Crew chiefs — unsung heroes of the flightline
A pair of 309th Aircraft Maintenance Unit Airmen perform a preflight check April 18 here at Luke Air Force Base. The preflight checklist includes checking wing flaps, lights and radio.
Capt. Joe Walker, 309th FS assistant chief of weapons, prepares an F-16 for flight while Airman 1st Class Jordan King, 309th FS crew chief, performs final preflight checks. Preflight checks help prevent avoidable errors like foreign object debris during flight and ensure safety.
Airman 1st Class Erik Smith, 309th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons technician, resets gun-fire lead on the F-16 Viper. Smith is in charge of making sure the gun on the F-16 is effective and mission ready.
Senior Airman Steven Manwaring, 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron crew chief, prepares to marshal out an F-16 Viper. Crew chiefs are assigned to a specific jet and perform preflight checks as part of their duties.