Sik, a new F-16 crew chief at Joe Foss Field, returned from his five month technical training in December. As part of his training, Sik will now be spending a minimum of sixty days focusing on key tasks essential to become a fully qualified crew chief.
As a crew chief, Sik routinely conducts inspections and repairs on F-16 parts such as the tire seen in the photos. The regular maintenance is imperative to remaining proficient at launching and maintaining the reliability of the aircraft.
“I previously helped to change a tire at Tech School,” said Sik “This is the first time I have changed one by myself.”
Sik might be a new crew chief, but with the highly skilled trainers of the South Dakota Air National Guard, Sik will soon be trained and equipped to meet the operational demands put before him.