Jim Carriere wrote in message ...
Harry Andreas wrote:
This 3 level maintenance was the same for both USAF and USN.

Lately, since the mid-90's, contracts have gone to 2 level maintenance.
Getting rid of the intermediate shop has eased a lot of problems;

Harry, there is still 3 level maintenance. In the USN, what you
refer to as flightline is usually called "O level" as in organization
(squadron). "I level" for intermediate, may be as close as across
the street on base, but it is a separate entity from the squadron.
(It is also usually a "good deal" for the maintenance folks for a
shore tour after their time in the squadron, especially if the guys
with families, because they don't have to move.) Depot level is
usually not on the same base, as one depot serves a geographical
reqion of several hundred miles radius or more.

From what I've seen so far, I agree with how you describe the
direction of the work on the flightline. Fault codes,
troubleshooting flowcharts, and replacing black boxes. The avionics
guys still know how to detail work like repair individual pins in
connectors, check for continuity, but I've seen major components like
an entire FLIR turret get shipped to swap out with a bad one on a
deployed aircraft.

By the way I'm a helicopter guy, not fast mover, but maintenance is a
pretty similar business through all of naval aviation.

I worked intermediate maintenance (Marine Phantoms, S models) in the
late 80s; we deployed *alot*. In a three-year tour, each squadron had
two WestPacs and two WTIs to Yuma. However, it was always shore-based
deployment (from Kaneohe Bay to Iwakuni, then to Subic or Kadena). I,
being young and newly married, was always sent somewhere every few
months.

When we reported aboard Kaneohe, most of us were assigned to one of
the rotary wing or Phantom squadrons, which meant we deployed; some
were attached to the H&MS 24 squadron, which meant they didn't deploy.
Everyone in IMA worked in the same shop and on whatever gear from
whatever squadron needed work; the only difference was whenever
VMFA-212 was heading out, those Marines attached to 212 left too and
worked out of the local H&MS shop wherever they were deployed to.

At least once, at Subic, the APA test bench for the Phantoms broke,
which IIRC was a downing gripe for Phantoms since a myriad of flight
attitude information was routed through it. A carrier (the Ranger?)
had S-model Phantoms onboard and pulled into Subic for shore leave.
We got permission from the ship to come aboard -- called for a base
taxi, loaded the trunk with broken APA modules, and hauled them to the
ship. We went aboard, promptly broke the Navy's test bench too, and
were politely asked to leave and not come back anymore...

Thanks for the trip down memory lane,
Matt