AL ASAD, Iraq -- Pilots and crewchiefs are often in the spotlight because of their actions on the front lines, but they probably wouldn’t have reached that point without the hard work of helicopter mechanics. Again and again, these Marines ensure the birds stay in the air.
They don’t wear flight suits; they’re generally in grease-stained coveralls, turning wrenches and pumping hydraulic fluid day and night to keep the birds fit to fight.
The mechanics from the avionics, flightline and airframes work centers of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264 have been busy maintaining the helicopters here. They haven’t even been here three months and they’re already working on their 14th ‘phase’ helicopter.
A ‘phase’ helicopter is one that has reached approximately 150 flight-hours and has to undergo a phase of thorough inspections to check the condition of some components.
There are five maintenance phases a helicopter rotates through every 150 flight-hours and each focuses on a specific group of components.
The helicopters the squadron is using have been here for almost 17 months and require extra attention to detail when it comes to inspections and maintenance. The “Black Knights” are the third squadron to use them, following Marine Medium Helicopter Squadrons 261 and 365, also from Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.
According to Staff Sgt. Joseph L. Hoke, phase crew coordinator and Louisville, Ky., native, it usually takes two years for a squadron to fly enough hours to phase 14 helicopters.
The number of helicopters phased reflects how active the squadron has been. It also highlights the effort and dedication of the mechanics who keep the aircraft, sometimes twice as old as them, flying in support of the security and stability operations here.
“We’ve been maintaining the helicopters as they need it,” said Lance Cpl. Robert J. Hadley, a flightline mechanic and Virginia Beach, Va., native. “We’re riding the workload well and we’re caught up with everything.”
Riding along are civilian mechanics from L-3 Vertex Aerospace who assist with the maintenance and provide technical expertise when needed. According to Hoke, some are Marine veterans who have been working on CH-46E Sea Knights for 20 to 30 years. “Two of them were my [staff noncommissioned officers] when they were in.”
Hadley, who as a flightline mechanic is trained to work on components such as engines, transmissions, flight controls and rotor heads, said each bird goes through phase for approximately one week.
But fixing discrepancies found during phase inspections isn’t the only maintenance the squadron birds receive. There is also maintenance conducted after special inspections.
Special inspections are conducted on certain components every set amount of hours depending on when they were installed. “Sometimes the amount of maintenance comes and floods us,” said Hadley.
Lance Cpl. Mike Helburg, an airframes and hydraulics mechanic, said working on the helicopters can get tedious, but the mechanics keep it fun and interesting by teaching others and learning from others as much as they can.
“That’s one good thing, working with the civilians,” said Helburg, a Fort Collins, Colo., native, serving as airframes work center supervisor. “We learn a lot from them.”
And the more knowledge they gain, the better for the squadron’s maintenance rates. According to Gunnery Sgt. Alex M. Brinker, maintenance controller from Detroit, the “Black Knights” have not turned down any of the missions assigned to them and have maintained an 83 percent mission-capable rate and an 82 percent full mission-capable rate for all aircraft since their arrival.
The dedication and professionalism of helicopter mechanics like the ones of HMM-264 have kept the Sea Knight an invaluable asset to the Marine Corps for more than 40 years and the “Black Knights” have witnessed it since 1968, when they received the “new” aircraft that’s still in the fight today.
- For more information about the Marines reported on in this story, please contact Sgt. Juan Vara by e-mail at varaj@acemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil -