Keeping an F-35 flying requires proficiency in over 700 tasks - meet the airmen who can do them all

Senior Airman Danielle Charmichael, US Air Force

Mar 9, 2020, 19:24 IST

Keeping an F-35 flying requires proficiency in over 700 tasks - meet the airmen who can do them all

To keep an F-35A Lightning II flying and fighting, an airman has to know how to do more than 700 tasks from six different Air Force job specialty areas.
The 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit is the first to be made up entirely of airmen who've learned those many varied tasks: Blended Operational Lightning Technicians.
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The knowledge and skills required to maintain the F-35A Lightning II from nose to tail spans six Air Force Specialty Codes and involves proficiency in over 700 tasks.

One group of airmen at the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah are capable of all of it.

The Lightning Technician Program trains airmen to be Blended Operational Lightning Technicians in two "tracks," mission systems and air vehicle specialties. Mission systems includes: avionics, armaments, and fuels. The air vehicle track, includes: low observable, egress, and crew chiefs.

Training on different types of maintenance begins immediately for the Blended Operational Lightning Technicians in the 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit. The unit is the first to be made up entirely of BOLT maintainers, and airmen need to learn maintenance tasks that are not part of their traditional job description.

According to Master Sgt. Michael Christopher, 421st AMU flight chief, the goal of the program is to expedite maintenance, so the F-35A Lightning II can spend more time in the air and less time in the hangar.

"The quicker we get our job done, the faster the jet gets in the air and takes care of what he needs to take care of," said Staff Sgt. Donnie Harris, a BOLT crew chief.

According to Staff Sgt. Devon Charmichael, BOLT low observable technician, the main difference between the 421st AMU and other maintenance units is how much emphasis is placed on training.

In a normal unit, an airman learns his or her craft in technical school and in upgrade training, until a craftsman level is reached and the airman is trusted to work unsupervised.

At BOLT, each flight reserves a week to train on new tasks and everyone from the newest airman to the most experienced non-commissioned officer hones their skills at maintaining the aircraft as a whole.

"They all learn each other's jobs and assist each other in different operations," says Christopher. "It's just guys and gals working together."

Avionics technicians, aircraft armament systems specialists, low observable technicians, aircrew egress systems technicians, crew chiefs, and fuels systems technicians all combine forces to teach each other their respective crafts.

There are two different training tracks.

One is mission systems, which includes: avionics, armaments, and fuels. The other is air vehicle, which includes: low observable, egress, and crew chiefs.

"When you first come in, it's overwhelming. You've got to step way out of your comfort zone," Harris said. "You're not just changing tires anymore, you're messing with navigation systems, radios — all kinds of stuff."

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