Work seldom quits around here; Only Mother Nature's fury can knockout MXG

  • Published
  • By Amn Steven Jorgenson
  • 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Lackland AFB --  The 433rd Maintenance Group's flightline is a busy place to work. Workers there maintain, fix or replace gears, brakes, engines and other parts on the C-5 Galaxy, allowing the aircraft to stay air-worthy. 

In addition to aircraft maintenance, the flight line also hosts the Air Force's C-5 Galaxy Formal Training Unit. At least one C-5 a day must be continuously ready for static training. Despite the regularity of work, anything can change on nature's whim. 

According to Senior Master Sgt. Jesse Hinojosa, pro-superintendent of the 433rd Maintenance Group, weather can put great strain on the mission. 

"Especially lightning," said Sergeant Hinojosa. "With lightning, we have to clear the flightline. All personnel have to take cover -- even the C-5s are used for cover."
This effectively stops all work and puts on-time completion in jeopardy.  "It affects how long it takes for an aircraft to be air-worthy - how long it takes to take off," said Sergeant Hinojosa. "Pilots might not get the training they need on time; it may even extend their stay here (at the C-5 FTU.)" 

Weather can still be quite a headache to those on the ground. Take the crew chief of a C-5 for example. A crew chief takes care of the paperwork, forms and checklists needed to allow the plane to take off, said Tech. Sgt. John Rodriguez, a C-5 crew chief here. 

"I have to make sure the fuel is uploaded, that all the plane's 'vitals' are up to par, and all the forms are up to par -- make sure all the red is cleared off the checklists," said Sergeant Rodriguez. 

In the event bad weather strikes, several procedures are followed to ensure everyone's safety -- wind is a big factor, continued Sergeant Hinojosa. 

For example, any time forecasted winds exceed 25 knots (about 38 mph), all aircraft must be refueled to 100,000 pounds, at a minimum, then secured to the ground.
"When the weather advisory is over, we have to take the time to unload the fuel and prepare the aircraft for maintenance again -- it is a very tedious process," said Sergeant Hinojosa. 

In extreme measures, like hurricane force winds, all flyable aircraft and all personnel must be prepared for evacuation at the installation commander's discretion. This is not just a day-time process, though. The flightline is in constant action. 

"The first shift starts the day and gets things ready for the afternoon shift, which gets everything ready for the grave shift, which works on pre-flight for the next day's morning shift," said Sergeant Rodriguez.  All this preparation is done while C-5's are continuously landing and taking off according to schedule, day or night. 

According to Sergeant Hinojosa, the presence of unfavorable weather can hamper this process. When the weather gets intense enough to stop work, the maintainers
must wait it out and start back up as soon as possible. 

"You plan on something and you plan on something, but anything could happen with the weather, and it changes everything," said Sergeant Hinojosa. "That's just the way it is, and it can happen anytime." 

Work on the flight line continues through the night, stopping, only temporarily, for nothing but Mother Nature, one of the 433rd MXG's more formidable obstacles.