Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing and Privatization: A Bonanza or A Bust?

Study on Closed-Loop Quality of Aircraft Maintenance

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.713-715.2348 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 713-715 ◽

pp. 2348-2351

Author(s):

Feng Long Shi ◽

Jian Cui ◽

Wan Chun Gao ◽

Ping Fang

Keyword(s):

Air Force ◽

Closed Loop ◽

Aircraft Maintenance

Closed-loop management is a management idea and quality mode to deal with and prevent quality question. The paper researched Closed-loop quality of aircraft maintenance in Air Force Army Closed-loop work and aircraft maintenance domain, analyzed the question, kinds and means of aircraft maintenance Closed-loop quality. Finally, we give our answer based on reflected question of the Pilot.

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Cholinesterase Inhibition and Exposure to Organophosphate Esters in Aircraft Maintenance Workers

Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance ◽

10.3357/amhp.5439.2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 91 (9) ◽

pp. 710-714 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jennifer E. Hardos ◽

Mitch Rubenstein ◽

Sarah Pfahler ◽

Trevor Sleight

Keyword(s):

Air Force ◽

Tributyl Phosphate ◽

Limit Of Detection ◽

Air Sampling ◽

Engine Oil ◽

Cholinesterase Inhibition ◽

Aircraft Maintenance ◽

Sample Mean ◽

Organophosphate Esters ◽

Dermal Contact

INTRODUCTION: Aircraft maintenance workers may be exposed to organophosphates in hydraulic fluid and engine oil. Previous research has indicated that inhalation may not be the primary exposure route. This study sought to measure dermal contact and inhalation in conjunction with cholinesterase inhibition and determine if Air Force Specialty Code serves as an exposure predictor.METHODS: Aircraft maintenance workers were sampled for changes in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Dermal contact was measured using wrist-worn silicone passive dosimeters and inhalation exposure was measured using thermal desorption tube air sampling.RESULTS: Overall prevalence of any cholinesterase inhibition in the study population was 25.33%. Prevalence of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase was 18.67% and 6.67%, respectively. The mean tributyl phosphate result was 1.71 ng of tributyl phosphate per gram of wristband (ng g1) [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.63, 9.05]. Triphenyl phosphate was more prevalent, with only one sample below the limit of detection (mean 1386.26 ng g1; 95% CI: 7297.78, 10,070.31), and tricresyl phosphate was found in every sample (mean 4311.65 ng g1; 95% CI: 8890.24, 17,512.31). No organophosphates were detected via air sampling.DISCUSSION: Workers experienced organophosphate exposure and cholinesterase inhibition, but the study was not large enough to establish a statistically significant association between exposure and disease. Exposure to organophosphate esters is more likely to occur through contact and absorption of chemicals through the skin than through inhalation of oil mists. Air Force Specialty Code does not appear to be a good predictor of exposure to organophosphates. Future studies should consider using a larger sample size.Hardos JE, Rubenstein M, Pfahler S, Sleight T. Cholinesterase inhibition and exposure to organophosphate esters in aircraft maintenance workers. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(9):710714.

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Field Testing the AMIT Job Performance Aid: Methods, Results, and Implications for the Air Force Maintenance Community

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120705102101 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 51 (21) ◽

pp. 1449-1453

Author(s):

David E. Kancler ◽

Christopher C. Curtis ◽

Darryl S. Stimson ◽

Johnnie Jernigan

Keyword(s):

Cost Analysis ◽

Job Performance ◽

Air Force ◽

Field Testing ◽

Repair Time ◽

Aircraft Maintenance ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Experience Level ◽

Maintenance Technicians ◽

Force Maintenance

The Aircraft Maintenance Intuitive Troubleshooting (AMIT) project was a 3 year endeavor sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Logistics Readiness Branch. The project's goal was to develop a Job Performance Aid (JPA) that Air Force maintenance technicians could use at the aircraft, regardless of experience level, and realize improved technician performance. This paper describes the AMIT Field Demonstration Test (FDT) and subsequent Cost Analysis (CA). The FDT demonstrated that using the AMIT JPA could reduce repair times by 41 to 50 minutes. Also, performance of novice specialists using AMIT approached or exceeded that of expert specialists using current methods. The CA, applying the FDT results to fleet-wide F-16 Block 40/42 maintenance data, revealed a potential savings of over 47,000 labor hours annually in repair time, translating roughly into $3,000,000 in labor costs. Similar savings are likely across additional airframes pending development and implementation of the AMIT solution.

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