An engine revs as tires roll over the silky black top steadily reaching 40, 50, 60 miles per hour, then, all of a sudden, the front tire sinks into a pothole. The chassis slams against the asphalt, the steering wheel jerks to the side as the sound of screeching tires echo—the car has lost control.
If a pilot in control of a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor were to find such a pothole as it screamed down the runway, the outcome could be catastrophic.
To prevent such an incident, the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron is tasked with the up keep of the oldest active U.S. Air Force airfield, which supports 5th generation weapons systems.