Ready, Set… Tow! Published July 27, 2016 By Senior Airman Dakota Bergl 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Tow a trailer. Easy. Tow a boat. Easy. Tow a camper. Still easy. Tow a KC-135R Stratanker with more than 50,000 pounds of fuel on board…..not so easy. Towing aircraft is an integral part of every crew chief’s day-to-day activities but it requires much more planning than just hitching up the plane and driving away. With a grunt Tech. Sgt. Brian Huntsman, 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, lifts one end of the almost 500 pound tow bar carefully lining it up with the pintle hitch on the back of the tow vehicle before signaling the vehicle’s driver to slowly back up. After the tow bar fastens into place, Huntsman puts in a latching pin to ensure that the hitch is locked. Once the aircraft is connected to the tow vehicle, or Uke, Huntsman communicates with the rest of his three-man team, shouting orders over the noise of the flightline, and carefully following his step-by-step technical data to avoid injuring anyone or damaging the aircraft. Master Sgt. Eric Saddlemire, 434th AMXS crew chief, said he is involved with an average of two or three towing operations each week with more happening during the winter months. “Towing is a big part of our daily operations,” said Saddlemire. “It’s especially important during the winter when we need to continually move aircraft so the ramp can be cleared of snow.” He said that the main concern is safety. Towing an aircraft can be a very dangerous job if proper precautions aren’t followed. “I tell people to follow the tech data and be aware of what’s around you and nothing can go wrong,” said Saddlemire. “Situational awareness is key any time you are out on the flightline.” Huntsman echoed Saddlemire’s words about safety, saying that communication is key. “Towing is pretty straight forward,” said Huntsman. “It’s a vanilla operation but you still want to be careful and communicate with your team.” Towing a KC-135 requires a minimum of three people. One person has to stay in the cockpit during the entire operation, ready to apply the aircraft’s brakes in the event of an emergency. The second person operates the Uke, driving the aircraft from one location to the next. The final member is the tow supervisor, they are in charge of the operation from start to finish. The supervisor briefs their team and ensure everyone knows what to do, they also give orders during the operation so that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. In instances where the aircraft is going to be moved close to buildings the tow team will include two wing walkers and a tail walker whose job is to walk near the aircraft and make sure the wings and tail don’t hit anything. Huntsman said that even though towing is a team effort the supervisor is the ultimate authority on the job. “Everyone is important when you are towing,” said Huntsman. “We all have a job to do and the operation can’t go forward if someone isn’t doing what they are supposed to, but at the end of the day the tow super has ultimate responsibility. We have to make sure everyone is following the technical orders and doing what they are supposed to.” Saddlemire said that although towing seems simple, especially to someone who has hooked a trailer to their car, moving an aircraft is very different. “We need a whole team to make this operation work,” said Saddlemire. “One person can’t just hook the plane up and drive off like you would with a trailer. It’s all about safety and following procedure.” The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission. Stay connected, visit Grissom on Facebook and Twitter.
