Posted on 06/24/2010 11:38:08 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Airmen from the 566th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron completed work on extending the service life of the first of 16 Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft June 15.
The E-6Bs are flown by members of the Strategic Communications Wing ONE, whose primary mission is airborne communication with Navy submarines. It also serves as an airborne command post for U.S. Strategic Command.
Officials said the maintenance process had its share of ups and downs as the first aircraft warranted more attention than usual, but mechanics don't anticipate that to be the case for the remaining 15 aircraft.
"We really aggressively pursued and accomplished success on the first SLEP aircraft," said Bill Cain, 566 AMXS deputy director for E-3 services. "Although this airplane scheduled maintenance went longer than anticipated, everyone agrees that we have been able to hammer out a lot of the learning-curve issues, the bugs of doing this for the first time."
While the workload is new, members of the 566th AMXS have had a long-standing relationship with the Navy.
"We are extremely pleased with the overall work performance and are particularly impressed with the partnership our Fleet Support Team is developing with the 566th (AMXS) leadership and artisans," said Lt. Cmdr. Greg Kayser, the logistics deputy for the STRATCOMM WING ONE. "Their support is critical to both current and future readiness."
The relationship began roughly 16 years ago when the Navy commissioned the squadron to perform enhanced phase maintenance, which requires inspection and repair tasks similar to those required during the Air Force's E-3 programmed depot maintenance. Both aircraft have the same foundation, the airframe of a Boeing 707. Approximately six years ago, the squadron started repainting the aircraft.
"Normally, we (maintain) E-3s, but the E-3s are very similar to E-6s in the airframe structure," Mr. Cain said. "So our ability to support the Navy was created by that relationship and our ability to say, 'Hey, we can do that modification to extend the life of your airplane.'"
One of the loudest jets ever made too!
Ping
Uh Oh! It’s going to need 10,000 foot runways now! ;^)
TACAMO!
This is a 707 with turbofans (I think) relatively quiet as jets go.
Are you thinking of the EA-6?
Loud is good (the sound of freedom)! And ugly? You can hang a lot of humps & bumps on a 707 and it still looks beeyootiful to me.
LOL, I checked the pic at the link. It really does need 10,000 foot runways. Oops.
That plane is stationed at Tinker AFB in OKC and the maintenance has always been done there IIRC.
Carry on smartly...
TACAMO
Reel operator, VQ-3, Guam. We had four EC 130Qs. On the road most of the time (which I enjoyed. Ahhh... life was good.)
Another interesting tidbit. We had an AT2 transfer to VQ=3 from VQ-1 and this enlisted dude had FIVE Air Medals. Torqued a bunch of Officers off. I loved it. Damn good guy to hit the beach with too!
One of the loudest jets ever made too!
The 707 was loud. Many have had noise dampeners installed, but some, mostly foreign owned don’t comply with new noise standards and still can be heard a long ways away.
But the E-6 does not use the same engine as the old 707.
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US Navy EA-6B Prowler:
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