C-5 shop trimming flow days, taking on extra workload

Published April 2, 2004

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- C-5 production branch experts here cutting 43 days off the cargo giant's A and B model programmed depot maintenance time is earning them extra work which puts more aircraft back in the fight quicker.

The new workload includes depainting seven of the 18 aircraft currently scheduled for PDM, torque deck replacement, crash damage aircraft repair and other unscheduled depot level maintenance.

Robins' cutting the PDM flow days allows production branch maintainers to do the additional work without taking the aircraft of service additional time - a bonus for Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force, according to Larry Hess, AFMC Logistics Group process analysis division analyst.

"It benefits AFMC because we're always looking for ways to cut flow days so we can get aircraft back to the warfighter in less time because there aren't that many in the fleet to start with," Mr. Hess said, emphasizing that nearly half the fleet was tied up in PDM at Robins at one point in time.

He said how the Robins maintainers are working now is "keeping more aircraft in service and putting a better quality aircraft back into the warfighter's hands."

According to Henry Ware, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center supervisor industrial production specialist, the added workload is a vote of confidence in the ALC crews' work.

"It shows the world that we can do even more work than what we're scheduled for," Mr. Ware said. "And it benefits AFMC because they know they can bring the aircraft in here and the work will be done right the first time and on time - it's cheaper."

At the end of fiscal 2003 it took 269 days, on average, to put a C-5 through the top-to-bottom programmed depot maintenance regiment. But thanks to production branch experts implementing Lean initiatives, C-5 PDM now takes 226 days and that number is falling steadily, said Col. George Ireland, production branch chief.

He said the goal is to reach 180 days for B models and 220 days for A models by fiscal 2005. Of the 18 aircraft branch experts are scheduled to complete PDM on this year, seven have been completed and delivered on or ahead of schedule.

Colonel Ireland and Steve Tomblin, production branch deputy chief, have been briefing the work force on the C-5's status, the successes and the new workload they're receiving due to the cut in flow days.

"We're here to thank you for the tremendous job you're doing day to day," the colonel said. "It's been a tremendous effort getting those seven aircraft back to the war fighter."

He congratulated the team for the "23 in '03" success of last year and told them the goal for this year is "18 and more in '04."

Mr. Tomblin shared with the workers the successful single fly and buy of one aircraft and the customer comments received following another aircraft's return to Stewart Air National Guard Base home station in only 219 days. The inspection supervisor's comment was, "The best I've seen. Great product!"

The colonel told those attending the briefing that currently Air Mobility Command - their No. 1 customer - is in the middle of the largest air mobility effort since World War II.

Mr. Tomblin informed the group that a total of five C-5 aircraft were returned to AMC during February to help the air mobility effort, including a battle-damaged aircraft worked by a team of C-5 production, 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron, and Strategic Airlift Directorate engineering personnel.

He and the colonel encouraged the workers to continue in their efforts in cutting PDM flow days, their efforts to Lean out the branch's processes, quality improvement, and foreign object damage control.

(Courtesy Air Force Materiel Command News Service)