33d FW remains FOD vigilant Published June 26, 2007 By 2nd Lt. Jim Lambertsen 33d Fighter Wing Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Rocks, pebbles, nuts, bolts, loose change or even birds are objects that can cause millions of dollars worth of damage to any aircraft or aircraft engine they come in contact with. These small, but dangerous items are all examples of FOD, foreign object damage. Lucky for the F-15C Eagles at the 33d Fighter Wing, the wing ranks as number one in Air Combat Command with its proactive FOD control program aimed at eliminating FOD and raising awareness to combat FOD. "The F-15 intake sits low to the ground, and when taxiing along the flightline at low idle speeds, the intake is angled downward towards the runway acting as a vacuum sucking up any FOD in its path," said Tech. Sgt. Tony Hyatt, the 33d FW FOD manager. A good example of FOD is runway debris. Runway debris can be made up of broken or chipped parts of the runway that can easily be sucked into the engines during taxi, take off or landing. "Some people may wonder how much damage a little rock can do, but when the turbine and compressor blades are spinning as fast as they do, they become as brittle as a sheet of paper," said Sergeant Hyatt. In addition to runway debris, the actual aircraft also present a considerable FOD hazard. Fasteners or bolts can easily come loose in high-G turns or during high-speed maneuvers, presenting a possibility for engine damage. Another aspect of FOD has to do with the human element. Loose change, lighters, cigarette packs, cigars and pens can be left behind on the line or in the cockpit. Tool accountability is also a challenge. During aircraft maintenance, whatever tools removed from the toolbox should be returned to the toolbox when finished with the job. "With accurate tool accountability, we can prevent mishaps such as sockets being left in the aircraft during routine maintenance," said Sergeant Hyatt. FOD prevention begins before the first flight of the day with a FOD walk. The walk involves all wing personnel directly related to maintenance walking down the flightline and sanitizing the ramp area by picking up any visible pieces of FOD. In addition to the FOD walk, most vehicles that drive on the flightline have magnets attached to the back bumper that hang one to two inches from the ground picking up any hard metal pieces of FOD. Underscoring all FOD efforts are Airmen, who constantly police the flightline and remain vigilant for FOD, always staying aware. "Anyone working out on the line must remain vigilant for any pieces of FOD. FOD not only affects our aircraft, but it can also be detrimental to our ground support equipment," said Staff Sgt. Justin Mabe, NCOIC of Aerospace Ground Equipment of the 33d Maintenance Squadron. "FOD can damage tires or even be sucked into our generators that have internal jet engines." ACC continually recognizes the wing's FOD program as the best in the command. As of this month, FOD costs are down 94 percent from June 2006, and FOD costs have been reduced from $137,281 to $8,249. Sergeant Hyatt attributes this to the huge amount of overall teamwork from the wing and an increase in FOD awareness. "If all of our Airmen stay aware of FOD dangers and always keep an eye open, we will not only save the Air Force millions of dollars, we can save the lives of our pilots as well," said Sergeant Hyatt. One method Sergeant Hyatt has used to increase FOD awareness is a monthly FOD awards program. The awards program includes: a FOD "finder of the month," recognizing who has the biggest impact on finding FOD; a FOD poster of the month award for the Airman who creates the best FOD poster aimed at raising FOD awareness; and the "golden bolt" finder of the month. Sergeant Hyatt places a large golden bolt somewhere on the flightline, and the Airman who finds it wins. These award winners are given one day off of work along with other various AAFES certificates and incentives. Sergeant Mabe has been awarded for his FOD-finding skills. "My FOD poster was aimed at raising awareness that FOD can also damage much of our ground support equipment. I am also a two time golden bolt finder," he said. With FOD awareness on the rise, the wing maintains a goal of zero FOD incidents.