Cleared for takeoff

They may walk like ducks from time to time, but the crew chiefs of the 309th Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base are all business when it comes to the safety of pilots.

One of the teams is made up of Staff Sgt. Michael Lydko, Senior Airman Andrew Bell and Airman 1st Class Chantel Billingsley.

They are part of the 309th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Wild Ducks, and wear arm patches featuring Donald Duck, which originated in 1940 and was sent to Walt Disney Studios where it was designed. Another trademark of the crew is the duck walk they do before sending a pilot off in an F-16 jet.

"I have always wanted to be a crew chief since the age of 8," Lydko said. "I took a tour of the U.S. Roosevelt and a crew chief took me under his wing and gave me a complete tour of the ship from top to bottom. It was right there and then that I wanted to be a crew chief."

Lydko is authorized to perform just about any maintenance or repair work on F-16 jets. But, he said, "This is not a job we are performing, it is a lifestyle."

And that lifestyle kicks into high gear about three hours before the first sortie is to be flown. That's when the crew chiefs and their assistants arrive.

The first priority is to check for damage to the planes. In addition, more than 100 personnel check the runways to make sure there are no objects that could cause a problem by being sucked into an engine once the jet starts.

Billingsley said it takes about 15 minutes using vacuums, magnets and other equipment to examine the area. The jets are examined from one end to the other, including all of the hydraulic systems, tires, gauges, switches, seat belts, ejection system and other related systems. The instrument panel is cleaned and the armaments that the jet will carry are reviewed, Billingsley said.

A checklist is prepared for the pilot that covers all of the instruments and gauges that have been inspected.

The pilot and crew chief then reinspect the plane before the pilot enters the cockpit.

Once the pilot is ready to taxi, the crew chiefs said they salute him and then it is time for the traditional duck walk before the pilot is sent off for one more round of checks by another team at the end of the runway.

Once the sortie has been completed and the pilot is returning to base, the crew chiefs' job is to signal him where his "parking space" is located, the crew members said, and nothing is more embarrassing than for a pilot to miss his spot.

"We jump in the air and wave our arms in an attempt to guide him to the proper place," Lydko said. "He gives a thumbs up to indicate he knows where he should park."

The debriefing after the sortie between the student and the instructor can take three hours. The pilot also lists any problems he might have had during the flight.

That doesn't happen much with this crew. Because of the care they have given jet 397, the crew won the "Ultra Duck" award for about eight consecutive weeks.

And here is a big reason why: "I am proud to be in the Air Force and be a crew chief," Lydko said. "This is the highlight of my day."