Photo By Capt. Kayla Edwards | Airmen from the 189th Maintenance Group offer a final salute to the first C-130H AMP...... read more read more
All of the C-130H AMP planes have all been cleared for retirement to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, often called The Boneyard, where they will be properly prepared and treated for storage. The first C-130H AMP to make the journey to the base in Tuscon, Arizona was prepared for flight in a short five weeks after not having received any routine maintenance since 2014.
“After the AMP program was placed on hold in 2012, our qualified maintainers were keeping the planes in a flyable status,” said Col. Christopher Montanaro, 189th Airlift Wing vice commander.
Montanaro explained that in 2014, the wing suspended maintenance on the AMP aircraft while awaiting further guidance from Air Mobility Command about the direction of the program and continuing maintenance expectations.
Getting the first C-130H AMP ready for flight was no easy feat, explained Senior Master Sergeant John Adderholt, the chief inspector for the 189th Maintenance Group.
“Boeing trained and qualified a group of our maintainers on how to maintain the AMP aircraft; however, it has been several years since that initial training and many of those who were qualified are no longer qualified,” Adderholt explained. As a result, only a small group of airmen were able to work on the plane to prepare it for flight again.
The C-130 Avionics Modernization Program was initially adapted to standardize the avionics configuration on the aircraft to make the flight deck compliant with civil aviation requirements. The 189th was set to be the AMP schoolhouse to train pilots, flight engineers, loadmasters and maintainers on the unique configuration until the program was halted.
Colonel Montanaro, who served as the 189th Aircraft Maintenance squadron commander when the first C-130H AMP made its debut in the 189th, admitted that the end of the AMP era was bittersweet for the wing.
“The first word that comes to mind is relief. Our receiving the green light to prepare these planes for flight to AMARG was a signal that we are moving on with the next phase of our mission. It was a solid decision to move these aircraft to a more suitable climate for storage for the government to perhaps utilize them for future missions or purposes,” he said.
Montanaro stated that the goal was for the remaining four aircraft to depart the 189th by the end of the calendar year.
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2017 13:57 |
| Story ID: | 234264 |
| Location: | LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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