Airmen maintain airlift operations in Africa

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Mike Meares
  • 86th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIGALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Rwanda (AFPN) --  The early morning roar of eight engines from two C-130 Hercules here is music to the ears of the aircraft maintainers watching over them.

To Airmen with the 86th Air Expeditionary Group’s maintenance team from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, it means the mission which began July 16 to bring Rwandan defense forces peacekeepers to the Darfur region of the Sudan can continue.

“The roar sounds like four fans of freedom,” said Tech. Sgt. Chris Davis, 86th AEG lead turbo propeller mechanic. “When we see them leave the ground, they are doing what they are designed to do -- providing safe, reliable air power.”

A team of maintainers works 12-hour shifts, prepared for anything thrown their way. There are specialists for all aspects of the C-130 -- hydraulics, instruments and flight controls, communication and navigation, electrical and environmental, electronic counter measure, jets and fuels system repair. A crew chief brings all of these parts together to make one cohesive unit. Like the parts of the plane, each person needs to be ready for the mission to proceed.

“If we are missing one guy, the aircraft will not get off the ground,” said Senior Airman T.J. Wall, an instruments and flight control troop. “It will not fly without all of us.”

The crews work a standard schedule as long as nothing goes wrong with their planes. But as soon as something does, they work “as long as it takes to get it fixed,” Airman Wall said.

In the early part of the mission, maintainers had to deal with a few minor issues. To them it felt like they were a drive through oil change shop. But sitting idle is not in a maintainer’s nature, said Tech. Sgt. Joe Montalvo, a flightline expeditor. Maintainers like to tinker with things, fix and solve problems. Little did he know, his wish would soon come true.

On the morning of July 23, the roar of the quad props was only heard from one airplane -- at least at first. On the post flight inspection the night before, Staff Sgt. Steve Taylor, a turbo propeller mechanic, noticed a prop low fluid light on. This caused concern, but he was ready. He discovered the reservoir was three quarts low of hydraulic fluid. As it turned out, the front lip seal was bad on an engine and leaking. With the basic hydraulic pressure line for another engine cracked as well, the flight was grounded.

“By some small miracle we were able to get a plane off the ground,” Sergeant Montalvo said. “The aircraft themselves are just a machine. We are here to make sure everyone gets what they need.

“The operators are not going to deliver the Rwandan troops if the plane is not working,” he said. “That’s why we are here.”

Another challenge presented itself July 24 in the form of a bad missile warning system sensor on an aircraft preparing to take off.

A group of Airmen, led by Airman 1st Class Linwood Dawley, electronic countermeasure technician, “cannibalized” a good sensor on the grounded C-130, made the switch and got the mission off the ground within 30 minutes of the flights launch time.

“We have a good crew here,” Sergeant Montalvo said. “We get frustrated when we are sitting idly and don’t have a plane to work on.”

Ultimately, the maintainers know the mission is going smoothly when there is some downtime, but they do not shy away when a challenge comes their way.

“If the planes don’t fly, the mission doesn’t get done,” said Col. Scott Schafer, the group’s commander. “The fact that we have not missed a mission speaks volumes to the skill, competence and enthusiasm of the maintenance Airmen here.”

The maintainers make sure the roar of the propellers are heard and the C-130s continue delivering Rwandan Defense Forces troops to Sudan, so they can provide humanitarian assistance to the war-torn region.

“These aircraft have been flying well for us,” Airman Wall said. “It sounds kind of funny, but the planes know it’s time to get the job done too.”