Features

NDI Airmen get up close, personal with Ramstein aircraft

Photos by Airman 1st Class Taylor Slater
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
February 19, 2021
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, examines a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft tail at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 4. NDI Airmen inspect various sections of aircraft for cracks and deficiencies.

 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, poses for a photo at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 5. NDI Airmen use various inspections to detect flaws in aircrafts, including ultrasonic, eddy current, magnetic particle, and fluorescent penetrant inspections.

 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, inspects the tail of a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 4. Fluorescent penetrant inspections use fluorescent to detect cracks in the interior of the aircraft that would normally be too dark to see.

 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, prepares an eddy current ribbon probe for inspection at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 5. Eddy current ribbon probes use unique images to signal when the probe has detected a crack or flaw in the aircraft.

 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, prepares an eddy current ribbon probe for inspection at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 5. NDI Airmen are able to inspect C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III and C-21 aircraft on Ramstein.

 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, inspects the interior of a C-130J Super Hercules tail at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 4. Nondestructive inspection is a safe way of detecting flaws in the aircraft without damaging the part being inspected.

 

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Pierce, 86th Maintenance Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of nondestructive inspections, scans the interior of a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 5. NDI Airmen are part of the fabrication flight in the 86th MXS along with the aircraft metals technology and aircraft structural maintenance sections.
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