Aircraft have certainly provided law enforcement agencies with a tremendous advantage in their missions. If the goal is catching speeders, advanced surveillance or rescue operations, aircraft are, in some cases, the only resource that could do the job. Unfortunately, in order to keep these aircraft flying, maintenance technicians must inspect and fix these complex machines. Aircraft maintenance is alabor intensive job. Aircraft are arguably among the most inspected machines in the world.
The Personnel
Who exactly are the people that fix airplanes? In the United States, the vast majority are licensed Airframe and Powerplant technicians (A&P). This designation is a license issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In order to earn this license the applicant must have received formal schooling, practical experience and must pass both a written and practical exam. There are several ways to receive this training: through the military, some high schools have programs, commercial trade schools or alongside another licensed A&P mechanic. Once ready, the applicant takes a written test and then meets with an examiner from the FAA and demonstrates a practical skill. If all these requirements are met, the FAA issues the applicant their A&P license. Most technicians continue their education by attending advanced schooling, factory schooling and by earning addition maintenance ratings issued by the FAA.
The Law Enforcement Maintenance Model
In law enforcement flying, there are normally three manners in which the maintenance is performed. One is by an outside vendor. In this model, the aircraft is either flown to a commercial facility for scheduled inspections or a maintenance technician comes to the hangar and performs the work. The second and third methods are maintenance performed in-house by either a civilian, hired specifically by the agency to do aircraft repair, or by sworn personnel that have the certification to do the work. All three methods have their advantages and disadvantages.
The Maintenance Inspections
In order to keep the aircraft flying, most agencies follow a "maintenance schedule". This means conducting maintenance at periodic intervals such as 25, 50, 75 and 100 hours of flight time. Each benchmark requires different inspections and usually the 100 hour inspection is quite detailed. These inspections are in addition to any "unscheduled" problems that might be encountered requiring diagnosis. Many agencies also have their technicians perform a "daily inspection" which is a thorough check of the aircraft each day. Just imagine taking your car to the local repair shop every day in order for them to check the tires, fluid levels and perform a general inspection of your car! Even with all these inspections, all aircraft must receive an "annual inspection" which is a very detailed and very thorough inspection that often takes a week or more to conduct. This requires removing many components for a detailed inspection; sending some items to outside vendors for overhauls, and a general very detailed look at the entire aircraft. Take an aircraft that flies 800 hours a year. If the maintenance schedule described above is followed, the aircraft will have been formally inspected by a maintenance technician 32 times in addition to the annual inspection.
The Aircraft
Many people are surprised to learn the age of an aircraft. There are military surplus machines flying today in airborne law enforcement that are 30 to 40 years old. Most people are surprised because they think of cars and aircraft in the same frame of reference. The difference with an aircraft that is 30 to 40 years old is that the aircraft will have had many components overhauled and replaced during its lifetime. This means in many cases items such as the transmission (helicopters), engines and other parts may be brand new. If most cars received the time and attention that an aircraft receives, they might possibly last 30 to 40 years as well.
The Objective
Once again, the objective of all this work is safety. Aircraft work under demanding conditions and in tough environments. Add to the mix some of the latest advances in technology such as microwave downlink, advanced cameras, and a multitude of electronic equipment, it is easy to see the huge challenge faced by maintenance technicians. This means the aircraft must be maintained and inspected thoroughly in order to continue to do their missions effectively. Before an aircraft flies, it has been subjected to a scheduled inspection, and a daily inspection by a maintenance technician as well as a preflight inspection by the pilot. All of these procedures are to make certain an aircraft is airworthy and for the safety of all.
Although not recognized nearly as much as they should be maintenance technicians are an integral part of the aviation team. Without them, there would be no air support at all. They are truly the unsung heroes of airborne law enforcement.
