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AFSOUTH Airmen gain insight on commercial aircraft maintenance

  • Published
  • By Maj. Sarah Schwennesen
  • 12th Air Force Public Affairs (Air Forces Southern)
DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, Ariz. --  Recently, three members of 12th Air Force (AFSOUTH) Logistics and Maintenance division went to the Hawker Beechcraft service center in Mesa, Ariz., to gain insight on commercial maintenance best practices for the Super King propeller-driven aircraft to assist in familiarization training for South American partner nations with these types of aircraft.

As part of building partner capacity, personnel in the logistics and maintenance division provide aviation maintenance support through technical advice to partner nations in maintaining their fleet of airplanes. This office provides vital technical information to partner nations and can assist these nations in integrating commercial best practices with their combat mission maintenance so that they can have additional venues for aviation support.

Master Sgt. Roberto Vasquez, a crew chief assigned to the division, said that this was an outstanding visit to the company because, "the general manager and his team of professionals provided us with a thorough tour, explained their processes and answered our technical questions so that we can further strengthen our support to partner nations. This visit will enable us to spread the word on the latest innovations and performance that the general aviation market has to offer. By recognizing the type of maintenance support required for the propeller-driven aircraft, we can capitalize on best commercial practices and provide our partner nations this knowledge face-to-face."

Currently, partner nations such as Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador have Hawker Beechcraft propeller airplanes and are looking for technical advice in maintaining their airplanes.

"The knowledge that we gained will help these countries' Air Forces and improve our relations with them," said Master Sgt. Paul Azevedo, a crew chief assigned to the division. "When we conduct exchanges with our partner nations, we are empowered to take the knowledge that we have learned throughout our careers and share it with our partners on their flightlines."

"The trip was a great learning experience and the knowledge that we gained will allow us to help our partners with their Beechcraft airframes, said Master Sgt. Jeremy Jacobs, Avionics, Electrical and Environmental systems manager. "I would like to especially thank Mr. John Mansfield, the general manager at Hawker Beechcraft, because he and his staff were very welcoming despite their busy schedules. The most significant aspect of this visit was that the civilian company provided the training for us at no cost to the Air Force, a truly patriotic act."