Yokota isochronal Airmen keep Pacific fleet healthy

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Val Gempis
  • Air Force Print News
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Mechanics here are essential to sustaining the health and safety of Pacific Air Force’s fleet of C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.

“Aircraft periodic inspection and replacement of worn parts are important in keeping minor problems from becoming critical safety issues,” said Senior Master Sgt. Earl Schaefer, the 374th Maintenance Squadron’s maintenance flight chief.

“These aircraft have flown a lot of challenging and critical ... missions worldwide and as expected, repair requirements rise as missions increase. Stress cracks develop, seals fail or corrosion begins,” he said.

About once a year, every C-130 from here and nearby Kadena Air Base undergoes a major preventive check up here, called an isochronal inspection, officials said.

Unlike a vehicle that drives in and out of an inspection bay in as little as a few minutes, a C-130 scheduled for an ISO inspection may be hangared for many days.

The maintainers said the operation is more than just “kicking tires and running engines.” It is in-depth and sometimes nerve-wracking work.

During the inspection, the C-130 is taken into a hangar and dissected by a group of experts with various maintenance specialties.

“It’s (a) real intense scrutiny. Almost every interior and exterior ... component is inspected and tested,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Burns, isochronal element dock chief.

There are about 1,500 items on the inspection checklist, Sergeant Burns said.

About 40 Airmen make sure worn parts are replaced and settings are tweaked. Valves, hydraulic lines, cylinders, electric motors and wires are inspected. Seals and gaskets are scrutinized. The team looks into even the least accessible places, checking for cracks or other signs of trouble.

“Our biggest challenge is coordination. It’s a continuous juggling act here trying to prioritize what needs to done next,” Sergeant Burns said.

It is like choreography. The dock managers shift people where they can do things so time is not wasted, the mechanics said.

Safety is their No. 1 priority here, the inspectors said. It can be dangerous inside the hangar with so many people doing different things while using high-powered tools at the same time, they said.

To help alleviate safety concerns, the Airmen discuss their daily game plan at the start of the day. They said they also ensure warning tags are in place and forms are properly documented.

Although the work at the isochronal element is predictable, the mechanics said each inspection here is different. As it progresses, the Airmen said, they will have a completely different aircraft at the end of each day.

“We don’t know what we are up against until we start the inspection. You have to pull (the) panels. These areas are critical especially when you factor in that some of them are only looked at once a year,” Sergeant Schaefer said.

But that is what makes their job so much fun and challenging, he said.