Those jets don't fly without avionics

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Grace Lee
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona --  There are many aspects to what makes an aircraft fly and one of the most important are the electronic components. When something such as the aircraft's radar isn't working correctly, it is the job of the Avionics Intermediate Shop Airmen to diagnose and fix the issue.

"We are a two-level maintenance screening point for the F-16 Fighting Falcons on Luke Air Force Base," said Staff Sgt. Meghan McDonald, 56th Component Maintenance Squadron AIS F-16 production supervisor. "We screen anything from radars and flight control systems to radios and audio panels."

It all starts from the time the pilot and air crew perform preflight inspections.

"If a pilot or member of the air crew notices something isn't working correctly on the aircraft, they will write up the discrepancy on the aircraft," McDonald said. "Then the component is taken out and given to us to diagnose or troubleshoot." From the time the unit is received, Avionics Airmen have 24 hours to screen it.

"When we have the component, we hook it up to our test station and try to duplicate the error the pilot or air crew received to diagnose the issue," McDonald said. "Once we find what the problem is, we either repair it locally, or if it requires depot-level repair, we send it to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, where it will be repaired."

Being a two-level maintenance screening point, AIS Airmen have limited repair capability.

"We can do anything from reseating cards and replacing small hardware to checking for internal visible damage, such as burnt components or broken pins," said Senior Airman Oswald Reyes, 56th CMS AIS technician. "One of the most difficult parts of our job is the amount of time it can take to narrow down what the issue is."

AIS Airmen also fix parts for Luke foreign military sales units in the 425th and 21st aircraft maintenance units.

"It's even more interesting fixing parts for these squadrons because it's three-level maintenance, which means we can actually open up the part, fix components, fix pilot grips, throttle grips, audio one panels, and replace and solder parts," McDonald said.

For McDonald, the job is gratifying.

"The hardest part about this job is you have to know how the component works on the aircraft and actually engage to properly troubleshoot and diagnose it," he said. "I've spent entire shifts troubleshooting one problem but it's so rewarding to be able to diagnose and fix it." AIS Airmen are essential to the Luke mission.

"Everything we touch helps the mission in some way, whether it's fixing radar or the date flight control computer, which controls the rudders and flaps of the aircraft," Reyes said. "Each component helps the pilot complete a task to contribute to the mission and without us fixing the problems he encounters in the air, we wouldn't have mission success."