ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- While their responsibilities are many, an excerpt from the National Museum of the United States Air Force webpage on Enlisted Maintainers succinctly illustrates the importance of Air Force crew chiefs.
“In the air, an aircraft belongs to its pilot,” the entry states, “but on the ground it belongs to its crew chief.”
Air Force crew chiefs oversee the complete care of their assigned plane. Crew chiefs inspect, service and maintain aircraft while coordinating any specialized repairs necessary to ensure it is safe for flight. They know the ins and outs of their machines.
At Arnold Air Force Base, headquarters of Arnold Engineering Development Complex, the crew chief notion was recently applied to several test facilities across the installation with the implementation of the Test Cell Crew Chief pilot program.
Much in the way an aircraft crew chief is responsible for a plane between flights, each test cell crew chief at Arnold is responsible for their respective test cell, serving as a single point of accountability for operational readiness, safety and performance in the facility.
“The concept is to get engagement and ownership,” said Shannon Tibbals, Flight Branch manager for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Test Operations and Sustainment contractor. “Every Air Force aircraft has a pilot name and then a crew chief name on it. Nothing happens to that aircraft without the crew chief knowing it, and that was the concept we wanted to deploy in the test cells is, ‘Hey, you’ve got one single point of contact knowing everything that’s going on with that test cell.’
“Test managers, government asset managers, they can go to this person and ask questions, and this person would know the status of that test cell.”
The test cells that are part of the pilot program and the crew chiefs assigned to them are:
- 4-foot transonic wind tunnel – Ken Ligon
- C-2 engine test cell – Chris LaGrange
- Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit – Josh Smith
- Space Threat Assessment Testbed – Malik Crutchfield
Tibbals said those selected already possess considerable experience in and a deep understanding of the cells in their charge.
“We selected the facilities and the candidates because they were kind of already operating in that capacity,” she said. “We did that because they’re kind of already doing it, but ‘OK, let’s just refine what you’re doing and give you more definition on what we would like to see.’ And it wouldn’t cause any consternation among the people they’re working with, like a ‘why did he get it and not me’ kind of thing. They were already acting in that capacity. It really is kind of being that single point of contact for everyone to go to ask questions about the facility, its capabilities, potential maintenance items, those sorts of things.”
Projected benefits of the program include improved safety, efficiency and test cell health.
AEDC test cells and test assets already have engineer or technician responsibility, but those involved feel the crew chief will augment these efforts. Like an Air Force crew chief, a test cell crew chief is expected to take “ownership” of their respective cell, assuring attention to detail throughout all aspects of facility operations and maintenance.
Test cell crew chiefs will partner with the Air Force asset managers in their respective facilities to optimize maintenance programs, document and implement corrective actions, and propose facility improvements.
Each chief will also work with test operations engineers, plant operations engineers and government test managers to ensure their cell can meet necessary test conditions.
Among other key responsibilities, test cell crew chiefs must maintain a comprehensive understanding of the cell’s design, capabilities and limitations. Along with test planning and preparation, they will also be involved in test execution. This includes monitoring test progress and identifying any potential issues or deviations, as well as assisting operations and systems engineers with troubleshooting.
Following test runs, crew chiefs will ensure any issues are documented. They will also make note of lessons learned during each test.
Between test runs, crew chiefs will work to identify and recommend updates to work instructions as needed. They will also work with system engineers to ensure records and documentation are accurate and properly maintained.
A significant component of the Test Cell Crew Chief program is test cell housekeeping and foreign object damage prevention. Crew chiefs are to conduct regular inspections to ensure cells are clean, organized and free of clutter. They will also implement and enforce FOD prevention programs.
Another facet of the program is continuous improvement. The crew chiefs are to note opportunities to improve test cell operations, safety and efficiency while implementing process improvements. They will maintain a list of facility improvements and upgrades, as well as spare parts needed. Chiefs will also act as a technical liaison for investment projects impacting their facility.
The crew chiefs will also contribute to the development of new test procedures and capabilities.
According to 804th Test Support Squadron Director Dustin Boss, the Test Cell Crew Chief program will underscore the importance of collaboration between Air Force and contractor personnel in keeping Arnold test cells ready and operational.
The 804 TSS asset managers are responsible for the maintenance and sustainment of AEDC test facilities.
“The program will highlight the partnership between the Air Force and contractor that is inherent to delivering operational facilities utilized at AEDC every day,” Boss said.
Tibbals said regular check-ins with the crew chiefs will be conducted, and the chiefs will have opportunities to periodically meet among themselves to share improvements and best practices they have implemented in their respective cells.
“They can benefit from each other’s experiences,” she said.
The Test Cell Crew Chief pilot program was implemented by the AEDC TOS contractor and was a key offering in its contract acquisition proposal.
“We believe this program will provide an increased sense of ownership and pride in our world-class cells and assets and impress on the entire team our need to maintain the utmost stewardship of them,” Jim Jolliffe, general manager of the AEDC TOS contractor, previously stated.
Prior to implementation, the pilot program pitch was presented to AEDC leadership at the test group level, affected test squadron commanders and asset managers. Tibbals said the proposal was met with support across the board.
“It’s been very positive,” Tibbals said. “Everyone’s kind of excited to see how this goes.”
Should the Test Cell Crew Chief pilot program prove successful, there exists the potential to extend the crew chief initiative to test facilities across Arnold and to installation assets and facilities that support the AEDC test mission, such as the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility Plenum Evacuation System and the motors that drive wind tunnels.
“I think the vision for it right now is we really get the process and roles set and everybody’s buy-in with this small subset of test cells, and then we would expand it out to probably all of the test cells on base,” Tibbals said. “Then, there is the potential to also kind of have a crew chief for plant facilities.”