Members of the 114th Maintenance Squadron (MXS) Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) shop participated in the Ellsworth Airshow June 14-15, 2022 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The NDI inspectors traveled from Sioux Falls to assist the Ellsworth NDI shop to test oil samples from the F-22 Raptors assigned to Langley Air Force Base that were part of the aerial demonstrations.
"Ellsworth Air Force base asked us to come out to support the F-22 demo team," said Master Sgt. Dan Thomassen,114th Maintenance Squadron NDI Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge. “After every F-22 flight, we analyze their oil to check for wear metals in the engines.”
To analyze the oil samples, the inspectors use a machine called the Spectro Oil Analysis. The machine tests for various wear metals which allow them to identify where a part may be wearing out and needs to be replaced. This process ensures the aircraft is safe to fly.
Testing the individual oil samples takes roughly 15 minutes to complete. The F-22s must have oil samples from each motor tested after each flight.
“We’re analyzing the samples to make sure there’s no abnormal wear trends which can lead to bearing failure,” said Thomassen.