New mock wing aids training for MacDill's maintenance troops

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Randy Redman
  • 6 Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MacDill AFB, Fla. --  After nearly two years in the making, specialists from the 6th Maintenance Squadron recently completed fabrication of a one-of-a-kind training device. The wing trainer is a section of a KC-135 wing designed to help train personnel in several different specialties, said Maj. Grant Izzi, 6th MXS commander.
"I'm very proud of all the great teamwork from the guys who came together to make this project a reality," said Major Izzi. "In all, four shops were involved: Fuels, Sheet Metal, Metals Tech and the Survival Equipment shop, and they did a fantastic job."
The plan is to use the wing for confined-space training, which is essential for fuels and sheet metal personnel. In addition, the fire department can use it to practice confined-space rescues -- all without having to pull a jet away from the mission, said Major Izzi.
"With this trainer, we don't have to wait for a maintenance problem in order to qualify our troops on these tasks," said Capt. David Collette, 6th MXS operations officer. "That means they are ready to deploy sooner as well."
Senior Airman James Ollis, 6th MXS metals technologist, put nearly 500 hours into design and fabrication of the trainer and said he is very pleased with the final result.
"Some of the features we came up with turned out real well," said Airman Ollis. He said the stand's height allows a full-size maintenance stand to be pulled underneath the trainer just like it was an actual wing.
"There is one other trainer like this one at McConnell (Air Force Base), but it isn't full size," said Senior Airman Henry Dungan, 6th MXS metals technologist, who built the assembly's unique tow bar, which allows the entire assembly to be moved when necessary.
The section of the wing was pulled from an actual KC-135 stored at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, otherwise known as the "bone yard," at Davis Monthan AFB, Ariz. In addition to the historic storage and disposition mission, AMARC has the ability to disassemble aircraft and return parts to the active-duty fleet.
There was no charge for the wing since the section came from AMARC, said Captain Collette. That kept the total cost of the trainer to roughly $6,000.
"This airplane (the KC-135 design) may be getting old, but we are always finding more ways to train and keep it flying," said Major Izzi.
The Air Force will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the KC-135 Stratotanker in September. The KC-135's principal mission is air refueling. Modified versions serve as flying command posts, transports and electronic reconnaissance and photo-mapping aircraft. The KC-135 is also capable of transporting litter-borne and ambulatory patients for medical evacuations.
"This is just one more way to keep the KC-135 viable into the foreseeable future," said Major Izzi.