AFE provides life support, protection

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zachary Perras
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  A pilot's mission is more than simply flying. If the worst were to happen and a pilot is grounded, survival becomes the mission. This is where aircrew flight equipment comes in. It is a life-saving business - one that Eielson's pilots would not be able to safely fly without.

From a life raft, oxygen mask, GPS, cold-weather gear, or anything a pilot would need to signal and contact recovery forces, AFE ensures a pilot's safety and wellbeing, both in-flight and on the ground.

"Pilots can't fly without us," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Edwards, 354th Operations Support Squadron AFE craftsman. "It's all about safety, comfort and the ability to do their job."

This safety begins with a pilot's gear, which is customized specifically for them - no two G-suits or helmets are the same. Because of this, every piece of gear is carefully inspected pre-flight and post-flight for the smallest deficiency. Edwards said complete customization could be a weeklong job, but it is a necessity to keep pilots alive.

When customizing equipment, Edwards and his team constantly consider the force of gravity on a pilot. Eielson's F-16 Fighting Falcons can pull up to nine Gs - nine times the force of gravity exerted on a pilot's body. When this happens, AFE is there to make certain all gear functions properly.

However, the biggest factor is that pilots do not go unconscious while they are flying, Edwards said. This can be caused by hypoxia or what Edwards called "G-lock" - when the force of gravity moves blood from the brain and pushes it down to a pilot's feet.

Edwards explained that when the jet detects the gravitational force applied on the aircraft, certain equipment inflates to cut off circulation to the legs and forces the blood to stay above the waist and in the brain. Failure for this to work could mean the difference between life and death.

It is safe to say that a pilot's life is literally in AFE's hands, but Eielson's fighters can rest easy knowing that they are receiving the best care possible.

"The guys at maintenance do a great job keeping the jet running and it's our job to keep the pilot running to fly the jet," said Edwards. "We're going to give them the best. We represent the Aggressors - that's who we are."