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Air Force Reserve announces new C-5 ISO inspection site

  • Published
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Air Force Reserve Command announced on Dec. 13 that Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., will perform C-5 cargo aircraft isochronal inspections in the future.

ISO inspections are thorough examinations of the entire aircraft. During these inspections, aircraft maintainers look for and repair problems in every system, from nose to tail and wingtip to wingtip.

Command officials selected the New England C-5 base because of its facilities, maintenance support, base support, manpower requirements, and other supporting data.

In a news release Dec. 8, Air Mobility Command revealed that Dover AFB, Del., will be the active-duty base that performs ISO inspections. A third site, at an Air National Guard base, will be announced at a later date.

According to AMC officials at Scott AFB, Ill., the Air Force is reducing C-5 ISO inspection sites from eight to three to increase the availability of C-5 aircraft and reduce supporting costs.

"C-5 availability will increase due to centrally scheduling the inspection from a fleet-wide perspective and reducing flow days (the number of days it takes to complete one C-5 ISO inspection) to a consistent number across the fleet," said Brig. Gen. Robert McMahon, AMC director of logistics.

According to AMC officials, this reduction in waiting time will add an estimated average of 2.5 availability-days to every C-5 in the fleet, which equates to about 300 more sorties per year, or 10,000 pallets.

"Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Air Force airlifters have maintained a heavy operations tempo," General McMahon said. "This 'appetite for airlift' has placed an enormous amount of stress on an already-aging airlift fleet."

The general said with no end to the sustained airlift requirements in sight, every C-5 sortie, every pallet moved, is important. He said each additional C-5 brought "into the fight" means more sorties, and more sorties means better support to the warfighter.

As part of the Total Force ISO consolidation, a portion of the active-duty manpower will be used at the active-duty ISO inspection site (Dover AFB), while the remaining active-duty personnel will be integrated with forces at the Reserve and Guard inspection sites.

AFRC officials also discussed affected reservists at Lackland AFB, Texas, and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio - the command's two other C-5 ISO sites that were not selected for consolidation. Reservists at both bases fly and maintain unit-equipped C-5 aircraft.

"We anticipate being able to realign affected reservists at Wright-Patterson AFB and Lackland AFB into vacant positions," said Brig. Gen. Elizabeth A. Grote, AFRC director of logistics at Robins AFB.

AMC officials said in addition to increasing efficiency by streamlining the ISO inspection process, consolidating the inspection sites will save on manpower and resource requirements. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)