Monday, April 24, 1972
Crew Chief's Baby An Old Warrior
iNAKHON PHANOM RTAFB, Thailand (Special) --How do you take a piece of machinery, 12-15 years old and insure its operation day in and day out, in all kinds of weather and conditions, knowing a life is in your hands? Ask an A1 Skyraider crew chief stationed here."At first, it really scares you, but after a while, you get over the fear. The responsibility, though, is always on your mind," said Sgt. Gary Cole, a crew chief assigned to the 1st Special Operations Sq.Look anywhere on the A1 and you will see an area of responsibility for the crew chief. From prop conditions to panel lights, it's his ball game."Who ever put these things together, must have had something against crew chiefs," laughed Sgt. Fred Brooks a day shift crew chief. "Because of its compact design, it really is a tough plane to work on. But when you get to know them, they're a beauty to work on."The plane dates back to the Korean conflict. Nicknamed "Sandy" its relatively slow cruising speed makes the A1 ideal for support of Search and Rescue operations in Southeast Asia.The two crew chiefs assigned to a plane split the day into two 12 hour shifts. Their entire time is spent on the flightline.During their day, they conduct pre and post flight inspections, checking the plane for any problem, no matter how slight. Everything is checked, from loose rivets to wire connections."One problem these fellas face is oil spillage," observes Capt. Gene Bardal, an A1 aircraft commander. "The nature of the plane, for some reason, is to throw off a lot of oil while in flight.""The crew chiefs have to keep the plane clean as well as running," he continued. "This calls for a complete cleaning after each flight.""Working around the plane with oil all over the metal ramp can be a real problem, especially when the prop is running during the pilot's preflight instrument check in the docks," he added. "We just have to be careful."Actually, the Skyraider crew chief is a "general practitioner." If something goes wrong with his plane, he knows it. After locating the source, he fixes it himself or pulls the part and takes it to the specialist.When the specialist is through with it, the crew chief reinstalls the part and insured its operation."Each of these planes has its own special problems," commented Cole. "It takes a good three to four months for a guy to get to know his plane. That is the beauty of having one plane assigned to you all the time. You get to know it inside and out."Pride and competition are evident in everything the crew chiefs do. The phrases, "My plane," and "My baby" are used continually when talking with them. Of course each one claims his plane to be the best on the line.The relationship between the crew chief and his pilot is one of jovial competition as well.Should a pilot backfire his engine when starting, he owes the crew chief a case of beer. This may seem a little unfair, but the backfiring can cause damage to the engine, which means more hours of work for the crew chief. Caution on the part of the pilot insures this does not happen often.The pilot's have their chances too. When shutting down an engine, the prop becomes free wheeling. If it forms a perfect "T" upon stopping, the crew chief owes the pilot a case of beer."You've got to watch these pilots sometimes," chuckled Brooks. "The chances of a prop teeing are pretty poor. The pilot can fudge a little after the prop has stopped, by punching the starter button just enough to jump the prop into "T". The problem is we can't watch him if we aren't there to welcome the plane home.""Crew Chief's Baby An Old Warrior" by S. Sgt. Joe Cardoza, published in the Pacific Stars and Stripes on Monday, April 24, 1972 and reprinted from European and Pacific Stars and Stripes, a Department of Defense publication copyright, 2002 European and Pacific Stars and Stripes.