Public Affairs, Volume 63, Number 49
Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base California www.edwards.af.mil - www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
June 24, 2016
Engineers, technicians support KC-46 tests here By Christopher Ball 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
Joe Beachboard, a model maker with the 412th Maintenance Squadron Instrumentation Division, creates a portion of the flight test engeneer workstation for the KC-46 Pegasus. (U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Ball)
Refueling qualification tests with the Boeing 767-2C (EMD-1), also known as the KC-46 Pegasus, are going on over 1,000 miles away in the Pacific Northwest, with Edwards Air Force Base supporting with chase aircraft. Meanwhile, team Edwards has been working feverishly here to provide testing support on the ground and the air. One aspect is the engineering and development of modifications to Edwards Aircraft to support tanker testing and qualification. During this phase, the Air Refueling Certification (ARC), Team Edwards’ job is to certify aircraft to fly and receive fuel from the KC-46, according to Rosie Feord, 412th Test Engineering Division modification manager for the KC-46 program. A number of aircraft here have been modified with fuel pressure sensors and a
recording device called a BOD-10 (Battery Operated Data acquisition system) to record fuel flow and pressure during refueling operations. The data from these aircraft will support Air Refueling Certification (ARC), the ability of KC-10 to deliver fuel to a variety of aircraft, and also to receive fuel from other tankers. To accomplish this a number of aircraft, more than 13 different types, will be fitted with the BOD-10 modification, including F-15s and A-10s at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The battery-powered unit was chosen because installation is easier and less expensive. The alternative would be building an installing a unit that ran off the aircraft internal power. “We would have to tap into the aircraft
See Tanker, Page 3
Innovative team creates mobile, reconfigurable cockpit By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs There’s an old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” In flight test, needs are everywhere; parts, scheduling, the need for maintainers, for computers, the need for spectrum to transmit data, etc. The 412th Test Wing is also voicing the need for innovation to improve the way things are done, not only now but for the future. At the 772nd Test Squadron a need was identified, and through some ingenuity and resourcefulness, the Portable Manned Interactive Cockpit was conceived. The PMIC was designed and is being built by a team at the 772nd TS’s Integrated Facility for Avionics Systems Test. “We’re all software developers and we wanted a cockpit that we could use for development that wasn’t being used by the [combined test force],” said Orion Westfall, 772nd TS. “We wanted an F-35 cockpit, something small we can do development on.” Westfall said getting time with the actual state-of-the-art simulators at the IFAST to do software development can be difficult given how often they’re used. “We have big full dome simulators, but those rooms are used all the time and we cannot get in there and do any work while a mission is going. We’ll schedule the rooms to do work, and if the CTF decides they want to fly a mission that day, then we have to reschedule. It’s kind of important for them to fly, and we we’re getting rescheduled a lot.” The team pieced together a cockpit with a stick and throttle, and then
See innovation, Page 3
The Portable Manned Interactive Cockpit being built by members of the 772nd Test Squadron should be completed next month. The innovation team from the 772nd TS are (back left to right) Curtis Westfall, Victor Cruz, Gary Johnson, Kevin Dolber and Orion Westfall (seated). (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenji Thuloweit)
http://issuu.com/desertwings/docs/current
2
June 24, 2016
Desert Wings
www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
www.edwards.af.mil
AADD seeks volunteers for July By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
PA rolls out new channel for Edwards alerts
The 412th Test Wing Public Affairs team is rolling out a new SMS text messaging channel to receive alerts for Edwards AFB. Base employees, family members, local community residents, and friends of Edwards can stay informed on timely "non-emergency" related base information (i.e., gate closures, detours, etc.). To start receiving Edwards Alerts text messages on your phone, text "Follow EAFBAlerts" to 40404. Disclaimer. This service is powered by Twitter, but you do not need a Twitter account to receive updates. Additionally, the use of this service is strictly voluntary on the part of each individual user. Use of this service does not constitute endorsement by the United States Air Force or the Department of Defense of Twitter or its services. This alert service is provided as a public service by Edwards AFB Public Affairs office."
Edwards cares about the safety of its Airmen both on and off duty. The Airman Against Drunk Driving program reduces drunk driving at Edwards AFB and in surrounding communities by offering people a safe, free and anonymous alternative. AADD is currently seeking volunteers for the month of July. Volunteering is blocked off into week-long increments starting on a Monday and ending on the following Sunday. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can contact Senior Airman Jessie Ralls at jessie.ralls@us.af.mil; or call 661-277-2162. Safe rides are offered to both military and DOD civilians. Individuals can call 661-277-AADD or 661-275-AADD to request a ride 24 hours/seven days a week. Individuals will not have to provide name, organization or rank; it is completely anonymous. Areas serviced include Edwards, Rosamond, Lancaster, Palmdale, California City, Tehachapi, Mojave and North Edwards. Volunteer drivers must provide a good contact number, area(s) they are willing to respond to, and the name of the city in which they live. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. If you need a ride call 661-277-AADD (2233).
Residents urged to handle fireworks safely, legally “Safe and Sane� can still cause pain By Timothy Johnson Edwards Fire Department Fireworks are synonymous with Independence Day. Yet, the thrill of fireworks can also bring pain. Two hundred people on average go the emergency room every day with firework-related injuries around the July 4th holiday. In California only the "Safe and Sane" type fireworks are legal for use however, even these fireworks are not legal for use in every city. The general rule is if you can buy the fireworks, they are legal for use in the city where you bought them. Anyone planning to buy fireworks in one city and use them in another city should check with the fire department where they intend to use the fireworks to make sure they are legal in that city. An example of this is "Safe and Sane" fireworks that are legal to buy and use in Palmdale, might be illegal in Lancaster. Please remember "Safe and Sane" fireworks are still dangerous. Statistics show that, nationwide, this type of fireworks was responsible for more injuries than any other type. This is believed to be because the title "Safe and Sane" gives many people the idea that they cannot hurt you. Nothing could be further from the truth. Fireworks can be dangerous causing serious burns and eye injuries. People
U.S. Air Force photo by Jet Fabara
should follow these simple safety tips for off base and remembering that fireworks are prohibited on Edwards unless approved by the base commander, Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper, they are only for professional
displays Always have an adult supervise fireworks. Parents may not realize that young children can suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees -- hot enough to melt some metals. Never place any part of your body directly over fireworks when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks. Never turn your back on a lit firework Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully. Never point or throw fireworks at another person. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap. Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers. After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them. Fireworks are not authorized on base property except for the authorized professional show. For more information about fireworks safety call the Edwards AFB Fire Prevention office at 661-277-3643. For questions about fireworks laws and safety off base, contact your local fire department or visit http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/.
June 24, 2016
Desert Wings
www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
www.edwards.af.mil
3
New commander takes reins at 412 MDOS Col. Karen Cox-Dean (left), 412th Medical Group commander, presided over a change of command ceremony in which Lt. Col. Catherine Callender succeeded Lt. Col. Corey Munro as the 412th Medical Operations Squadron commander June 13, 2016 at Club Muroc. The 412th MDOS oversees numerous departments including Bioenvironmental Services, the dental clinic, Flight Medicine, Family Practice, Immunizations, Mental Health, Public Health and the Optometry Clinic. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ethan Wagner)
Innovation, from Page 1 monitors and computers gathered from around the IFAST. The makeshift cockpit fits their desired needs and turned out to be quite the success for the developers’ purposes. However, it wasn’t very mobile. “It’s wide and doesn’t fit through all the doors. So, we decided on this second iteration we would make sure it can go on elevators and go through small doorways,” With the success of the first cockpit, the 412th TW granted the 772nd TS funds, which the wing set aside for innovation projects. The new PMIC has a built-in seat that vibrates to simulate a real cockpit, and built-in stick and throttle. The stick can be swapped out depending on the type of plane. The sim computers are installed in travel boxes for easier transport. “One thing about the new PMIC is it can be converted into even a tank or a car if that need ever arose,” said Gary Johnson, 772nd TS. “It has the Playstation seat, which has the capability of a having a center console that can support a steering wheel along with a center stick depending on the aircraft.” The PMIC team plan to use it with other simulators where it can join in on missions and also be used for pilot training. Another benefit is the flexibility of the PMIC to be configured to almost any aircraft type on Edwards. Regular simulators are only dedicated to one aircraft. The squadron also plans to take it out into the community for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics events. The PMIC is expected to be completed and ready to use some time next month.
Tanker, from Page 1 electrical system.” This means we’d have to take the airplane apart and run a bunch of wiring,” Feord said. The battery powered system was designed and built by engineers from the 412th TENG, and model makers and instrumentation technicians in the 412th Maintenance Group’s Instrumentation Squadron. In addition to the BOD-10s, work is now underway to build flight test engineer workstations, which will be installed in the KC-46 and collect data for ARC. According to Feord, these are the most important piece of the puzzle. “Without these, ARC can’t happen,” she said. Greg Didoha, lead engineer for the workstations, has been working on the design since February of 2015. “The design of the workstation was part of a requirement that we could get a plane out here, put our stuff on really quick, plug into the airplane and go fly test points,” he said. “When they’re all done we pull of our pallet and the plane goes away.” Didoha’s design for the workstations started with basic ergonomic requirements. He then had to build in the specific requirements of the flight test engineers. Finally, he had to figure out how to get the station on board the aircraft without breaking anything. The engineer also designed the workstations with the future in mind. “I decided to look at the design as generic, since we have other cargo planes. So it’s something we could put in any one of them,” he said. “It may have initially complicated the design, but over time it will help.” According to Didoha, the workstation is basically modular. It is outfitted with equipment specifically for the KC-46, but could be tailored to other projects without any permanent modification to the structure. “We can reconfigure it however we want to. If a plane can hold a pallet we can probably slide this on, reconfigure it and go,” he said. The effort to support the KC-46 program has been tremendous -- the project is using more than half the resources of the (Modification Branch) according to Feord. “We brought on six additional engineers to augment the staff. This is the number one priority project at Edwards Air Force Base,” she said. “We will do what needs to be done.”
Rafiq Viray, a model maker with the 412th Maintenance Squadron Instrumentation Division, threads mount holes in a part of the flight test engineer workstation for the K-C-46 Pegasus. The workstation was designed in modules for ease of construction, maintenance and installation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Ball)
4
Desert Wings
June 24, 2016
www.edwards.af.mil
www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
Edwards Air Force Base annual
Summer Bash July 4, 4:30 to 10 p.m.
Wings Field and Roberts Field Live Music • Water Fun • Carnival Rides Free kids water bottle while supplies last!
Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.!
This week in Edwards Flight Test History On June 29, 1951 the X-5 made its maiden flight, piloted by Bell test pilot Jean E. "Skip" Ziegler. The plane remained in the air for 30 minutes. (Edwards History Office file photo)
Parking lots being repaired An upcoming pavement project will repair the parking lot for the golf course, the parking lot for Building 5601 (Lodging), and Crossfield Road. The project will will last for approximately three weeks. The golf course will remain open but parking will be reduced by half. The parking lot for Building 5601 will be closed, alternate parking will be provided behind the building.
Commander’s Action Line email: speak2cc@edwards.af.mil
Follow us online at: www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
www.instagram.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
www.twitter.com/EdwardsAFB
Editorial Staff Commander, 412th TW ................................ Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer Installation Support Director, 412th TW.................... Dr. David Smith Command Chief, 412th TW ........... Chief Master Sgt. Todd Simmons Director, 412th TW, Public Affairs ................................... Ed Buclatin Editor ......................................................................... Christopher Ball Staff Writer ................................................................ Kenji Thuloweit Contributor ................................................................. Dawn Waldman
www.youtube.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
To submit articles or upcoming events send an email to newsroom@edwards.af.mil My Military Community
Produced by Public Affairs Graphics