Winter on the flightline

  • Published
  • By by Airman 1st Class Christopher Thornbury
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan --  Winter in the Midwest can be inconvenient for most people because of the cold, illnesses and scraping snow and ice but for McConnell crew chiefs, it's just another day.

Crew chiefs remove snow and ice off the KC-135R Stratotanker, perform hydraulic and engine maintenance and taxi the aircraft to the deicing pits, no matter how low the temperature drops.

"Our guys are out there 24/7 regardless of the weather. The only time we pull them off the flightline is when there is lightening within five miles," said Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Cook, 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron line chief. "When you see on the news that it is 7 below zero, they are out there working."

The cold temperatures may not only be difficult on the Airmen, but also for the planes.

"The most challenging thing for us has been the temperature variations swinging so much this year, which wreaks havoc on the aircraft systems," said Cook.
The low temperatures cause the hydraulic and engine seals to shrink, creating leaks. Computer equipment on the aircraft can sometimes be affected by the cold so the aircraft needs to be warmed up within temperature ranges the electronics function well in.

"As a result, our guys end up being on the flightline more trying to fix the jets prior to the sortie," said Cook. "It has really been brutal because we spent a lot of days in the negative temperatures and the wind just cuts right through these guys."

Airmen working on the flightline are issued cold weather gear but the gear does not solve all the problems.

"We deal with screws, nuts and bolts so we need to have dexterity, but when it is zero degrees outside and the wind is blowing the minute you take your gloves off your hands start to stiffen up," said Senior Airman Shawn Tuckett, 22nd AMXS crew chief. "Finding a good pair of wind proof gloves that you can actually handle small materials with is important."

Maintainers need certain equipment, but they still pride themselves on being tough and take on the challenges of mother nature all while doing their part in completing the mission.

"It's a maintainer thing and it has kind of grown into a joke over the years that maintainers don't wear parkas," said Cook. "Rarely will you see a guy wearing anything heavier than an apex jacket. It also comes down to dexterity, they need to be able to move because of the tight places on the jet that they need to get in and out of."

The men and women that put their time and effort on the flightline provide the means to complete the refueling mission. Without their efforts McConnell's KC-135s would not be able to leave the ground to protect servicemembers overseas.