C-17 sent to Iraq 24 hours after delivery to Dover

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Brian Maguire
  • 436 AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  In an effort to improve the turnaround time for C-17 Globemaster IIIs returning from depot maintenance or upon delivery from the factory, Team Dover performed a Rapid Improvement Event on the aircraft acceptance inspection process.

Their efforts paid off, when the acceptance inspection for the eighth C-17 delivered to Dover Air Force Base was completed in 12 hours, allowing the aircraft to launch on a channel mission to Iraq 24 hours after arriving at Dover AFB.

The RIE was part of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiatives to improve operations.  During an RIE a team examines every aspect of a process, such as the acceptance inspection, looking for areas to improve efficiency, while still maintaining the high standards of safety set forth by the Air Force.

The RIE associated with the acceptance inspection improved the inspection process, decreasing the amount of time needed for the inspection.  Originally, the acceptance inspection took 36 to 48 hours, while the acceptance inspection completed May 23 only took 12 hours.

"If we had done business as usual, where we flew local flights first and took our time, we would have had a brand new jet sit on the ramp unusable for over four days," said Lt. Col. Raymond Briggs, 736th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander.  "It would also have taken at least 10 days to get the jet into the mobility system."

Team Dover welcomed its eighth C-17 in an arrival ceremony held at 4 p.m. May 22.  Two hours after the arrival ceremony, the aircraft had been towed down the flight line to where maintainers from the 436th and 512 Airlift Wings immediately began the acceptance inspection.

"The moment we had it parked and the tow bar pulled away, we were swarming over it to start the inspection," said Airman Ruben Munoz, 736th AMXS propulsion technician.

In the acceptance inspection, maintainers perform a more thorough process than just turning the aircraft around for another flight.  The maintainers inventory everything on the aircraft, label all the equipment, install the life support equipment and verify that the weight and balance of the aircraft are at the levels the manufacturer specified.  The Team Dover maintainers also installed the armor on the aircraft, which is not part of the acceptance inspection.

"Every aircraft has armor on it, and this is the most opportune time to install the armor," said Master Sgt. Scott Adler, 736th AMXS production superintendent.

Working alongside the maintainers throughout the inspection process were members of the Boeing team at Dover AFB.  They stood ready to provide immediate assistance with any questions the maintainers may have had about the aircraft.

"We brought some of our guys in to stay dedicated with the Airmen out on the flight line," said Norm Cole, director and site manager for Boeing at Dover AFB.  "All the way through acceptance procedure and process, in case any glitches were found, we could have addressed them immediately."

The efforts made to prepare the aircraft for its first mission included every aspect of the total force concept.

"It was a full team effort to put the jet out in the system in less than 24 hours from its first landing at Dover AFB," said Lt. Col. Gretchen Kurlander, 712th AMXS commander.

The improved acceptance inspection process allowed Team Dover's newest C-17 to depart on a channel mission to Iraq exactly 24 hours after it arrived at Dover AFB.  The aircraft returned to Dover May 27, five days after it was delivered to the base from the C-17 Production Facility in Long Beach, Calif.

"This was the first acceptance inspection we've performed since we did the RIE, so it was a validation of the improved process," said Colonel Briggs.  "We should be able to benefit from the improved acceptance inspection process for all future inspections of factory deliveries and depot returns."