Fab flight craftsmanship reaches entire base

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erin Smith
  • 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  They do it all.

With the precision of a surgeon and the skill of a seamstress, members of the 15th Maintenance Squadron's Fabrications Flight work to ensure the fleet of C-17s at Hickam are structurally sound.

Fab flight, as it's commonly referred to, literally has a hand in every project, activity, and event the wing does. Officials agree the Fab flight continues to set and maintain the quality standards evident within each and every 15th Airlift Wing unit.

"We are a diversified flight," said Senior Master Sgt. Roth Beebe, 15th MXS, Fabrications Flight, flight chief. "We make the mission happen in such a broad area and we are critical to the mission. We also support the base in ways you would never think of."

The flight has four areas: structural shop; metals tech shop, which includes machine and welding shop; non-destructive inspection (NDI) lab; and the survival equipment shop. It seems like only a few areas, but a step back can easily show how vast the mission is.

The non-destructive inspection shop inspects the aircraft and determines the extent of damage. They act as surgeons, closely examining the composite substance that makes up a C-17 with sonogram and digital X-ray technology to map the damage.

Sometimes, what looks like a dime-sized dent on a C-17 is actually a greater notch than is visible to the naked eye, flight members explained.

Once damage is assessed, it is on to the structural and metals tech shops to repair it. Structural maintenance includes sheet metal composite, tubing, paint. On a C-17, which is mostly made of a composite material, the process of removing the damaged portion to make repairs becomes more intricate.

"If NDI found problems, we would cut out the damaged area, sand it down, patch it, vacuum and heat it," said Staff Sgt. Brian Brown, 15th MXS structural maintenance shop.

Along with repairs, shop members also perform preventative maintenance in the form of corrosion control, or rust prevention. Since the air is salty and planes are constantly flying over salt water, rust forms easily. Members from this shop are responsible for taking necessary steps to minimize this corrosion.

What the structural maintenance shop doesn't repair, metals tech does. Airmen here are responsible for the sheet metal and welding of the aircraft but it doesn't stop there. For Airmen assigned to this flight, they are only limited by their creativity.

"We are like the O.C. Choppers for the Air Force," said Senior Airman Bryce Knape, 15th MXS metals tech shop. "We can make anything you can think of."

With the technology in this shop like a 3 axis Computer Numerically Controlled milling machine, commonly called a CNC mill and a water jet cutting machine, Airmen can not only create parts for aircraft but also support the sister services and other squadrons around base.

When all else fails, the Survival Equipment crew becomes an Aircrew' s best friend. These Airmen are responsible for maintaining equipment like parachutes and life rafts. Not only are Airmen responsible folding and packing the equipment but also repairing any damage to the parachutes and cargo netting.

The experts in this flight made life-saving repairs to equipment and are also called upon to manufacture things like FOD bags, cable bags, sun shades for the aircraft and engine covers.

The staff, who are the 'last to let you down' according to their motto, includes both Hawaii Air National Guard and Active-duty Airmen.

"I enjoy the satisfaction of knowing our stuff will work to save someone's life," said Staff. Sgt. Terrance Murphy, 15th MXS. "Seeing it in action and knowing first hand it will work."

Next time there is an event in the aircraft maintenance hangar chances are the Fab flight has already been there setting up the aircraft, moving stands, hanging the American flag, providing the engraving for the plaques, trophies, awards, signs for wing events, ... the list continues on and on. And that's just the extra stuff they do.