Structurally sound

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chuck Broadway
  • 9th RW Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., (ACCNS) --  Nearly every day a call comes in from a crew chief who has found a possible problem with the bodywork on one of Beale's aircraft. Whether it's a crack, dent, hole or corrosion on the body of the aircraft, the Airmen at the 9th Maintenance Squadron Fabrication Flight can fix it. 

The flight repairs, modifies and fabricates sheet metal and composite material for the U-2 Dragon Lady, RQ-4 Global Hawk and T-38 Talon. 

"We maintain the structure of the aircraft," Staff Sgt. Joseph Quinlan, a 9th MXS aircraft structural maintenance craftsman said. "Any metal or composite structure is within our realm of responsibility." 

That realm of responsibility is the largest of any shop operating on the aircraft. Typically, the process of repairing bodywork takes four-to-eight hours depending on the severity and type of repair needed. 

When crew chiefs spot problems in the body work, they call the shop to alert flight members of the problem. From there, the team evaluates the area in question and determines the extent of the damage and the appropriate way to repair it. 

If a piece cannot be removed from the plane, crew members will travel to the flightline performing repairs in the hangars. They manufacture the necessary pieces to place on the body and install it using pneumatic and electronic tools. 

"Our young guys coming into the career field have to go above and beyond when making repairs," said Tech Sgt. Brendan Mchugh, 9th MXS assistant section chief. "The Global Hawk and U-2 are different because the technical orders aren't as detailed as other airframes. They work with engineers and blueprints. It's a whole new world to learn from the ground level." 

The new world is centered on the Global Hawk airframe which is primarily made of composite material. Airmen coming to Beale from tech school are expected to make composite repairs on the Global Hawk with very little training. Most of their training is on-the-job. 

"Our guys work hand in hand with Northrup Grumman engineers on the Global Hawk," said Master Sgt. William Bell, the 9th MXS aircraft structural maintenance section chief. "They work alongside and learn from them. It's a lot to take in, but they do a great job." 

In addition to learning from the engineers who designed the aircraft, the 29 Airmen assigned to the flight also run a full chemical and corrosion facility used for eliminating corrosion from body parts. The chemical shop is also where body parts are taken to be sealed with epoxy and filler, painted and where composite bodywork is repaired using fiberglass resin. 

The extensive knowledge of the flight allows for a flexible career field if Airmen ever have to leave Beale to work on other aircrafts. 

"We're not aircraft specific," Sergeant Bell said. "If we get deployed we're expected to do repairs on any aircraft. It's one of the most rewarding aspects of the career field."