Adapting Commercial Best Practices to U.S. Air Force Maintenance Scheduling

This paper presents how the Inspection Development Framework’s (IDF) novel maintenance scheduling technique increased aircraft utilization and availability in a sample of United States Air Force’s (USAF) C-5M Super Galaxy fleet. The hypothesis tested was “Can we execute segmented requirements during ground time opportunities order to optimize flying?” We applied IDF decompose C-5M’s five-day Home Station Check (HSC) inspection into smaller work packages that subordinate operational resource availability. Ten HSCs at Dover Travis Force Base (AFB) were modified using measured against control group traditional HSCs. While statistical significance not achieved given small size, anecdotal results demonstrate improvements downtime, sortie count, flight hours for experimental across two bases. Specifically, pathfinder’s observed extrapolated all each base projected an additional 15 flying days per year AFB 29 sorties AFB. These serve as proof-of-concept USAF adapting commercial best practices address declining readiness. IDF’s more agile dynamic techniques also enable easier adoption Condition Based Maintenance through integrated approach optimally schedule requirements.