JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Sailors from Fleet Logistics Squadron completed a 35-day inspection of a C-130T Logistics Support Aircraft here, April 7.
The squadron, also known as VR-64, is home to five C-130T Logistics Support Aircraft, which are used for rapid transportation of personnel and cargo. With the high tempo of operations there are currently only three at the joint base.
“We released a plane this morning, then got started on the maintenance for another,” said Lt. Commander Scott Angelo, Maintenance Officer. “We are always doing maintenance to ensure our aircraft are ready to go.”
With all of the missions they go on, maintenance on the aircraft is crucial. Sailors do daily and 35 day inspections.
“A daily is a full inspection of the aircraft to make sure it is ready for flight,” said Aviation Structural Maintainer Joshua Warner. “A 35-day is for greasing, making sure everything is lubed up and good to go.”
The Sailors look over all parts of the 130, they check everything from the propellers and engines to the doors and flaps, every component on the aircraft is given a once over.
“The inspections are very important, it ensures everything is working properly,” added Warner. “If we miss something a plane could fall out of the sky.”
On days that both inspections fall, the crew of Sailors will spend the majority of their shift completing the examinations.
The inspections will continue to be performed as long as the C-130T’s are flying, each time one comes back from a mission, or on its regularly scheduled 35-day timeline.