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380AEW Article

U-2 AMU connects maintenance with ISR mission

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jacob Morgan
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  From aircraft landing until the next launch, maintainers with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron U-2 Aircraft Maintenance Unit work as a team to keep every system on the aircraft in top shape. The motivation and teamwork they bring to maintenance is driven by their pride in efficiency and contribution to global vigilance.

"The U-2 has unique capabilities and gathers a lot of information for our partners in Operation Enduring Freedom," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Eric Zagdan-Gross, 380th EAMXS U-2 AMU production superintendent. "The end result of each mission gives us all a great sense of accomplishment and motivates us to work harder."

The U-2 AMU, commonly called Dragon AMU, consists of several different specialties all working together at the same time. When an aircraft takes off or lands, more than eight different specialties are there to get a debrief on the aircraft's performance or to send the pilot off for the next mission. This is the responsibility of the production superintendent, Zagdan-Gross.

Zagdan-Gross, a native of Lynn, Mass., is tasked with knowing the status of each aircraft, managing the aircraft schedule and motivating his team.

"The easiest part of my job is keeping my team motivated," said Zagdan-Gross. "My team is so talented and focused, I just have to give them the big picture and they get out there and make it happen."

His team's mission typically begins with aircraft recovery, or bringing an airplane in after landing.

Landing a U-2 is different from landing other aircraft, it has what is considered a bicycle landing gear, said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michael Espinoza, 380th EAMXS U-2 AMU crew chief. The pogo team follows the aircraft down the runway as it lands and installs the auxiliary landing gear under each wing so the aircraft can taxi back to the hangar safely.

After the mission is over, the pilot will depart the cockpit and turn the aircraft over to the crew chief in charge, who quickly gets his team in gear.

The team makes sure everything is safe and immediately starts the initial post-flight checks. After removing panels, one crew chief will suit up and jump into the engine intakes, while another takes engine oil samples for analysis.

The initial post-flight checks can be pretty quick, said Espinoza. After the check, they tow the aircraft into position for fuel.

"All of us are fully qualified before deploying," said Espinoza. "To be able to keep up with the mission tempo here, we all have to know how each system on the aircraft operates with every hydraulic valve. This means any of us should be able to diagnose and troubleshoot in-depth issues."

Before the aircraft is ready to take off for the next mission, all maintenance must be taken care of. The aircraft is positioned and pre-flight inspections are accomplished while the auxiliary landing gear is installed.

The pogo team follows the aircraft and just before takeoff, disconnects the auxiliary landing gear so when the aircraft lifts off, they fall out. The pogo team is charged with chasing the auxiliary landing gear and getting them off the runway as fast as possible.

During the mission, the U-2 Dragon Lady will provide high-altitude, all-weather surveillance and reconnaissance, day or night, in direct support of U.S. and allied forces. It delivers critical imagery and signals intelligence to decision makers throughout all phases of conflict, including peacetime indications and warnings, low-intensity conflict, and large-scale hostilities; directly contributing to the Air Force's Global Vigilance, Global Reach and Global Power.

"Every single one of our missions will protect somebody and potentially save lives," said Espinoza. "We give it all we have every day because if a mission is lost, we could be hurting our guys in harm's way."