Hydraulics Airmen keep B-52 in pneu condition

by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Raughton
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

2/20/2014 - Barksdale Air Force Base, La. -- The B-52H Stratofortress is a massive 185,000 pound aircraft, and each moving part is crucial to accomplishing the mission.

The 2nd Maintenance Squadron Pneudraulics Flight makes sure all hydraulic components and moving parts on the B-52 operate smoothly.

"The hydraulics backshop gets the [aircraft] parts directly from the jet, tear them down and get the parts back out within a 10-day time period," said Airman 1st Class Andrew Browning, 2nd MXS hydraulics systems journeyman. "We'll have it back in supply so that when the next part breaks or stops working, the one we assembled can be put right back on the jet."

The Airmen who work on these brake assemblies, actuators, landing gear and other hydraulic parts wouldn't be able to do their job efficiently without tools: some ordinary and some specialized.

"Our most common tools are the same as any mechanic would use, like wrenches and pliers," said Staff Sgt. Daniel Fenimore, 2nd MXS Hydraulics systems craftsman, "But there are a handful of special tools we use like a parts washer that pressurizes everything and gets the grease off."

The Airmen even get to use the hydraulic test stand: a machine that tests hydraulic parts in a simulated environment.

"It has air, nitrogen and hydraulic [fluid]," Fenimore said. "With this, we can change the temperature of the fluid itself, if we need to, and basically simulate the aircraft with all of our parts. We put them through more stressful conditions than it would be on the jet so we can guarantee their serviceability."

Working with tools and fluids creates risk, so the hydraulics Airmen protect themselves accordingly.

"Safety glasses are common here and hearing protection is very important," Fenimore said. "Since we work with hydraulics, you have to watch out for hydraulic fluid, which is a bio-environmental hazard. For that we have rubber aprons, gloves and goggles."

Hydraulics Airmen also require specialized training in order to maintain the intricate moving aircraft parts. The Airmen begin their journey in hydraulics education with a 10-week technical school at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. After arriving at their first duty station, hydraulics Airmen receive on-the-job training on aircraft parts.

However, training can be prolonged depending on what parts come into the backshop.

"It's not every day we receive every part off the jet, so sometimes it may take a few months to see a particular part, accumulator or control valve," Fenimore said.

One shift may disassemble and inspect a part, and the next shift may reassemble and test the part, he said.

By supporting phase Airmen and aircrew, the 2nd MXS pneudraulics flight keep all the parts moving.