Photos and story by Tech. Sgt. Mark Olsen

Four for four.
Lives that were saved that is.

That sums up the Egress Shop's reason for existence. "We are the last resort for the pilot of a crippled aircraft," states Mays Landing resident Master Sgt. Darren Custis, Aircraft Ordnance Systems Supervisor and 13-year member of the 177th. "We have no room for error, the system must be ready every time."

That system has been put to the test three times in the last five years. The first was on Sept. 16, 1997, with Majors' Tom Bartel and John Barton ejecting over the Atlantic Ocean during a night mission. The second was with Maj. David Haar on Aug. 30, 2000, when he was forced to abandon his aircraft when it encountered mechanical problems. The last was on Jan. 10, 2002, when Maj. Robert McNally had to eject while returning from a training mission at Warren Grove Training Range.

The ejection systems' operation is painfully simple even to the casual observer. The pilot pulls a handle located between his legs in front of his seat. This activates a system that through a series of explosive bolts releases the canopy and blows it away from the aircraft. A rocket that is attached to the back of the ACES-2 (Advanced Concept Ejection Seat) fires propelling the seat away from the aircraft. All this takes place in 1.5 seconds. After that, depending on the altitude, the parachute deploys and the pilot safely floats to the ground.

This is also an act of faith based upon the experience of the Egress Shop. "Accountability is very high," continues Master Sgt. Custis. "You need patience, you follow the book and you respect the materials because you are working with explosives." Unlike all other systems on board the F-16C aircraft, all the rockets and the explosive bolts used in the ejection system are one-time use items. "There is no way we can test the systems," acknowledges Master Sgt. Custis. "The only way we know that they work is when an aircraft goes into the dirt."
"Egress school is seven weeks, three days for the tech school," explains Senior Airman Joseph Zabry, who came to the 177th from active duty for four and half years at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. "Plus another two weeks specific training for the F-16 learning about hatches plus the attaching systems for the ejection seat."

The six-person shop works two 9-hour shifts during the week, with two full-time, one on orders and three traditional guardsmen. "We have a great bunch of people; they understand the work that needs to be done and they do it," observes Master Sgt. Custis. "Everyone here has been around the block." Everything is based on a two-person operation, which is based upon lifting everything from the seats to the canopies, as well as inspecting each other's work.

"Most of our work is maintaining," stated Tech. Sgt. Garland Beslow, who has been with the shop longest joining the unit in 1986 after starting out on active duty at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, working on F-16s. "The acrylic polycarbonate canopies are replaced as needed so there is no specific time period they have to be replaced in. The seat and canopy are inspected every three years." Egress maintains all the explosive items on the canopy and the seat, as well as in the cockpit. In addition, they replace the canopies. According to shop members, this used to be a major pain. The process used to take a week, with the wet sealant taking most of that time curing. The materials required special handling, ventilation and other requirements.
This afternoon I get to see real progress. The shop is replacing one of the canopies and is using the new and improved (really) seal. The seal is similar in appearance to a gasket with an adhesive on one side that is attached to the canopy frame. The new seal takes only 11 hours to cure; reducing the time it takes to just a day to replace a canopy.

Master Sgt. Darren Custis breaks the seal on a new acrylic polycarbonate canopy in preparation for mounting it on the canopy frame.

Replacing a canopy can be done with two people, but on a drillweekend everyone getsinvolved, Senior Airmen Zabry and John Cobleigh, along with Technical Sergeants Beslow and Barry Cox line up the gasket seal with the edge of the canopy frame. While this is being done, Master Sgt. Custis unseals the new canopy from its wrapping. Once that's done, everyone lifts the canopy and swing it into position on the frame. After registering the canopy, hydraulic spacers are placed at both ends of the canopy to force it apart so it will fit onto the frame. After some jimmying, the canopy eases into place with little resistance, "We were lucky," exclaims Senior Airman Cobleigh. "Normally it doesn't go in this easily.

Senior Airmen Joseph Zabry and John Cobleigh adjust the new seal that will enable the cockpit of an F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft to remain airtight.

Next the bolts are inserted, "127 to be exact," states Tech. Sgt. Cox. The five-sixteenth inch bolts are pounded into place from the inside of the canopy frame, and then bolted from the outside. After that, all that is left is sealing thegaps and waiting for the canopy to cure. Once the paperwork is done, the canopy is ready to be mounted on one of the waiting aircraft.

Tech. Sgt. Barry Cox makes final adjustments for mounting the canopy on the frame. hhhhh

Tech. Sgt. Garland Beslow pounds one of 127 five-sixteenth inch bolts that will lock in the canopy to the frame, while Senior Airman Joseph Zabry checks their progress.

The next day is an off day for the unit. On Tuesday, there are two ejection seats that need inspecting before they are reinserted into their aircraft. The one item on an aircraft a pilot never wants to use.

Except as a last resort.