News

Center gains new Coast Guard missions

  • Published
  • By Jenny Gordon
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
A new aircraft customer has arrived at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.

The first of six C-130s from the U.S. Coast Guard is here for center wing box replacement and programmed depot maintenance. This is exciting news for the Robins mission and its vision of being a world-class center of acquisition and sustainment excellence.

"It is certainly exciting to witness the fruition of the horizontal integration of the entire aircraft maintenance team, which spans across the Center and its mission partners" said Col. Evan Miller, 402nd Maintenance Wing commander. "The entire team has made vast improvements over the past year, and this workload is a testament to the customer confidence that is earning Robins a reputation for sustainment excellence across the Department of Defense."

The Coast Guard had originally requested only center wing box replacement, but later contacted Robins to add programmed depot maintenance in conjunction with the center wing replacement, according to Denise Bryant, Workload and Analysis chief.

The first HC-130 arrived Oct. 15, 2011 and went in for service Oct. 26.

In fiscal 2013, two aircraft will arrive - one in November 2012 and one in September 2013. Three additional planes have been requested for induction in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The current plane has been on station for just over 140 days, and is scheduled to depart in September after being here a total of 330 days. Predicted maintenance would have included more than 40 thousand hours.

The validation and verification airplane is currently undergoing center wing box replacement and PDM, as well as additional Coast Guard-specific inspections with follow on repairs.

"What makes this C-130 center wing box work unique are the electrical modifications to its fuel quantity systems and navigation equipment," said Scott Latimer, 560th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Center Wing Box Replacement deputy flight chief. "Periodic PDM repairs for the aircraft on station include the replacement of all the plane's landing gears, flight control cables and engine cables, total wheel well refurbishment, and corrosion preventative measures."

Once final work is completed this fall, maintainers will have an idea of what to expect once the next plane arrives.