TSgt. Cade Peterson at Fairchild AFB, Wash., is $10,000 richer for having saved the Air Force possibly $2.6 million annually in deferred mission aborts and material sustainment costs for the KC-10 and KC-135 tankers. Peterson, who is the senior weapon system coordinator for the 92nd Maintenance Squadron, recommended changes to technical orders that introduced a more efficient way to service the main landing gear centering cylinder. TSgt. Larry Carpenter reports that the former tanker crew chief spent 45 hours of his off-duty time to put together a package explaining his idea. The Air Force then spent more than 18 months analyzing and implementing the change, reports TSgt. Larry Carpenter Jr.
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…