An A-10 damaged in a deployed location was quickly returned to service after a remote engineering assessment, while disbursed in response to COVID-19.
According to a U.S. Air Force release:
“After a mission, maintenance crews needed to repair battle damage on an A-10 consisting of a bullet hole in the underbelly skin with an unknown exit point for the projectile. Despite the challenge of teleworking, an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center team of engineers from the A-10 Division at Hill Air Force Base, Utah was formed to assess the damage.
The entire operation was managed by email, file sharing over the global virtual private network, and telephone with none of the team members actually meeting face-to-face. Basically, the team accomplished the mission from their bedrooms, basements and home offices while flattening the virus curve by working from home.”
The engineering team studied the maintainer’s findings, including photos, and directed a plan of action to repair the damage. Once the steps were followed at the site, the package was assessed for airworthiness.
Upon return to its home station, the aircraft will undergo final repairs.
I suppose you can still do that with ’70s tech. I wonder about an f35?
The A10 from the outset was always designed to withstand alot of damage and be able to fly and fight. Was also designed to be easily maintained and kept flight worthy in what would have been an intense war zone.
Plug it into the computer, press the “evaluate” button ;P