Reserve wing cuts ribbon on $4 million aircraft hangar

by 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

1/22/2015 -  PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 920th Rescue Wing held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 12  to mark the completion of an addition/renovation project on Hangar 630 - the wing's fixed-wing aircraft isochronal inspection hangar.

The primary incentive for the project was to expand the structure by roughly 10,000 square feet (from the building's original 17,000), in order to fully enclose the wing's HC-130P/N King refueling aircraft.

Prior to the renovation, Hangar 630 was a "nose dock" - large enough to accommodate all but the tail of the C-130 airframe upon which the wing's HC-130 is built.

The ability to fit the aircraft completely inside the hangar and close the doors allows wing maintainers to proceed with aircraft maintenance operations during all types of weather conditions, as well as to reduce corrosion problems for the aircraft caused by the salt air environment.

In addition to the expansion, repairs were made to the existing building's exterior, the existing interior was painted, and repairs were made to the existing fire protection system. Improvements included installation of 100,000 gallon water tank to supply fire-protection system, installation of a 30,000-gallon underground containment tank for firefighting foam (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam), installation of a bridge crane, replacing high-bay light fixtures, installation of fire protection and alarm systems, renovations to existing fire pumps, coating and painting the hangar floor and other general architectural work (kitchens, offices and break rooms).

Some of the equipment required to fully outfit the hangar as an isochronal inspection dock included maintenance platforms ($1.5 million), an Omni Arm landing gear removal and replacement tool ($70,000), and heavy duty tool boxes designed to house the array of tools required to perform ISO inspections ($50,000).

An Air Force ISO inspection is a thorough examination of an entire aircraft, during which aircraft maintainers look for and repair problems in every system--from nose to tail and wingtip to wingtip.

The 920th performs combat search and rescue as its primary mission, which includes rescuing servicemembers trapped and or wounded behind enemy lines.

Additionally, the wing is responsible for civil search and rescue, humanitarian relief and support of rocket launches. To date, the unit has saved more than 4,000 lives, both in peacetime and combat.