The Ramstein. workhorse. 16 rolls-royce.com

Transcription

1 The Ramstein workhorse 16 rolls-royce.com

2 the magazine DEFENCE Ramstein Air Base, Germany the C-130Js of the 86th Air Wing may be the most productive, versatile jack of all trades aircraft in the US Air Force fleet. the magazine ISSUE

3 he airlifters can train and deploy T paratroops, transport a fire truck, helicopter, boat or other vehicles, evacuate wounded as a flying hospital, or serve as a troop carrier, cargo aircraft or humanitarian responder. The speedy crews can switch tasks in mid-mission, flying cargo in, and troops out, for example, transforming their aircraft from one mode to another in 45 minutes or less. They do all of that with a minimal flight crew of three or four, managing a geographical responsibility that spans much of Europe and Africa from their base in southern Germany. without hesitation. C-130Js will unload personnel or cargo from the back ramp, then take off again and head to the next stop on their journey. A tour can last up to several weeks before returning to Ramstein. But for all the missions the 86th performs, one of them tops all air evacuation of wounded soldiers on the ground, said Colonel Raymond E. Briggs, commander of the 86th Maintenance Group. We might be down in Africa hauling stuff or doing a mission. All of a sudden, we have to do an air evac, he explained. We have to get them out. The new J models added length to the cargo hold, it carries more weight, takes off quicker and lands shorter with reverse propeller capability. Its cargo compartment is designed for quick reconfiguration, making it an ideal platform for anything from palletised-cargo movement to emergency medical evacuation. For the men and women of the 86th Air Wing, aeromedical evacuation is considered job No. 1. But that was not the original mission of the 86th which was created during World War II as a light bomber group and transitioned to It allows our mechanics to train hands on with the tech rep. They are helping us out every day, giving us capability I wouldn t have otherwise. Col Raymond E Briggs, Commander of the 86th Maintenance Group And that s not all. With a rugged airframe and four powerful Rolls-Royce AE 2100 turboprop engines, the 86th s C-130Js get in and out of places that other larger airlifters simply can t. Short, unimproved air strip? No problem let a little air out of the tyres to soften the landing, and the C-130Js will get the job done. Missions The 37th Airlift Squadron, also located at Ramstein Air Base, is responsible for flying missions on the C-130Js for the 86th Airlift Wing. Pilot Brian Shea of the 37th Airlift Squadron, comments: The Herc is an iconic aircraft, and we are still exploring its capabilities. This plane is such a beautiful mix of technology and time-tested reliability. Our squadron has tackled airdropping entire army units across Europe, hauled massive amounts of cargo across Africa, and fulfilled the varied niches in between several different duties with fighter aircraft, before becoming an airlift wing in The new airlift unit began flying with C-130E aircraft and at one point, had 19 of the type in its fleet. The legacy warhorses, powered by Rolls-Royce T56 engines, performed well for years. The new C-130J aircraft began arriving at the 86th in 2009 and the bigger, faster, stronger Super Hercules brought a definite upgrade in power. Its four Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engines provided the equivalent of adding a fifth T56 engine to a legacy C-130. That extra power is appreciated on many of the 86th s missions, which are frequently into risky, unprotected landing zones. Tech. Sgt. Francis Gilson, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, a flying crew chief, recalled one mission, to an undisclosed location, where no one wanted to stay any longer than necessary. We unloaded all our stuff and said, Bye, we 18 rolls-royce.com

4 Left Paratroops leap from the C-130J rear door. Below The loadmasters have plenty of space to work with. the magazine ISSUE

5 Maintaining the AE 2100 turboprop. are out of here. I can t tell you any more than that, he said, recalling how grateful they were for a rapid departure. The C-130J is the most versatile aircraft, especially the places we go to, explains Tech. Sgt. Gilson, We go to places in the middle of forests, a little dirt air strip. You re flying around and you see this little strip and you say, we re going to land there? But in addition to military operations, the 86th has assisted with humanitarian efforts in several countries, including the Ebola response in western Africa, Nigerian elections and earthquake relief in Haiti. We were the second flight down there to open up the base. It was a great experience to help the people of Haiti, who were devastated by the earthquake, Tech. Sgt. Gilson said. Whatever the mission, the crews count on their engines every day. They don t want to think about them or worry about them. They just want to start up the engines and go fly whatever and wherever they are assigned and then return safely. Unique To maximise engine readiness, the Air Force has contracted with Rolls-Royce through the MissionCare maintenance programme to keep a company technical representative (tech rep) on the base at Ramstein, working alongside the Air Force engine maintainers. Col. Briggs explained that it is part of the really unique relationship we have. It allows our mechanics to train hands on with the tech rep. They are helping us out every day, giving us capability I wouldn t have otherwise. Having a tech rep on site also means an extra pair of eyes monitoring engine data from the aircraft s computerized control system Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). That means upcoming issues can Ready for action, a C-130J. 20 rolls-royce.com

6 often be predicted and avoided before they become a problem. It also brings constant teaching to the service s new maintainers as they learn about the engines and how they operate. He s always on call for us. He comes in on short notice. He s always there to answer questions. We can pick his brain on how the engine works, explains Senior Airman Jesse Taylor, 86th Maintenance Squadron. I personally learned a lot from him. Rolls-Royce Field Services Representative Jorge Mireles is the man in question and he says it was all part of his job - making sure the customer gets the best possible service and their aircraft are ready. I absolutely think that we are vital to their mission and I also believe that they recognise it. Their goal is to have all aircraft mission-ready and that can only be done when issues can be resolved quickly, Mireles said. The 86th is an amazing organisation that is all about team work. Everybody does Laptop technology assists the engineers to do repair and overhaul work. their part in order to ensure that the mission gets done. They really went out of their way to ensure that I not only felt like I was part of the team, but rather part of the 86th family, he added. Last word goes to 37th Airlift Squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel Barry A. King II who said: We operate daily throughout diverse theaters, providing the world s greatest tactical airlift expertise to the U.S., its allies, and those in need and the C-130J is our chariot! Author: George McLaren is a Communications Manager for Rolls-Royce, based in Indianapolis, US. Following a lengthy career as a journalist, he joined Rolls-Royce in 2005 and manages communications for the company s defence business in the US and Canada. the magazine ISSUE