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Inside look into 20th CMS (Part 3): Propulsion flight keeps F-16 engines running

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Krystal M. Jeffers
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Editor's note: This article is the third part of a three part series on the mission of 20th Component Maintenance Squadron, the work the Airmen do and how they affect not only Shaw's mission but the mission of the Air Force. The 20th CMS is composed of five flights which work together to support the F-16s and maintain all the different systems that compose them. They are the programs; accessories; propulsion; avionics; and test, measurement and diagnostic equipment flights.

The F-16 Fighting Falcons is a highly maneuverable compact aircraft that is able to fly more than 500 miles, deliver its weapons with extreme accuracy and return to its starting point all while defending its self against enemy forces.

They are also able to fly approximately 1,500 miles per hour which is Mach 2, according to the Air Force website.

An F-16 weighs 19,700 pounds without fuel but it is able to fly at high speeds for hundreds of miles. To be able to do accomplish such feats, the aircraft require a reliable engine.

The propulsion flight is one of the five flights of 20th Component Maintenance Squadron and is composed of four sections: jet engine intermediate shop, engine test facility, accessory and material support sections. These four sections work together to keep the engines of the Fighting Falcons running properly and reliably.

"The purpose of the propulsion flight is to provide serviceable engines to the flightline," said Staff Sgt. Jacob France, 20th CMS material support technician. "Without the engines, the planes won't fly. They power pretty much every system on the aircraft."

At the jet engine intermediate shop section the Airmen are in charge of the F-16s' engines, which are called F110-general electric-129 .

"The maintainers on the flightline work on the engines as much as they can and anything they can't fix or get to, we take care of." said Airman 1st Class Joseph Posthuma, 20th CMS aerospace propulsion apprentice. "We maintain, tear down and re-build the engines for the F-16s and then install them into the aircraft."

In addition to fixing any problems that might occur to the engines, the Airmen in this section also perform regular inspections. After the engine has acquired 4,000 flying hours the Airmen completely tear it down then replace items that have worn out like bearings and check the serviceability of the other parts as they rebuild it.

"We provide reliable war-ready engines for the F-16s," Posthuma said. "I have always thought that jet engines were pretty awesome and it is an honor to work on them."

The jet engine intermediate shop doesn't maintain the entire engine. The system at the back end of the engine is maintained by the Airmen in the accessory section. The system they maintain includes the exhaust and the augmenter which provides afterburner power to the pilot. The afterburner power is basically thrust power used to make the F-16 move and fly.

Once an engine is repaired at the jet engine intermediate shop or the accessory section they are sent to the third section, called the engine test facility section which is also referred to as test cell. There, every engine that was removed from the F-16s for repairs are tested for any leaks and malfunctions before they are re-installed.


"My job is to test engines to make sure that they are safe and run correctly before we put them in the jets," said Senior Airman Kenneth Yelton, 20th CMS engine mechanic. "If (there is a problem) with the external parts, we will change it ourselves but if it is something internal then we will find out where the problem is and send it back."

Engines are tested in hush houses which have a sound suppression system to keep the sound of the engine contained within the building to prevent the noise from bothering the community.

"The engine produces 29,000 pounds of thrust," Yelton said. "That is how hard the engines push."

The engines are tested for many things, such as if they start up correctly, if it accelerate s and decelerates fast enough, or if it is consuming any oil, or if the engine getting too hot. While the engines are being "put through their paces," a maintainer is examining it.

"Sometimes we get a leak that only happens at high velocity so I have to be out there looking for the leak when the engine is at maximum speed," Yelton said. "These engines are very durable but at the same time very fragile. It can handle a lot of pressure and go through a sandstorm and be fine. However, if a blade is nicked or cracked it can come completely off and when that happens it goes through the engine and destroys all the blades behind it, which can cause millions of dollars in damage."

In the support section, the last section of the propulsion flight, the Airmen maintain the entire flight's tools. Items that are not currently being used by them are stored with the support section.

"We manage all the equipment items, hazardous materials and the centralized tool kits used to support engine maintenance," France said, "We keep accountability of all the equipment that we have. We check the serviceability of them and repair them if it's required. Also, we purchase new items.

They manage hazardous materials like engine oils and various other chemicals used for engine maintenance. Some examples of equipment items they manage are the transportation trailers, torque wrenches, and other heavy equipment. The centralized tool kits are essentially the Airmen's tool boxes.

All four sections of the propulsion flight work together to keep the F-16's engines running smoothly. When there is a problem with an engine that cannot be fixed by the maintainers, they are taken to the jet engine intermediate shop or the accessory section for maintenance. Once maintenance is complete, the engine is sent to the engine test facility to be either cleared for use or returned for additional maintenance. Those three sections are supported by the final section, the material support section, which keeps all the equipment used by the flight in working order.

The Airmen that make up the four sections of the propulsion flight are proud of their work and enjoy their job.

"I think my job is pretty awesome," Posthuma said. "Without us, F-16s won't be able to fly reliably."

"I love my job," Yelton added. "I think I have the best job in the Air Force. I get to see what the engine does and the power it has."