Crew chiefs join Century Club

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Heather Alden
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
The maintenance crew assigned to the KC-135 with tail number 62-3561 garnered honors for joining the 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s Century Club Oct. 14 and haven’t looked back since.

Tech. Sgt. Edward Pfeifer, Staff Sgt. Robert Spain and Airmen 1st Class Justin Dillinger and Jeremy Volz, 100th AMXS, maintain the 43-year-old Stratotanker that returned from Turkey Jan. 22 from its 145th consecutive on-time flight.

The Century Club was started at the 100th AMXS several years ago as a way to recognize crews that produced 100 consecutive on-time take-offs with no deviations for maintenance.

The crew will be honored by having their aircraft tail number engraved on a plaque, but Capt. Tsoukatos, 100th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, said belonging to the Century Club is about more than just a plaque.

“Our folks work hard all day long, all night long, on weekends and holidays, in all sorts of weather. It’s a pride factor to be able to say, ‘My aircraft made the Century Club.’ Because it’s so infrequent –– some aircraft get to 80 or 90, and then have a late takeoff –– it’s a pretty big deal to the folks,” he said.

The crew who made the phenomenon possible didn’t see it as such a big deal.

“It’s just us doing our job,” said Airman Volz.

Sergeant Pfeifer agreed it’s part of the job, but also said it really is a feat to break 100 on-time takeoffs, especially when the smallest thing can keep an aircraft from flying.

“I think it’s exciting, definitely, especially since we got our black letter initial (the aircraft had zero discrepancies –– an event which most crews can go for years without witnessing) last year and now this,” said Sergeant Pfeifer. “I think it’s great.”

Since the Century Club recognition program began at the 100th AMXS, there have only been three aircraft, besides 65-3561, that have been flown for more than 100 consecutive on-time takeoffs. All three of these aircraft earned their honors in April 2003, while deployed in support of refueling efforts during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Two more aircraft are inching their way toward joining the Century Club, with the closest aircraft in the running, at 83 takeoffs, still 62 sorties away from meeting 62-3561’s record. However, the maintainers all recognize the significance of an aircraft even getting close to the Century Club, said Tech. Sgt. Jerry Dorman, 100th AMXS aircraft section chief.

Captain Tsoukatos said even coming close to reaching 100 on-time takeoffs is a reflection that the 100th AMXS maintainers give the aircrew something that’s reliable.

“You can’t change the weather or stop crosswinds, but we can give (the fliers) a reliable product so that it’s not maintenance that holds them up,” he said.