Shoup Airlines

Give Me A Brake!

We’ve spent the last three weeks learning how to leave both a paper and electronic trail whilst performing maintenance on a Blackhawk. It has been interesting to some degree. The paper side is a nightmare as you would think and the electronic side is only in its second version so there are still a few bugs floating around but it beats the paper trail in most respects.

First, we simulated write-ups (broken things) to practice the trails. One would think you’d mix the problems up to see not only different problems but different corrective actions as well as not making class so tedious. Not here at the US Army School for Aviation Mechanics! I cannot count how many times I have pseudo-replaced the left or right main landing gear (MLG) brake! And to make matters even more painless, the paper version takes about 10 pages EACH time. The electronic version isn’t much different.

This week we finally hit the floor and went hands on, focusing on the MLG. First task? Hey, what a surprise, it’s that stupid frellin’ MLG brake!! Replace it. Next day, task at hand, break down a MLG brake and inspect it. Woohoo! Yesterday, I came in expecting to forge a new brake from raw materials. I was wrong. We got to disassemble and reinstall the tailwheel. Thank God, I was beginning to the Blackhawk was strictly made of MLG brakes.

Today, we had out test on the Landing Gear System. The written portion only had 20 questions on the MLG brakes. That was out of 30. I know you won’t be able to guess what the hands on portion contained. Yup, the upper shock strut and drag beam assembly. Oh wait, that’s what I wanted to work on. No, we were tested on replacement of a MLG brake and all associated write-ups!

I can now remove, disassemble, inspect, clean, assemble, and replace a MLG brake, right or left (there IS a difference) with my eyes closed and hands chained behind my back while sleeping upside down in a vat of burning oil and no tools readily available. I’m glad this block was labeled Landing Gear System, because there aren’t any other components included in it like, I don’t know, the MLG tire and wheel assembly, shock struts (upper and lower), drag beams, tailwheels, tail wheel lock pins or actuators, tail wheel shock strut, etc, etc…

Can anyone tell me why a helicopter even needs brakes?!? (Come on, think about it…)