The aircraft maintenance professional's source for technological advancements, maintenance alerts, news, articles, events, and careers
Issue link: http://amt.epubxp.com/i/942786
ROTORCR AFT 30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY Technology helps. The 128th Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Langley-Eustis is teaching military operation specialty (MOS) 15B engine maintainers via virtual means. "We teach them virtually how to tear an engine apart: the cold section, the hot section, the gas generating section, and how to remove an accessory module," says Chambers. "We do it virtually first. We can 'explode' the engine visually and talk about all the parts and components. It's so much more efficient than going out and trying to do this on a real engine." The virtual exposure complete, "We take them out on the [hangar] floor and we teach the real task of (for example) removing the cold section of a T701 engine." Virtual training is a key component in the new AMTP, avoiding as much as possible the practice of taking a fully mission-capable aircraft out of service and employing it to train people. The virtual approach is important, but there's more to it than that. The mastery of Individual Critical Task List (ICTL) is even more important. TASK MASTERS Every military operational specialty has specific ICTL. The shorthand for Blackhawk Mechanic in the Army is 15 Tango (15T). A 15T soldier must be proficient in a full 91 ICTL. One is removing and reinstalling the main rotor blade. A couple of other more extensive critical tasks are removing and reinstall- ing the inboard retention plate on the tail rotor gearbox and removing and reinstalling the main transmission on the Black Hawk. Along with mastery of mainline items like these comes a multitude of supporting tasks. AIT (advanced individual training) of the type dispensed by instructors at the 128th Aviation Brigade is only the starting point of the learning experience. "How fast [the soldier] learns those tasks and becomes proficient in them is going to vary from soldier to soldier," says Chambers. "We're not going to put a time ARTISANS AT the Corpus Christi Army Depot drill out the skin in the nose cockpit and lower transition end areas of a UH60 Black Hawk; once removed a new piece of skin is installed. PHOTO BY DELLA ADAME