JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Throughout the summer, aircraft corrosion control
technicians from the 12th Flying Training Wing Maintenance Directorate will be
washing aircraft displays that are part of the Air Heritage Park at Joint Base
San Antonio-Randolph.
The maintenance technicians are on a mission to clean and
spruce up aircraft displays that portray the history of the Air Force and
JBSA-Randolph.
Air Heritage Park, dedicated in 1985, includes the displays
of 11 aircraft from World War II to the present.
Aircraft corrosion control technicians started cleaning the
aircraft displays June 6, beginning with T-43 and T-29 displays. They resumed their cleaning at the Air
Heritage Park June 26 and washed the AT-11.
Mike Howell, 12th FTW/MX corrosion control supervisor, said
aircraft corrosion control technicians will be cleaning the displays on
weekends for the next two months. The aircraft on display have not been washed
in two years because of water restrictions.
“Dirt is really in the paint surface of the aircraft,”
Howell said. “It is going to take a quite a few Saturdays to get caught up.”
Howell said that in accordance with Air Force instructions,
aircraft displays are required to be washed, cleaned and inspected every six
months. The 12th FTW/MX corrosion control shop maintains the records for
cleaning and inspecting the displays. Those records also include historical
data and information for each aircraft display.
During the inspections, Howell said he checks to see if
there is any structural damage, deficiency or corrosion to the aircraft display
that has been caused by heat or moisture, or by birds or insects that are
nesting inside the openings of the displays.
Howell said it took eight hours to wash, clean and inspect
the T-43 and T-29 displays June 6.
Any structural damage or corrosion found on any aircraft
display will be fixed and repaired by maintenance technicians from the 12th
FTW/MX sheet metal shop, Howell said.
Howell said aircraft corrosion control technicians will
paint the displays, if needed.
To prevent birds from nesting, he said openings in the
aircraft displays are closed with sheet metal or screens. Howell said any
insects such as bees, hornets or ants found inside the displays are sprayed by
technicians from the 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron Pest Management Branch.
“Once we are done washing, fixing and painting them, we know
we have done our part in the upkeep of historical aircraft,” he said.
Robert Hamm, 12th FTW/MX deputy director for aircraft
maintenance, said the aircraft corrosion control technicians who wash and clean
the aircraft displays are helping to preserve pieces of Air Force and
JBSA-Randolph history.
“We’re happy to do it because it helps maintain our Air
Force heritage and keeps the aircraft displays looking good for JBSA-Randolph
visitors,” he said.