Sawing metal

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Charlton Long, an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, cuts metal at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 11, 2016. Power tools like this saw are used to shorten and shape metal, in order to build replacement parts for aircraft. Fabricating aircraft parts internally is cheaper and more efficient than ordering them from outside companies streamlining the Air Force’s maintenance operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter)

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Squeezing a rivet

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Charlton Long, an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, hand squeezes a rivet on an F-16 Fighting Falcon panel at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 11, 2016. When F-16 rivets succumb to damage or corrosion, the aircraft structural maintenance team services and replaces them to ensure a firm hold to the aircraft frame. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter)

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Sanding metal

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Charlton Long, an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, trims a piece of metal with a disk sander at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 11, 2016. Disk sanders are used to shorten slices of metal used to construct replacement parts for aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter)

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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Charlton Long, an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, bends metal to make an L-angle piece at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 11, 2016. Metal pieces shaped by the aircraft structural maintenance shop for F-16 Fighting Falcons are tested before installment, ensuring safe flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter)

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Cutting metal

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Charlton Long, an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, cuts metal at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 11, 2016. To quickly cut into a metal portion, Long used a throatless shear due to its swift set-up and application. A throatless shear is a tool used to slice straight, curved or irregular cuts in metals. Pieces like this are then used as replacement parts on physically damaged F-16 Fighting Falcons. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter)

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Structural maintenance crafts F-16 metals

Published Jan. 12, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Jordyn Fetter
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- When an F-16 Fighting Falcon is grounded due to physical damage, 35th Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance Airmen are called to fabricate and install new parts ensuring the aircraft is ready for its next mission.

The restoration process begins with an initial inspection requiring Airmen to evaluate possible corrosion and broken parts. After damage is identified, the metal is treated with chemicals to remove corrosion, and components of the aircraft are replaced and constructed with powered and manpowered equipment.

Sawing metal

Squeezing a rivet

Sanding metal

Cutting metal