Phase in, phase out

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Andrew Moua
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
In battlefields around the world there have been many weapons at the U.S. military's disposal, the deadliest of which is the B-52H Stratofortress.

With eight turbojet engines and a swept-wing configuration, the B-52H can deliver an extremely accurate and deadly bombardment. The 2nd Maintenance Squadron ensures these aircraft are ready to complete these missions and get the aircrew home safely.

Tech. Sgt. Daniel Vogan, 2 MXS dock chief, manages the Phase Hangar. This is where the B-52H receives routine inspections and repairs to ensure it's mission ready at all times.

"We receive the aircraft from the flightline when 450 flight hours have accumulated on the airframe," said Vogan. "This is when the aircraft is due for a major inspection. We take the aircraft apart and inspect each piece to find any discrepancies and fix them."

Each B-52H is typically in the Phase Hangar for 25 to 29 calendar days and undergoes a 14-day inspection, which involves Airmen from different Air Force Specialty Codes. The Airmen typically receive one bomber per month and up to 11 per year.

"We operate out of a 69,000 square foot, two-bay hangar, and we can house and work on two B-52Hs simultaneously," Vogan said. "We can close the doors to the hangar and work in any weather. It doesn't hamper or stop the mission from being done."

Once the aircraft arrives, but before it enters the hangar, it undergoes various pre-checks on the flightline. Crew chiefs do a fuel boost pump check to ensure fuel pumps operate properly. Electricians conduct bleed air leak checks on the environmental systems to ensure the shut-off and anti-ice valves work correctly. Engine specialists follow with an audible ignition check on the ignition system. Any discrepancies found on the flightline are then logged to be fixed later during the main inspection inside the hangar.

"After those initial checks are done, the aircraft is moved to the corrosion control facility, which is next door to the hangar," Vogan said. "The aircraft is X-rayed by our non-destructive inspection team, where they check for cracks in the skin."

The aircraft is then moved into the Phase Hangar. Discrepancies found during the first five days in the hangar are looked over by quality assurance teams.

The QA teams inspect the work and document discrepancies the maintenance teams may have missed. The repair phase takes place during days six through nine, where any problems found by QA are fixed. Operations checks are conducted on days 10 through 14, during which all systems are turned on to ensure they are in proper working order.

The maintenance teams typically find between 2,600 to 2,900 issues with each aircraft per inspection, said Vogan. All of these are fixed or repaired, a testament to the skill and knowledge of Barksdale's 2nd Maintenance Squadron, the efforts of which have kept the B-52Hs in service for the last 60 years.

"Without us, the mission would definitely grind to a halt," Vogan said. "With no one to maintain and check these aircraft, they would fall apart. With these aircraft as old as they are, they need the phase inspection to ensure their serviceability."