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thedrifter
09-04-04, 06:12 AM
Power Line proves worthy down under
Submitted by: MCAS Iwakuni
Story Identification #: 200492234232
Story by Cpl. Dave Boni



ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE TINDAL, Australia (Sept. 3, 2004) -- Like a pit crew for a NASCAR racing team, power line Marines of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 keep their speedster, the F/A-18 Hornet, in top performing condition.

The Marines, currently deployed here for Southern Frontier, may not get the plane back on the runway in under 60 seconds, but their performance is just as efficient.

“Our job is to make sure the aircraft are operational and the pilots are ready to fly,” said Pfc. Ronnie Keetch, VMFA-212, power plants and related systems mechanic. “We handle the engines, fuel systems, taxiing of the aircraft and changing of the tires.”

This type of authority is not given to a power-line Marine fresh out military occupational school, but one who has proven his knowledge and capabilities.

“I am a plane captain, and with that job title I am given the authority to do the final checks on jets,” said Lance Cpl. Josh Parson, VMFA-212. “Only the commanding officer of the squadron can appoint plane captains, and this is after we pass a board to prove our knowledge of the aircraft.”

Parson said it usually takes a Marine about three to six months with the squadron to get qualified as a plane captain. After a Marine becomes a plane captain he is responsible for the safety of the pilots and the aircraft.

“I think the plane captain - officer relationship is better than any other enlisted officer relationship,” said Parson, a Baltimore, Md., native. “We are the people who relay information to them on the status of their aircraft and they trust us on whether or not their plane is good to go.”

For VMFA(AW)-533 pilot Capt. Sean Elward, the relationship between the plane captain and pilot is strictly built on trust.

“They are responsible for the overall integrity of the aircraft. They hand the planes over to us when they are safe to fly and we put our trust into them and their judgment,” said Elward.

To make these vital assessments on the status of the jets, Parson and the rest of the power line Marines perform detailed inspections on the planes daily, as well as before and after each flight.

“We are the planes pit crews. It’s our job to make sure they are capable of performing to their limit, just like a NASCAR race car,” said Parson.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200492234454/$file/powerlr.jpg

Sgt. David Morrow, a power line Marine with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533, signals to the pilot of an F/A-18 Hornet ensuring the jet is in good condition to depart the flight line, Aug. 19, during Exercise Southern Frontier. Photo by: Cpl. Dave Boni

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/063C825E562266E985256F0400145FF0?opendocument


Ellie