E-tools gives support personnel access to digital data Published Aug. 6, 2009 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- For decades, whenever an aircraft mechanic at Robins needed a technical drawing, technical order or any other document related to a repair, he had to traipse over to a warehouse, locate the drawing and return to the aircraft. That process would typically be completed many times over the course of work on a single plane, said Bruce Joiner, chief of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Technical Data Home Office. But that's all about to change. Starting this week the base is beginning extensive deployment of e-tools. It's a major Air Force initiative to give mechanics and other aircraft support personnel mobile computers, including laptops and handhelds, so that they can instantly access data in digital format that they previously would have to locate in paper form. Mr. Joiner said it should significantly speed up work done at Robins. The e-tools deployment includes the first validation aircraft for High Velocity Maintenance, which is a major shift in the way maintenance is performed with the aim of reducing downtime. Work on the HVM plane, a C-130, began Monday. "Now that we have digital data, those guys should have everything they need on that laptop to do their job," Mr. Joiner said. The initiative actually dates back to 1995, when the Air Force first began an effort to digitize all technical documents. Since that time, Mr. Joiner said, workers at Robins have been doing just that. As a result, what had been a 120,000 square-foot warehouse at Robins to store those documents is now occupied by administrative offices. Furthermore, the information can now be instantly sent to customers around the world, including troops in the field. The previous method had been to mail the documents, Mr. Joiner said, which could take weeks. Tim Reynolds, the technical project lead for e-tools deployment, said that over the next two months, 292 laptops will be distributed throughout the flightline and into back shops. Mechanics will not be individually assigned the computers; they will be shared among each shift. Within three years, however, Mr. Reynolds expects 2,500 laptops will be deployed to maintainers as a part of the e-tools initiative. Mr. Joiner said the laptops are rugged and meant to withstand most abuse that would come from aircraft work. He said he can foresee a day when mechanics will be able to find technical drawings in the computers, and then click on a part in those drawings, and have that part instantly ordered rather than having to fill out paperwork. Another advantage, he said, is that when troops deploy, they will not have to haul hundreds of pounds worth of technical manuals with them. "It's a major technological shift in the way we do business," Mr. Joiner said.