Some Algerian Air Force members recently paid a visit to the 86th Maintenance Group at Ramstein AB, Germany, to see how the 86th maintains and repairs C-130 airlifters. Among differences they noted was the degree of specialization of USAF maintainers. For Algerian C-130s, they said, the same technician may work on engine hydraulics and electrical and environmental systems, while in the US Air Force those tasks are performed by different airmen. In turn, the 86th MG commander, Col. Robert E. Burnett, said his unit might benefit from more cross-specialization. One thing the Algerians said that “amazed” them: the youth and knowledge of the US airmen on the flight line.
B-21 Temporary Shelters Could Also Shelter B-2s
March 5, 2021
The Air Force's experimental runway shelter for the new B-21 bomber is large enough to cover it or the B-2, and therefore reveals no information about the dimensions of the new aircraft. Two such shelters will be evaluated, but the maker of the second version hasn't been chosen yet.