AFE parachute section Airmen keep pilots safe

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Grace Lee
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  
A crucial part of a pilot's survival, if the worst were to happen, is a serviceable parachute. Without it, a pilot wouldn't be able to land safely, and that's where the Airmen in the aircrew flight equipment parachute section at Luke Air Force Base step in.

"In the parachute section we work on the Advanced Concept Ejection Seat II personnel parachute," said Staff Sgt. Marianne Hebreo, 56th Operations Support Squadron AFE technician. "We also work on the ejection seat parachute called the drogue parachute."

For those who don't know, when the pilot ejects from the aircraft the ACES II ejection seat will detach automatically since it has an environmental sensor that can read altitude, air speed and will determine how the pilot's parachute will deploy, Hebreo said.

"The drogue parachute is smaller in diameter but it's made to withstand more, having thicker material and designed to stabilize an ejection seat," said Senior Airman Bryce Gardner, 56th OSS AFE journeyman.

The parachute section currently has two Airmen who inspect about five parachutes a week depending on mission requirements.

Accomplishing an inspection on a parachute is a two-person job.

"We always need two pairs of eyes during an inspection because everything is done by measurement and has a shelf life, such as the explosives and risers that attach the suspension lines to the pilot, and more," Hebreo said. "There's always at least two people signing off on the parachute -- one is the inspector and packer and the other one is the in-process inspection inspector. Once our inspection is completed the parachute is serviceable for another year."

"We also have to work with the parachutes in certain temperatures and humidity levels because the parachutes contain explosives, which may be triggered if in contact with static in dry environments," Hebreo said. "There are two explosives on the parachute -- one to cut the line at the right time so it deploys correctly and prevents a canopy blowout and the other explosive is attached to the pilot's harness so if the pilot falls unconscious and lands in water, it will release the pilot from the parachute, preventing them from drowning."

It's crucial to check every component on the inspection checklist.

"If any one step is missed, it can cause the parachute to malfunction when deployed, and that's why it's important for us to follow the checklist and pay great attention to detail," Hebreo said. "Let's say someone skips a step they must go back to the last verified IPI and continue from there."

Ejection seat parachutes and personal parachutes are to be used only once and cannot be reused.

"We cannot reuse parachutes that have been deployed because the integrity of the parachute would come into question and the safety of the pilot compromised," Gardner said.

The AFE parachute section Airmen are essential to the Luke mission.

"Ensuring everything is in working order and inspecting our parachutes guarantees the integrity of the equipment," Hebreo said. "Most importantly, if the pilot was to have to eject during an in-flight emergency, we would know we did our part in making sure the parachute deploys, and he makes it back to the ground, and lands safely."