story ID: | 558285 |
| Location: | MORAY, GB |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Point Blank: Ready for anything, by SrA Ashley Talley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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