Technicians at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia have been working 10-hour days, seven days a week since getting approval Aug. 25 to produce new aileron actuator levers for T-38 trainers. Now, the ALC believes they will be able to boost their output from 50 levers per week to 75 and shift the completion date for 250 left-hand levers and 250 right-hand levers from the end of December to mid-November. The Air Force began the lever production effort when an accident investigation board cited the component as a contributing factor inthe fatal crash of a T-38 in April at Columbus AFB, Miss. The service’s other two ALCs—Ogden ALC in Utah and Oklahoma City ALC in Oklahoma—have been working the lever production, as well, to cover nearly 600 T-38s as quickly as possible. Because the original forgings for the parts to the 40-plus-year-old aircraft, the centers had to develop prototypes for the components, which require precise, intricate milling. (Robins report by Wayne Crenshaw)
Earlier this spring, the 388th Fighter Wing proved just 12 Airmen can operate an F-35 contingency location, refueling and rearming the fighters at spots across Georgia and South Carolina. The demonstration, part of exercise Agile Flag 23-1, marks yet another proof of concept for the Air Force’s plan to send…