Propulsion shop Airmen go full throttle

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cary Smith
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  There are many components within an aircraft that make flight possible, but one of these components makes the deafening roar heard from miles away.

Airmen assigned to the 31st Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion section ensure every F-16 Fighting Falcon engine starts up to keep the jets in the air.

"Without engines, jets can't fly," said Staff Sgt. Angel Gonzalez, 31st MXS aerospace propulsion craftsman. "We make that happen here in this shop [even] with the few Airmen we have."

When a call comes in that an aircraft is ready for maintenance, Gonzalez and his team begin removing engine components for a thorough inspection. Step by step, the team checks and repairs each part to meet a certified safety standard.

Though the propulsion shop makes every effort to fix all jet engines, sometimes the section cannot complete every job.  When this occurs, an engine must be packed and sent away for repair, earning the section their nickname "Pack and Wrap".

"One of our duties is to pack, wrap and ship engines to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, for further repairs," said Gonzalez. "We also ship engines for 31 FW units going on temporary duty assignments and deployments to provide a spare engine."

In order to ship, transportation trailers and equipment are required to take the engine out of the body of the aircraft.

"We work on all the engine removal and transportation equipment as well, such as engine trailers and the removal and installation kits attached to them," said Gonzalez. "This ensures the propulsion system is ready for transport."

Work for "Pack and Wrap" section doesn't end once the engine is shipped; their experience is also needed for other duties outside of their section.

"These crew members also act as supervisors [when] phase crew chiefs are unsure of the integrity of engine parts," said Staff Sgt. Christine Baughman, 31st MXS crew chief. "They also train personnel on using the hush house."

According to Gonzalez, a hush house is a building with a noise suppression system for aircraft engine tests.

"I find the work in this shop interesting because I'm used to working on the airframe-side of maintenance," said Baughman. "Now I am learning more in-depth aspects of the engine and how it works by watching and helping Staff Sgt. Gonzalez."

Another one of the propulsion shop's primary functions is to perform an in-depth phase maintenance inspection each time an F-16 reaches 400 flying hours.

"I work with phase crew chiefs to change parts on the engine before they reach their maximum flying hours," said Gonzalez. "At times I may also be called to assist the flightline crew chiefs if they are [busier than normal]."

Work at "Pack and Wrap" goes outside the scope of typical engine maintenance whether they assist phase and flightline crew chiefs or deliver engines and transportation trailers. The shop strives to ensure that not only the propulsion section is taken care of, but that other units are as well, said Gonzalez. 

"It is very satisfying to know the job we do here helps our squadron and assists the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron too," said Baughman. "When we send engines away, we not only support the mission at Aviano, but the U.S. Air Forces in Europe's mission as well."

This small, 3-man shop provides more support to the mission than the eye might see. They complete a large workload in order to help maintain Aviano's three D's --Deter, Defend, Develop-- but more than that, they contribute to the overall USAFE mission, ensuring Aviano is Forward, Ready, Now.