First CV-22 qualification training a success

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Shannon Tabor
  • 58th Maintenance Group
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The 58th Maintenance Group at Kirtland worked for eight months to develop  curriculum to institute its first-ever CV-22 Maintenance Qualification Training Program.

Instructors worked under the guidance of the 58th Maintenance Operations Flight and the Osprey Aircraft Maintenance Unit to provide real-world, hands-on training, completing more than 349 training items and 80 percent of 5-level training core tasks.

"The beauty of the Maintenance Qualification and Training Program is that it enables us in a controlled, classroom-like environment to accelerate our 3-level and cross trainee upgrade programs without interrupting our operational mission," said Col. Michael O'Connor, maintenance group commander. "In today's manpower constrained environment, how quickly we are able to get our folks trained and qualified at their jobs could make all the difference."

The course is designed to allow students in transition from technical school, other airframes and those who are cross-training an opportunity to train on CV-22-specific tasks in a technical training environment. Training items included items like principles of flight, flight controls fundamentals, tilt-rotor theory of flight, fuel system and engine fundamentals, and technical publication usage for aircraft maintenance.

Students who have completed instruction are able to troubleshooting aircraft maintenance issues and ensure the aircraft is safe for maintenance.

The first day of instruction was March 16 and the course ended April 17. Staff Sgt. Matthew Hills, Staff Sgt. Casey Warner and Staff Sgt. Zachary Whitten instructed five students during the five-week course, teaching them how the CV-22 and its individual systems operate and how to remove and install key aircraft components.

During the first two weeks of the course, students primarily attend CV-22 classroom-based instruction. For the last three weeks, they attend performance-based instruction, where they are able to implement what they've learned on aircraft on the flightline.

The process allows students to become proficient performing as crew chiefs or avionics journeymen and aids in their upgrade training.

They acquire nearly 200 hours of instruction to complete the program. Airman 1st Class Lauren Pape, a student in the program, said the program provided a great setting to for the training.

"The stress-free environment made it much easier to learn the systems and gain more confidence in my maintenance skills," she said.