ASME HI Section Wiliki Article for March 2001 Issue



HAWAII AIR NATIONAL GUARD F-22 MAINTENANCE FACILITIES TOUR

It was drizzling over most of Oahu, but it was a great day at Hickam where 13 mechanical engineering students and five mechanical engineers toured the new F-22 maintenance facilities on November 10, 2015. The tour was arranged by Major General (Retired) Robert G.F. Lee, ASME member. The tour was given by Major Ivan Aguirre, P.E., LEED® AP BD+C. Major Aguirre is a Civil Engineer and is the 154th Wing Civil Engineering Squadron Deputy Commander.

After parking at the Nimitz Gate Visitor Center parking lot and receiving our passes, a bus drove us to the 154th Wing maintenance facilities. First on the agenda was a photo shoot around an F-22 Raptor with Raptor pilots telling about the F-22 and answering questions about the F-22 and their lives as fighter pilots. The F-22 Raptor is the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, combining stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics. It performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force.

Next visited was the huge maintenance hangar where the F-22 and other planes of the 203 Air Refueling Squadron and 204th Airlift Squadron may be worked on. The 12” thick concrete slab was impressive noting that a 2” slump was maintained during pouring and the aggregates coming from British Columbia. Attached to the hangar was the nondestructive testing lab/storage where an arsenal of instruments was ready and waiting to be used. In the lab were stationary magnetic particle testing (MT) and liquid penetrant testing (PT) equipment, many portable NDE instruments, including MT, PT, ultrasonic, eddy current, and digital radiography equipment.

Last came the maintenance building/office, a LEED® Platinum certified facility. Major Aguirre proudly pointed out the parts of the building and grounds making this a high-performance green building. Probably the highlight for many was the cockpit exit simulator, used by pilots to practice getting out of the F-22 cockpit with all the cumbersome gear they have to wear. Several students and James Carberry, a veteran fighter pilot, got to get in and out of the simulator.

This was a very enjoyable and educational tour, and we are asking Bob Lee to arrange for a second tour next year.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download