Airmen make an F-16 ‘Thunder-ready’

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kati Garcia
  • U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) --  It takes less than 72 hours to convert a red, white and blue Thunderbird F-16 back to combat status. But what about taking a combat-ready Fighting Falcon and making it "Thunder-ready?"

That is exactly what the people of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, demonstrated recently.

The five-month-long endeavor to turn a "gray-world" jet red, white and blue began when the Ready Reserve Fleet of the Arkansas Air National Guard turned over one of its F-16s to the Thunderbirds.

"We spent a week inspecting the aircraft and ensuring it was ready for flight," said Senior Airman Danicka Smith, dedicated crew chief for aircraft No. 86-0281. Airman Smith is one of the Thunderbirds' 22 showline members.

When picking the team of maintainers responsible for the aircraft's transformation, Thunderbird maintenance officer Capt. Dave Moreland had the task of hand-picking a team from an already hand-picked team.

"Nine hundred man-hours went into working on this aircraft prior to the first coat of paint being applied," Captain Moreland said. "We needed maintainers who knew that airframe inside and out. We relied heavily on the corporate knowledge within this hangar."

The 18-year-old aircraft was a fully operational F-16, complete with weapons stations, pylons and tanks, none of which the Thunderbirds team uses on its demonstration aircraft.

"People with more than 15 different (Air Force specialties) fine-tuned this aircraft, going above and beyond to meet the deadline we had set," Captain Moreland said.

That deadline was set early on, and from the start, Captain Moreland said the team exceeded his expectations.

"The book gives us 14 days for the transfer inspection; they covered tip to tail in six," he said.

While the man-hours that went into converting the aircraft are priceless, the depot modifications alone carry a $300,000 price tag.

The gun system and ammunition drum have to be removed to make room for the smoke oil system that delivers the white smoke seen in the shows, Captain Moreland said. The smoke system and the paint are the two main differences. But the work that goes into making a jet Thunderbird material is something entirely different.

"The tireless dedication I witness in this hangar on a daily basis never ceases to amaze me," Captain Moreland said. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)