Barksdale Profile: Maintaining B52 Bombers, Ground Crew Vital
By:
Updated: July 1, 2011
The B52 Stratofortress is loud and large. It's hard to miss soaring in the sky above Shreveport-Bossier.
But the ground crew, the Barksdale Air Force Base maintainers, ensure the jets are fit for flight.
"I am in charge of all the daily maintenance, the inspection criteria" says Staff Sergeant Bradly Bowen, a B52 crew chief. His team inspects jets before and after flight.
"We learn our jets very well and know what it likes to do."
The airmen check for damage and potential problems.
"We're all over the jet, checking systems on different parts, landing gears, engines, bomb bays, everywhere" says Tech Sergeant Josh Robinson, an aircraft electrical and environmental systems specialist.
It takes about eight hours to make sure the B52s are ready for take off. Sixteen people can have their hands on jet before it goes into the air.
"We run into a new problem everyday. We understand what the problems are and how to fix them but every flight is a different write up" says TSgt. Robinson.
He says it can take twelve hours or one month to correct problems, depending on what they encounter.
"It's extremely important. We never want to launch an aircraft into the air that's going to be unsafe" he says.
The B52 bombers are almost fifty years old. The Air Force current engineering analyses shows the B52's life span should extend beyond the year 2040.
But the ground crew, the Barksdale Air Force Base maintainers, ensure the jets are fit for flight.
"I am in charge of all the daily maintenance, the inspection criteria" says Staff Sergeant Bradly Bowen, a B52 crew chief. His team inspects jets before and after flight.
"We learn our jets very well and know what it likes to do."
The airmen check for damage and potential problems.
"We're all over the jet, checking systems on different parts, landing gears, engines, bomb bays, everywhere" says Tech Sergeant Josh Robinson, an aircraft electrical and environmental systems specialist.
It takes about eight hours to make sure the B52s are ready for take off. Sixteen people can have their hands on jet before it goes into the air.
"We run into a new problem everyday. We understand what the problems are and how to fix them but every flight is a different write up" says TSgt. Robinson.
He says it can take twelve hours or one month to correct problems, depending on what they encounter.
"It's extremely important. We never want to launch an aircraft into the air that's going to be unsafe" he says.
The B52 bombers are almost fifty years old. The Air Force current engineering analyses shows the B52's life span should extend beyond the year 2040.
