Maintenance_department

REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN MECHANIC

Through the history of aviation, many names have come to fore.
Great deeds of the past in our memory last, as they're joined by
more and more.
When man first started his labor in his quest to conquer the sky, he
was designer, mechanic, and pilot, and he built a machine that
would fly.
But somehow the order got twisted, and then in the public's eye the
only man that could be seen was the man who knew how to fly.
The pilot was everyone's hero. He was brave, he was bold, he was
grand,
as he stood by his battered old biplane with his goggles and helmet
in hand.
To be sure, these pilots earned it, to fly you have to have guts.
And blazed their names in the hall of fame on wings with bailing wire
struts.
But for each of these flying heroes, there were thousands of little
renown,
and these were the men who worked on the planes but who kept
their feet on the ground.
We all know the name of Lindbergh, and we've read of his flight of
fame.
But think, if you can, of his maintenance man. Can you remember his
name? And think of our wartime heroes, Gabreski, Jabara, and Scott.
Can you tell me the names of their Crew Chiefs? A thousand to one
you cannot.
Now pilots are highly trained people, and wings are not easily won.
But without the work of maintenance man, our pilots would march
with a gun.
So when you see mighty jet aircraft mark there way through the air,
the grease-stained man with a wrench in his hand is the man who
put them there.

Anonymous, Sent by Tom Combs

We came from all over the United States.
Some from the East Coast and a few from up
and down the West Coast and all points in
between. We were in our late teens and
early twenties. All of us were males. Most of
us were 43151F or 43171F. Thats five-level
or seven-level jet mechanics. Yes, jet
mechanics. With jets, usually a person
thinks of sleek swept wing fighters. Small
jets with one or two seat cockpits like the
F-4's of our sister squadrons the 433rd and
435th TFS within the 8th Tactical Fighter
Wing. In fact, the crew chief's across the
flight line responsible for those F-4's and
the F-100's before them, had gone through
the same technical schools we had so many
months or years before. Yet, the crew
chief's of the 16th Special Operations
Squadron were a breed apart. Ours was an
elite fraternity. The fourteen specialized
AC-130 Spectre gunships( with their four
turbo-prop jet engines) were the only

The typical C-130 was a trash hauler in the Vietnam War. It is primarily
a cargo plane used to haul all kinds of things. From troops jumping into
an LZ , to tanks or ammunition for resupplying beleaguered U.S.
Soldiers. Prior to Spectre, most crew chiefs had our cargo bays filled
with pallets of supply, men and spare parts for equipment. Some cargo,
air dropped into landing zones while others rolled off onto waiting
trucks at various air bases all over the world. As we were learning our
trade, we cut our teeth on the basic C-130 aircraft flying with our
airplanes all over the United States and Europe. We had been trained
to know the working systems of the aircraft and to be able to service
them and repair them when needed. Often times we called in
specialists on engines, props or hydraulics and avionics. However, the
assigned aircraft that usually bore our names proudly above the crew
entrance door, were our sole responsibly. It was the crew chief and
his assistants that kept the aircraft fueled and ready to fly on notice. It
was the crew chief that signed the airplane over to the aircrews for
them to fly the missions of the day. Mostly, we flew with our aircraft as
we traversed North America and across Europe. Long after the
aircrews had departed, it was the crew chief, rag and wrench in hand,
that stayed long into the night adding oil to the engines, refueling and
usually replacing a bad servo or a worn tire. It was the crew chief's job
to make the airplane safe and ready to fly. We bet our lives on our
ability to do our jobs. Wherever the airplane went...we went with it.
Spectre was different.
The aircrews of the 16th S.O.S. had been trained for combat and knew
their jobs well. Yes, many enlisted aircrew-members were in fact prior
crew chiefs, loadmasters and flight engineers on standard C-130's.
They had volunteered and cross-trained to become gunners, scanners
or IO's as well as flight engineers for combat flight. The crew chief
assigned to his special AC-130 still bore the heavy responsibility to
maintain the aircraft, but he would not be flying on it. This I believe
made our assignment doubly important. We were dedicated to making
sure the machine worked properly and delivered our weapons and
crew into battle and safely away. None of us wanted to loose our
gunship to hostile fire. And,of course we had no control over that
anyway. But none of us wanted the aircrews, who were already risking
their lives to fly and fight, to be lost over enemy territory due to an
aircraft malfunction. We were very concerned that our airplanes were
as ready and safe as to be expected of these twenty year old airframes.
We worked twelve hour shifts officially. But many of us worked much
longer than that. We had our assigned aircraft ( mine was tail number
55-0044 ), but often a crew chief would be found assisting a fellow
maintainer on another airplane. We shared the load and the load was
demanding. In the intense tropical Thailand heat, the black skin of our
AC-130 was extremely hot to the touch. Imagine working on your
kitchen stove with the burners and oven turned on and heated. Inside
the aircraft it was virtually unbearable. The heat and humidity was
stifling and oppressive. The metal burned the uninitiated hand. We
continued to work day and night on our gunships despite these
hardships because the aircrews who put their lives on the line each
night flying our aircraft, would expect and deserve no less.
Personally, I felt a kindred spirit with my aircraft. I knew it inside and
out. I was aware of all it's characteristics. And, I had been initiated to
major battle damage just one month after coming to Spectre. My
gunship limped home one night after a 57MM round hit number four
engine over Laos, taking out number three and number four props.
After two months of major repair work I had my airplane back on the
ready list and able for combat duty. All of the crew chiefs it seemed, at
one time or another, had come to my aid in getting my gunship back
into the fight. That was the world of the crew chief. We helped each
other and we watched each other's back. When our assigned aircraft
was in the air, we helped others with their gunships, readying them for
later combat flights. During the dry season of 1971-72, Spectre suffered
battle damage to many of the squadron's aircraft. My battle damage
repair was not unique. Most of the crew chiefs assigned to Spectre
would similarly experience varying degrees of battle damage. We
helped each other patch the bullet holes whenever possible.

MECHANICS CREED

Upon my honor I swear to hold sacred trust the rights and privileges conferred upon me as
certified mechanic. Knowing full and well that the safety and lives of others are dependent
on my skill and judgement, I shall never knowingly subject others to risks which I would not
be willing to assume for myself, or those dear to me.

In discharging this trust, I pledge myself to never undertake work or approve work which I
feel to be beyond the limits of knowledge, nor shall I allow any non certified superior to
persuade me to approve aircraft or equipment, as airworthy, against my better judgement to
be influenced by money or personal gain, nor shall I pass airworthy, aircraft or equipment
about which I am in doubt, either as a result of direct inspection or uncertainty regarding the
ability of others who have worked on it to accomplish their work satisfactorily.

I realize the grave responsibility which is mine as a certified airman, to exercise my judgment
on the airworthiness of aircraft and equipment. I therefore pledge unyielding adherence to
those precepts for the advancement of aviation and the dignity of my vocation.

Sent by Tom Combs

We have all seen the World War Two movies showing the B-17's limping across the English Channel to their
bases in England to an anxious and anticipating ground crew. I feel for those veteran crew chiefs as their
losses were significant. The long wait for our gunships return was no less dramatic. We knew the situation
and we knew the dangers our crews faced each night. Still, I had many long nights awaiting word of the
return of my airplane. It WAS my airplane of course....I simply loaned it to the aircrews each night. Thats how
we all felt. We took ownership of our assigned charges and felt total responsibility for them. I know I speak
for all of the Spectre Crew chiefs when I say we were attached to the gunship, it's weapons system, it's
electronics, avionics and it's armament...it was all ours. The airplane; it was our responsibly and our reason
for being there.    Man and machine... machine and man. We were one with our aircraft. When it suffered, we
suffered. When it surpassed or surprised officials by large enemy truck kills, we basked in it's reflected
glory. We felt a competitiveness within the squadron as to which crew chief "owned" the best gunship. We
sought on-time take-offs and zero aborts due to maintenance. (Until her loss to a surface-to-air missile on
March 29th 1972, mine WAS the best gunship in the squadron.) We had our favorite aircrews as well. Some
were kind and tried not to write up little items that just wasted our time attempting to fix. Most crews
appeared to truly accept our word on the status of our airplane. Usually, we spent quality time with the pilot
or flight engineer prior to takeoff, going over the aircraft systems during a preflight walk-around. We got to
know our crews that way and shared stories about home and prior assignments. Many within the aircrews
were our age or slightly older so we shared common values. I was in awe of them for their bravado and
courage. The good crews recognized our efforts and complimented us on a well-kept aircraft. The most
endearing crews thanked us for the long hours spent making ready for flight. Those crews understood and
truly appreciated our efforts.
I'm sure all of the crew chiefs came away from our tenure with Spectre changed men. We had seen the
battles in the tired eyes of our returning aircrews. We heard of the flaming destruction brought upon the
enemy by our machines. We smelled the cordite from the night's battle while performing our postflight
inspections. We heard the audio tapes or had seen the special videotapes of the havoc reaped upon the
enemy. Sometimes, we cleaned up the blood from an injured crew member after he was whisked away by a
speeding ambulance. The fight was miles away, but the remnants of battle were placed in our hands each and
every night. We sought no glory other than to hear the pilot say, " That's a good airplane chief"...
I have nothing but high praise for the C-130 airframe. I have a lifetime of memories from my kinship with all
of the Spectre crew chiefs. And, I feel an overwhelming privilege for having associated with some of the
bravest aircrews in the entire Air Force. For us, the Vietnam era Spectre crew chief...there is no greater
honor.