New tanker inspection process standardized at MacDill

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubb
  • Thunderbolt Editor
MACDILL AFB, Fla. --  More efficient methods for conducting inspections of KC-135 tankers were standardized last month and tested this month by MacDill maintainers and the verdict is in: the new process works!

MacDill was the host unit for creating a standardized No. 2 Periodic Inspection process in conjunction with Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND, said First Lt. Karen Legal, 6th Maintenance Squadron Maintenance Flight Commander. 

The Maintenance Group Council of Deputies charged Grand Forks with standardizing the No. 2 Periodic Inspection, and the base held a Rapid Improvement Event last year to begin the process. The proposed process from that event was put to the test in January at MacDill, which played host to 31 personnel from 14 KC-135 bases while utilizing MacDill personnel and equipment.

Standardizing the process, and proving the new inspection flow works will be a major stride forward for the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century, which is a broad effort to streamline and economize processes throughout the Air Force. 

The new way of doing things will now be tested at all tanker bases that participated in the event, standardizing to save time, and manpower, while providing the same thorough inspections, said Lt. Legal.

"This AFSO21 event was focused on changing the 'consistently inconsistent' practices of the KC-135 community by creating a standardized work flow for the No. 2 Periodic Inspection," she said.

The MacDill test had tanker representatives working together for three weeks, observing inspections in progress, making adjustments and eliminating some discretionary steps to make the process even more efficient.

When all was done, the new inspection process was analyzed and deemed "exportable" to any KC-135 base. It is expected the new work flow will save approximately 48 man hours for each PE. Even more time may be saved if additional recommendations for streamlining are followed, said Lt. Legal, who estimates that as many at 147 hours may be trimmed from the process.

Periodic inspection is a comprehensive maintenance inspection that is done every 1500 flying hours or 15 months, whichever comes first. The inspections alternate between No. 1 and No. 2 inspections, the No. 2 being the more comprehensive and time consuming, which is why it was targeted for streamlining.

To validate the conclusions of the MacDill trial, the Air National Guard will be conducting the new No. 2 PE on an active duty KC-135 in June. Once validated, the work cards detailing the process will be reorganized into the new work flow, and a standardized electronic work package will be compiled for implementation by all units in the Air Force.