Airman gives static aircraft makeovers

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. David Tomiyama
  • 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  It might be the 96th Air Base Wing’s Air Force Armament Museum but for one Airman, he feels it belongs to him.

Senior Airman Rick Miller, an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman for the 33rd Maintenance Squadron, can be found at the museum, donating four to five hours a day, four days a week. He donates his time refurbishing and maintaining 24 outdoor static displays.

“Rick Miller has gone above and beyond in helping out,” said George Jones, an aerospace museum specialist.

While driving to work during his first month here in July 2002, Airman Miller saw how poor the displays looked. He approached the museum’s curator about volunteering to fix them. He was flatly rejected.

“There was somebody different in charge then, and they said they didn’t need any volunteers,” Airman Miller said. “They had prisoners to do their work for them.”

Inmates from the federal prison here help with maintenance such as mowing lawns, trimming trees and picking up trash.

After watching the planes continue to deteriorate, Airman Miller again tried to volunteer his services in April. This time, he was well received by Mr. Jones.

Upon close inspection of the aircraft, Airman Miller found the planes in terrible shape.

“Someone had driven a truck into the flap of the C-47 (Skytrain),” Airman Miller said. “On the B-17 (Flying Fortress) underside of the wings (there was) corrosion areas where the fuel cells had rotted all the way through.”

Airman Miller got his father, Mark Miller, involved. Mr. Miller drove up from Tallahassee, Fla., and helped clean the aircraft. The Millers cleaned out the inside of the planes where they found many old nests belonging to birds, squirrels, rats and possums. These animals only added to the corrosion of the planes, Airman Miller said.

Refurbishing the aircraft involves checking the tires, the durability of the stands the planes are displayed on and cleaning out animal nests, Airman Miller said. It also involves removing corrosion, sealing water leaks, fixing holes and dents, and repairing windows, canopies and panels.

The aircraft is then prepared and painted, something that had not been done in the past 15 to 20 years. Checks are now performed on the aircraft every 30 days and as long as they are maintained, the paint job can last up to 10 years, Airman Miller said.

Because Airman Miller cannot be everywhere at once, he said he trains the prisoners how to wash the planes, wax the wheels and do other tasks.

Besides fixing airplanes, Airman Miller said he also enjoys hunting, fishing, camping and various other outdoor-recreation activities. Still, his love for aircraft is at the top.

“I have always liked aircraft or anything that flies,” Airman Miller said.

Working on the static aircraft is very similar to the duties Airman Miller performs with the structural maintenance shop. While some people try to get as far away from work as possible in their free time, he has no problem doing the same thing on his own.

“I like my job; it’s what I do best,” Airman Miller said. “I have always been good at fixing things since I was in grade school. It makes sense; if you like doing something, why not make it your career?”

So far, the C-130 Hercules and the F-4 Phantom II have been refurbished.

“That was full inside and out, painting and everything,” Airman Miller said. “We’ve done a little stuff to just about every aircraft out there.”

The plane that is getting the most attention is one of Airman Miller’s favorites, the B-17. Once he finishes, it will not be his last.

“I’m not done yet,” Airman Miller said. “I’ve still got planes to take care of.”