More than 50 airmen from eight career fields join forces over an eight-day period to perform periodic inspections of the KC-135 tankers at Grand Forks AFB, N.D., reports SrA. Paul Croxon. Every one of the old tankers goes through such inspection every 15 months or 1,500 flight hours. Many of the airmen are apprentices who are learning the specifics of their trades after picking up the basics at technical school. They also learn “where they fit into the bigger maintenance picture” by working with other career fields, says TSgt. Shane Bushta with the 319th Maintenance Squadron at Grand Forks.
The Air Force said May 4 it has approved the T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft to move into low-rate production and awarded Boeing a $219 million contract to start building the first 14 production jets.