934th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron: unseen heroes Published Feb. 17, 2023 By Senior Airmen Colton Tessness 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION, Minn. -- While not often recognized for their work, instrument and flight system technicians of the 934th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron are unseen heroes ensuring that aircraft stay mission-ready. 934 AMXS instrument and flight control technicians operate and maintain flight control systems on all 934th Airlift Wing C-130s on the base. Staff Sgt. Rachelle Beverly, 934th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron instruments and flight control systems technician, installs a Pitot probe to the side of a C-130H at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Air Reserve Station, Feb. 2, 2023. A Pitot probe is vital for the navigation of the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colten Tessness) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res They have multiple responsibilities that ensure flying aircraft are fully operational. This safeguards the integrity of the operating systems in all 934 AW C-130Hs when completing missions all over the world. “We are in charge of most of the indicating instruments in the cockpit or flight deck and various transmitters that correspond with them,” said Tech. Sgt. Robert Leif, 934 AMXS instrument and flight control systems technician. Several instruments in the aircraft are vital for the safe flight of the passengers and crew members. A plane would be at an elevated safety risk without fully operational systems. 934 AMXS instrument and flight control systems technicians recently replaced a Pitot probe on one of the C-130’s. Pitot probes take air inputs and convert them into signals for airspeeds and altitudes. Master Sgt. Luke Huseby, 934th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron instruments and flight control systems technician, screws in an aircraft part on a C-130H at the Minneapolis-St Paul Air Reserve Station, Feb. 2, 2023. (Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colten Tessness) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “There are two Pitot probes located on the aircraft,” said Leif. “If both probes don’t work, the pilot will receive erroneous readings informing the pilot that they’re going either slower or faster than the speed they are actually going.” These types of issues are not uncommon with aircraft, and thanks to the technical skills of instrument and flight systems members, they can be fixed in an efficient way that keeps aircraft from staying grounded. This kind of work requires extensive knowledge of all the different systems inside the plane. “Some jobs, you might find yourself doing only electrical stuff or only mechanical stuff,” said Leif. “This one has a good balance between the two it touches on all of the aspects of the plane, from navigation to engines, that allows the opportunity to be hands-on in all of the aspects.” Many of these technicians take great pride in their work on the planes and receive a sense of satisfaction in the work they do. Staff Sgt. Rachelle Beverly, 934th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron instruments and flight control systems technician, operates the air pressure system at Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Feb. 2, 2023. This is used to check the operating system to make sure it works. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colten Tessness) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “It’s rewarding to fix issues with the planes and actually see the plane take off after you fix something,” said Staff Sgt. Rachelle Beverly, 934 AMXS an instrument and flight control systems technician.