Royal Canadian Air Force visits AFCEC to learn more about Aircraft Arresting Systems

  • Published
  • By Ken Holder
  • AFIMSC Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Members of the Royal Canadian air force met with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Operations Directorate recently to discuss requirements and procedures for mobile aircraft arresting systems. The Canadian military is preparing for a NATO exercise and the capability to perform engine testing at contingency locations.

Capt. Nicholas Sabine, Royal Canadian air force, 1 Canadian Air Division, A4 Construction Engineering, received a first-hand look at the U.S. Air Force’s Aircraft Arresting System, or AAS, during a visit to Tyndall AFB. While at AFCEC, he met with Dr. Craig Rutland, pavement subject matter expert and Dr. Barry Mines, subject matter expert for the AAS, to discuss requirements and procedures for performing engine testing at a contingency site. Power production technicians from the Civil Engineer Maintenance, Inspection and Repair Team, or CEMIRT, were able to set up a mock display of the soil anchors and turnbuckles to connect to an AAS pendant cable to allow aircraft engine testing.

“The Royal Canadian air force continues to expand our overseas role into a more diverse array of operating environments,” said Sabine. “With the expansion, comes the need to evolve our capability set. The expedient trim pad anchoring system is a capability (we are) hoping to employ for ourselves in an upcoming operation.”

Royal Canadian AAS technicians were able to pull most of the information they needed from the existing Expedient Trim Pad Anchoring Systems engineering technical letter for this procedure, but one question remained unanswered, said Sabine.

“The triple turnbuckle that holds the anchors would normally be connected to a mobile AAS trailer, however the ETL calls for it to be connected directly to an AAS cable,” said Sabine. “Fortunately, the experienced techs at CEMIRT were able to show me precisely what equipment is required to accomplish this, and I believe we are now prepared to move forward with implementing this capability for ourselves.”

Continued interaction between the U.S. Air Force and its allies makes the entire team stronger, improves the process and refines the product, Mines said.

"For many years, the Canadians have been very active in attending the U.S. Air Force AAS Product Improvement Working Group," said Mines. "In the group we discuss ways to improve the systems. This was just another great opportunity to continue to share techniques, tactics and procedures between our countries."

For more information, contact the AFCEC Reach Back Center at afcec.rbc@us.af.mil or 850-283-6995. Those with a U.S. military common access card can also visit the CE Dash website.