Minnesota Maintenance: Reservists power Herc check


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)

Minnesota Maintenance: Reservists power Herc check

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.

"That's what makes this plane special to me."