Page 17 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

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2nd Marine Air Wing New look for Texas

ANG ‘Viper’

withdraws final AH-1W USAF F-16C Block 30 86-0262 on December 17. The Iowa Air
‘SA’ from the 149th Fighter National Guard Paint Facility
AS THE US Marine Corps performed its last flight with the ceremony, HMLA- Wing/182nd Fighter Squadron in Sioux City had recently
transitions to the new UH-1Y the AH-1W on November 269 put up a formation ‘Lonestar Gunfighters’, finished painting the fighter
and AH-1Z, older helicopters 26. The sundown ceremony comprising two of its final Texas Air National Guard and it was ready to return to
continue to be retired. At also marked the Super AH-1Ws (165331 ‘HF-76’ and (ANG), wears a new, darker, its home unit. According to
Marine Corps Air Station Cobra’s last flight with the 162547 ‘HF-72’) flanking single-colour paint scheme. the air force, the new colour
New River, North Carolina, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. UH-1Y 169240 ‘HF-81’ and The Fighting Falcon was will replace the older two-tone
Marine Light Attack The ‘Gun Runners’ are AH-1Z 168398 ‘HF-50’, photographed on the Iowa grey as the standard paint
Helicopter Squadron 269 now solely equipped with which represented its new ANG ramp in Sioux City, Iowa, scheme for all USAF F-16s.
(HMLA-269) ‘Gun Runners’ the UH-1Y and AH-1Z. For equipment. Dave Allport

US ANG/Senior Master
Sgt Vincent De Groot
‘Bone’ life extension begins

THE USAF has begun The repairs are being
repairs to its B-1B fleet, Air carried out by the SPO and
Force Materiel Command the 76th Aircraft Maintenance
announced on December Group (AMXG), which have
10. By that date, structural established a dedicated
repair and maintenance work repair line at Tinker Air Force
on the first aircraft – begun Base, Oklahoma, to address
in October – was nearing B-1 structural issues.
completion. The programme Phase one of the structures
follows a detailed study repair line will include repair
of airframe fatigue and is of seven urgent tasks on ten
intended to keep the Lancer of the Lancers with highest
operational until 2045. flying-hour requirements
Bill Barnes, director of compared with the rest of
the B-1 Systems Program the fleet, as well as known
Office (SPO), explained: “It’s structural issues. The repairs
been flown past its certified will be completed in a 30-day
service life and, as such, flow under a fly-in, fly-out
it’s developed numerous programme, with 5,000 hours
structural issues and we’ve of repair invested into each
Two of the final USMC AH-1Ws with the 2nd Marine Air Wing, been working on repairs airframe. Phase two, planned
165331 ‘HF-76’ and 162547 ‘HF-72’, perform a final formation for over the last four or five to begin in April, will involve
flight flanking UH-1Y 169240 ‘HF-81’ and AH-1Z 168398 ‘HF-50’ years. We have those repairs a steady stream of B-1Bs
during a sundown ceremony for the AH-1W at Marine Corps developed [and] we know coming through each year for
Air Station New River, North Carolina. All four are assigned to what aircraft tail numbers repair with 14,000 hours of
HMLA-269 ‘Gun Runners’. USMC/2nd MAW/Pfc Steven Walls those repairs apply to.” work planned per airframe.
TC-135W visits Mildenhall

ONE OF Offutt Air Force the callsign ‘Angus 55’. It’s RC-135V/W configuration
Base’s TC-135Ws, serial expected the TC-135W was – including the ‘Hog’ nose
62-4127 ‘OF’, on finals into in the UK for a temporary and ELINT cheek fairings
RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, on crew training deployment. – but are not equipped
the morning of December The three TC-135W training with any of the Rivet
15. The aircraft arrived from aircraft of the 55th Wing Joint mission systems.
the Nebraska base with aerodynamically match the

Justin Ward

www.Key.Aero #383 February 2020 // 17

06/01/2020 14:22:34
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16-18 NAmericaNews AFM Feb2020.indd 17 06/01/2020 14:22:34