Staying a step ahead; aircraft recovery training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Aircraft recovery training was held to instruct Airmen assigned to the 354th Maintenance Squadron maintenance flight how to respond to a plane crash July 26 and 27, 2010, at Eielson Air Force Base.

In the face of disaster the Air Force must maintain its bearing and be able to respond to incidents with the same skills used in day-to-day operations.

This class was one of three types of classes held. At Eielson, students are given initial and refresher courses with limited hands-on training. Icemen can also receive large-scale first-hand experience at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

The two-day initial training held at Eielson last week established the tools as well as the actual aircraft lift used during a recovery effort.

"The students are familiarized with all the equipment we have and the procedures for daily operations and in-flight emergencies. We blow up air bags so the students can see how to operate the air manifolds and see what the bags do in the event of an actual aircraft crash," said Staff Sgt. Andrew Hecox, 354th Maintenance Squadron maintenance flight NCO-in charge of Aircraft Recovery.

To ensure Airmen are capable of assisting in an aircraft incident, training is maintained annually. Initial training is attended by Airmen of the 354th maintenance flight every three years, with annual refresher training. The goal is to get Airmen back in the mindset of how to use their tools. A crash is simulated and students' responses are monitored.

In the event of a crash it is very important that everyone knows their role in the recovery process. The need for speedy clean-up is high. In order to keep air traffic from being diverted to other locations or delayed, the downed aircraft must be moved as quickly as possible.

"There's a lot of material to remember, so this training is good because you perform on the different levels of what needs to be completed to get the job done," said Airman 1st Class Michael Mitchell, 354th MXS crew chief.

Icemen involved in plane recovery are also taught that the techniques they will use to successfully recover the aircraft are dependent on the circumstances surrounding the particular crash. Every emergency is different. Airmen are taught to follow their Technical Orders, however, because every crash is different they have to learn to think outside the box in accordance with the TO's.

Although the goal remains the same, to restore the area to its original functionality, students are taught a rule that makes quality more important than time.

In order to complete the recovery task Airmen must work with agencies like bioenvironmental engineering, safety and airfield flights to name a few. With different agencies trying to get their task finished, time is not always a primary concern.

"Even if there are other agencies telling us to hurry we'll take that into consideration but our goal is to work safely and avoid any extra damage to the aircraft. So whatever time it takes us we will do it as safe and correct as we can," said Sergeant Hecox.

Initial aircraft recovery training is instrumental as a preventative tool. By preparing Airmen prior to any crisis the aircraft recovery team can be confident that they are going out with capable team members.