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Tyndall aircraft achieve higher capability levels

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Veronica McMahon
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Two of Tyndall Air Force Base's jet fleets recently exceeded maintenance and training standards.

The F-22 Raptor has exceeded mission capability rates for the first time in more than four years, while the F-15 Eagle has reached its operational target for the first time since its stand-down more than five months ago.

Members of the 325th Operations and Maintenance Group have been working around the clock to ensure the fighter jets are mechanically and operationally primed to complete Tyndall Air Force Base's mission: providing world-class training to guarantee air dominance.

In March, the F-22 Raptor mission capable rates reached a record high since the aircraft's arrival in September 2003. The F-22's MC rate of 65.4 exceeded the goal of 65 for fiscal 2008.  That rate is the best fiscal year performance in Tyndall's F-22 history. 

Mission capability rates measure the degree of aircraft availability for mission effectiveness, according to Robert Taylor, Maintenance Operations Squadron Maintenance Analysis chief. He said it is the best known yardstick for measuring a unit's performance and is the ultimate indicator of fleet health and maintenance productivity. 

The higher the F-22's MC rate, the higher the aircraft availability and the more training hours can be attained.  

"This is truly a remarkable feat," Mr. Taylor said. "(It) is a true testament to the Raptor maintainers' dedication in fixing hard breaks, quality maintenance, and strategic, logical scheduling to offset aircraft availability issues in meeting daily mission flying requirements."

"It's a team effort," said Senior Master Sgt. Donald Richardson, F-22 lead production superintendent for the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit. "It's the production superintendents, expediters, technicians, engineers, Tyndall contractors and the modification team working with operations."

Tyndall Airmen have worked to not only exceed the MC rates with the F-22 Raptor, but have been hard at work supporting the F-15 Eagle.

"The F-15s are finally back to full speed, meeting training and flying goals," said Lt. Col. Warren Benjamin, 325th Operations Group deputy commander. "It shows how we as a team -- operations, maintenance, and support -- overcame a hurdle together to bring our fleet back to full speed in minimal time."

Colonel Benjamin said the maintenance group, from the commander to the Airmen, is responsible for this return.

"We have gotten outstanding support from our local Tyndall maintenance," said Colonel Benjamin. "They have done a phenomenal job, expeditiously and safely, bringing the fleet back to full speed. Now that we have all airplanes back, we are producing students again ... to send off into the combat Air Force."