An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Fabrication Flight details multi-faceted mission

  • Published
  • By Maj. Khalid Cannon
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The Airmen of the 380th Maintenance Squadron's Fabrication Flight pride themselves on being able to repair all structural damage to 380th Air Expeditionary Wing aircraft.

"Our mission here is to support the aircraft and keep them in the air," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Jackson, who is deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and is originally from Atlanta, Ga. "We do exterior and interior body work, and inspections."

The flight consists of four sections: Aircraft Structural Maintenance, also known as Sheet Metal, Low Observable Structural Maintenance, Metals Technology and Non-Destructive Inspection.

NDI performs inspections, which includes the use of X-ray technology to identify cracks or other structural damage.

Metals Technology includes welding and machining processes, and is very similar to Sheet Metal, said Jackson.

The process may begin when notified of a maintenance discrepancy on the flight line. The specific Fabrication section is then dispatched to evaluate the deviation and perform the required corrective action or inspection.

"In Sheet Metal we are required to work on a number of different aircraft," said Jackson. "My primary aircraft is the E-3 Sentry, which requires mainly metal repair. Some of our other aircraft are constructed of advanced composites, which can be challenging to fix. But, I'm qualified to work on all the aircraft we have here."

Jackson explained how the Fabrication Flight's work is similar to the civilian world.

"If you take your car to a body shop, the technicians will repair the dents or other damage and make it look like it never happened," said Jackson. "That's what we do here."

Prior to his deployment Jackson completed his seven-level Career Development Course, which came with greater responsibility within the flight.

"I was nervous before I came out here because I knew I would be called upon to make decisions that could make or break a flight," said Jackson.

Air Force Senior Airman Cody Borden, a native of Newport News, Va., who is also deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, explained other repairs that his section performs.

"As a Sheet Metal maintainer we replace damaged nut plates and screws, and we also replace rivets," said Borden. "Our jobs also may involve fixing cracked or damaged panels that require the use of a flush or scab patch."

Borden, who is on his second deployment to the 380 AEW, discussed other tasks that Sheet Metal performs.

"We repair hydraulic line tubing, perform paint work and corrosion checks," said Borden. "If there is gash or a dent, we'll check the damage with a dial caliper to ensure the panel is still within specifications. It's very time consuming and detailed work."

Air Force Master Sgt. Joseph Powell, flight chief, spoke about the intangible qualities required of his technicians.

"Just about anybody can be taught the basics of fabrication, but to really be good at this type of work, one must be able to look at a blueprint or diagram on a flat sheet and envision a 3-D finished product," he said. "It really challenges the creativity of the person performing the work."