86 MXS helps wing fly

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Sheldrick Long, 86th Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion journeyman, polishes a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft part at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. Various parts of the aircraft must be removed during the inspections process to locate faulty parts within the aircraft. The 86th MXS works around the clock to make sure the base’s C-130J’s are maintained and ready to fly at all times.
The inside of a C-130J Super Hercules engine rests at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. The C-130J contains four Rolls-Royce turboprop engines.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Aron Cuff, 86th Maintenance Squadron aircraft inspection craftsman, scans a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft engine for discrepancies at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. The 86th MXS performs three levels of inspections before performing operational checks and releasing the aircraft back onto the flight line.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chandler Bitterman, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief, left, and Staff Sgt. Paul Michael, 86th Maintenance Squadron repair and reclamation craftsman, talk while working at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 5. Maintaining a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft requires the cooperation of various maintenance flights including engine, electrician, arrow repair, and wheel and tire flights.
A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft sits in a maintenance bay at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. The 86th Maintenance Squadron maintains all 14 of Ramstein’s C-130J Hercules aircrafts.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chandler Bitterman, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief, applies penetrating oil to the inside of a C-130J Hercules Super aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. Penetrating oil loosens up screws within the aircraft to help locate faulty parts.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Zachary Treadwell, left, and Airman 1st Class Samuel Nemargut, 86th Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance journeymen, read instructions at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. The instructions specifically list what aircraft part needs to be inspected for discrepancies and where it is located.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Ernesto Peralta-Carrion, 86th Maintenance Squadron aircraft inspection apprentice, scrapes sealant off a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 7. Sealant protects the wings of the planes from water and debris.