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F-16 returns to flight

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jonathan Bass
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  After more than 600 days spent on the ground for repairs, one of the 20th Fighter Wing's F-16CM Fighting Falcons returned to flight.

The aircraft, 71-09, assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron, had been grounded since July 2, 2013, after colliding with an antenna while landing here. The extent of the damage was significant enough to bring out a team of Airmen from Hill AFB, Utah, to rebuild the jet's bulkhead.

"Most of the rear half of the aircraft is new," said Senior Airman Rafael Martinez, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief assigned to jet 71-09.

The bulkhead, both ventral fins, the 'bathtub' panel, the engine and engine bay, along with the landing gear and landing gear door were all replaced during the more than a year maintenance schedule, said Martinez.

Martinez worked nonstop on the jet for two-and-a-half months to fix it. He received help and training on the repairs from Staff Sgt. Benjamin Henry, also a 20th AMXS DCC.

"He helped me change out some of the horizontal stabilizers, which move for roll and pitch on the back of the jet," said Martinez.

In addition to the stabilizers, Henry taught Martinez how to change out Integrated Servo Actuators, which take controls from the flight computer to help keep the jet in the air.

Maj. Mike Chebino, 9th Air Force aide de Camp for Maj. Gen. H.D. Polumbo Jr., 9th Air Force commander, flew the aircraft on its functional check flight, taking the jet to its limits to ensure its combat capabilities.

Chebino flew the aircraft at speeds in excess of 1.8 Mach and pulled nine times the force of earth's gravity in his check flight. The result of the test, the jet came back 'code 1', meaning it has no discrepancies.

He credited the entire wing with the success of the repairs.

"This was a huge effort by the entire team at Shaw," said Chebino. "The 20th Maintenance Group really did a tremendous job getting this airplane back on the flightline today. It was the end result of a lot of Airmen's hard work."