Fab Flight Series: NDI flight keeps B-52s mission ready Published July 26, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Joseph A. Pagán Jr. 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- After 450 hours of flight time, B-52H Stratofortress bombers are placed in a two week inspection process. While most aircraft damage is visible to the naked eye, there may be problems within the aircraft that are undetectable by sight. Airmen of the 2nd Maintenance Squadron non-destructive inspection flight use specialized equipment. "NDI is the inspection of a structure or component in any manner that will not impair its future usefulness," said Staff Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 2 MXS NDI assistant NCO in charge. "The purpose of the inspection may be to detect flaws and determine material structure, or it may characterize physical, electrical or thermal properties without causing any changes in the part." There are many tools NDI uses to complete the above tasks, some are even similar to what one might find at a doctor's office. "NDI performs inspections using fluorescent penetrant, eddy current, ultrasonic, radiography and oil analysis," said Pierce. "We use all but oil analysis to find defects, typically fatigue cracks, on the B-52H and on some ground equipment. We use our Joint Oil Analysis Program to analyze aircraft engine oil for metal breakdown. JOAP allows us to find an engine breaking down before it becomes a catastrophic failure." Before NDI is able to perform their duties, they are first informed on which areas of the aircraft they need to inspect. "Different agencies get in contact with us to inspect the aircraft and/or off-equipment parts," said Pierce. "We are either contacted by the Eagle Super or Maintenance Operations Center to perform our inspections, or shops bring their parts in to be inspected." When NDI discovers a damaged part, they work with the surrounding flights to get the plane mission ready, he added. "The defects we find during our inspections are repaired by 2 MXS metal technicians or aircraft structural maintenance," said Pierce. "There are instances that require us to inspect their work to ensure the area is repaired. Some inspections require all three shops to work together to complete a job." Inspecting aircraft parts can be a tedious job, however, the time put in can be beneficial to the Air Force. "A crack missed on one of the engines or anywhere on the aircraft could cause the plane to crash or cause significant damage," said Senior Airman Jessica Cassiday, 2 MXS NDI journeyman. "By finding these defects, we help save the Air Force money, man hours, and most importantly-lives." NDI plays a crucial role in the maintenance of Barksdale's beloved B-52H. "NDI methods in the hands of a trained and experienced technician are capable of detecting flaws or defects with a high degree of accuracy and reliability," said Pierce. "The defects we find during our inspections are repaired and allow the B-52H to continue flying and performing the Barksdale mission. If NDI did not exist, critical components of the aircraft could not be inspected." Editor's note: This is part two of a three-part series on the mission of the 2nd Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight.