News>Minnesota Maintenance: Reservists power Herc check
Story at a Glance
• The Airmen are deployed out of Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minn. • Twenty-two Reserve Airmen from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit work around the clock to get the job done • The C-130 is a multipurpose aircraft, utilized by the Air Force for numerous tactical airlift missions • Home station checks must be completed on the C-130 Hercules every 450 days
Photos
Senior Airman Andy Schmitz, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical and environmental systems specialist and native of Minneapolis, looks over an inspection document inside the cockpit of a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. In addition to technical orders, which tells maintainers how to specifically perform maintenance on the aircraft, the inspection document specifies what items must be inspected during the home station check. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Maintainers from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit perform a home station check on a C-130H3 Hercules Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The home station check is an in-depth inspection of all components of the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Maintainers from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit secure a panel on a C-130H3 Hercules engine during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. Home station checks are required every 450 days to ensure the aircraft is in good shape to continue flight. Discrepancies, if found, must be addressed before returning the aircraft to an operational status. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Senior Airman Christopher Becker, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit propulsion specialist and native of Glencoe, Minn., opens panels on a C-130H3 Hercules engine to perform a function test during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The 746th EAMU is deployed from Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minn. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Senior Airman Andy Schmitz, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical and environmental systems specialist and native of Minneapolis, fills out warning tags after disconnecting an aircraft battery on a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. Crew chiefs disassemble aircraft components, then specialty shops like propulsion, electrical and environmental, hydraulics, guidance and control, communication navigation, and electronic countermeasures inspect specific components to ensure the aircraft is fully functional. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Senior Airman Andy Schmitz, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical and environmental systems specialist and native of Minneapolis, looks over an inspection document inside the cockpit of a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. In addition to technical orders, which tells maintainers how to specifically perform maintenance on the aircraft, the inspection document specifies what items must be inspected during the home station check. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Senior Airman Andy Schmitz, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical and environmental systems specialist and native of Minneapolis, pulls a lever inside the cockpit of a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The 746th EAMU has 22 Air Force Reserve Airmen who take care of all of the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron’s C-130s. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Staff Sgt. Erik Koski, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit C-130 Hercules maintainer, walks on the top of a C-130 to check an engine during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. C-130s are able to land on both standard and substandard runways, and can also take off in relatively short distances, which makes it useful for specialized missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Master Sgt. Thomas Donnelly, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical and environmental systems supervisor and native of Cloquet, Minn., takes a break inside a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. Donnelly has worked on the C-130 for 31 years, starting out as active-duty and then transitioning to the reserve component. He has worked on the C-130 through three Air Force career fields, including fuel systems, hydraulics, and now electrical and environmental systems. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Maintainers from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit perform maintenance on a flap rod during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The Airmen work on the aircraft 24-hours a day during home station checks to get the C-130 back into operational status as soon as possible. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Airmen from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit work on a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The Airmen work on the aircraft 24-hours a day during home station checks to get the C-130 back into an operational status as soon as possible. C-130s are able to land on both standard and substandard runways, and can also take off in relatively short distances, which makes it useful for specialized missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Airmen from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit work on a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The Airmen work on the aircraft 24-hours a day during home station checks to get the C-130 back into an operational status as soon as possible. C-130s are able to land on both standard and substandard runways, and can also take off in relatively short distances, which makes it useful for specialized missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Senior Airman Andy Schmitz, 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical and environmental systems specialist and native of Minneapolis, looks through a battery compartment inside the front nose landing gear of a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. Some checks require the Airmen to get into some uncomfortable spots in order to get the job done. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
Maintainers work on a C-130H3 Hercules during a home station check Feb. 28, 2012, in Southwest Asia. The Airmen work on the aircraft 24-hours a day during home station checks to get the C-130 back into an operational status as soon as possible. The C-130H3 was produced from 1992 to 1996 and included many upgrades from previous models, including night vision device-compatible instrument lighting and integrated radar and missile warning systems. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon)
by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
2/29/2012 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The C-130 Hercules, a workhorse for the Air Force since the 1950s, has changed over the years with improved systems and upgrades. However, one thing that hasn't changed is the dedication of the Airmen who keep the aircraft functional.
"As a crew chief, that plane is your responsibility," said Tech. Sgt. Kyle Klass, who has worked on the C-130 for 12 years. "This plane can handle almost anything you can throw at it, but without proper maintenance, they can't sustain operations."
A key process in keeping the C-130 operational is the home station check, which is an in-depth inspection that examines all the critical components of the aircraft -- electronics, hydraulics, engines, auxiliary power units, as well as many other items. Twenty-two Reserve Airmen from the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit here performed this preventative maintenance on one of the unit's C-130H3 models, and are always there before the plane takes off and well-after that same aircraft returns.
"There are little things that are very simple to inspect, and there are things like the auxiliary power units that require quite a bit of time," said Klass, who is a native of Cornell, Wisc.
The auxiliary power check supplies the aircraft with both electronic and pneumatic pressure, which the maintainers can physically check in the aircraft's engines.
"If the lines that supply that engine with pneumatic pressure are leaking, it will be obvious because there is a large volume of air coming from the clamps," he explained. "The Airmen can feel the air and immediately determine if the item needs repair."
C-130s are versatile aircraft and are able to transport personnel and many kinds of cargo. They can also be used for search and rescue operations, airdrop supply missions, and aero-medical evacuations. It can land on almost any kind of runway, even if the runway is considered substandard.
"If there's a dirt road where vehicles have packed the ground a little, we can land on it," said Klass.
Landing on substandard airfields takes its toll on the aircraft though.
"Whenever the plane lands on a surface that isn't paved, it runs the risk of damage from rocks and debris," Klass said. "Because almost any part of the aircraft could be damaged, this check is detailed and we don't leave one item off the list."
The Airmen deployed here are very knowledgeable in their primary job, said Master Sgt. Thomas Donnelly, an electrical and environmental systems supervisor who has worked on the C-130 for the past 31 years.
"Everywhere I've ever been, there have been great maintenance guys working on the C-130," he said.
It might be chalked up to a sense of camaraderie, or maybe something a little more simple, said Staff Sgt. Tim Hunter, a C-130 crew chief from Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
"[Being a crew chief on a] fighter aircraft would be cool, but you can't ride along with your plane," he said.
