Travis launches 'Black Letter' flight

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron launched a ‘Black Letter’ aircraft July 13, 2020, at Travis Air Force Base, California.

The KC-10 Extender was signed-off for flight with zero discrepancies or scheduled delayed modifications due, awarding it the status of a ‘Black Letter’ aircraft.

The phrase black -letter flight or aircraft stems from the maintenance forms. When there is a discrepancy or scheduled inspection, it is denoted with an x, a dash or a forward slash in red ink. Zero discrepancies or scheduled inspections means zero red ink, deeming the status of the aircraft ‘Black Letter.’

“I’ve been a crew chief on a KC-10 for almost eight years, and this is the first ‘Black Letter’ flight I’ve ever signed-off,” said Senior Airman Jacob St. George, 660th AMXS dedicated crew chief. “It wasn’t just me, though, this was definitely a team effort.”

Pride in this accomplishment extended beyond the maintainers to the aircrew for the mission.

“Our maintenance team here is doing their absolute best to stop the hands of time and work on these aircraft non-stop to keep them in the fight and accomplishing our various missions,” said Lt. Col. Danny Avila, KC-10 pilot and 60th Operations Support Squadron chief. “In particular, for the KC-10 formal training unit, that means keeping myself, my instructor force, and my students in the air as we teach new KC-10 crewmembers how to accomplish their job safely.”

According to Capt. Gregory Thomas, 660th AMXS operations officer, the aircraft’s crew chiefs are key players in making this happen.

“St. George’s aircraft is one of the oldest in Travis’ fleet,” Thomas said. “With closing on four decades of flying time, achieving a jet with zero defects is extremely impressive and takes a lot of personal dedication from the dedicated crew chief to make it happen.”

St. George said it is an incredible achievement to have a ‘Black Letter’ aircraft. This achievement is not just a reflection of crew chiefs but the entire maintenance team.

“Maintaining our aircraft is crucial for mission readiness,” St. George said. “I have two Airmen who work under me on this aircraft, and we treat this aircraft like it’s ours.”

While a rare achievement for any maintenance unit, this milestone also occurred only one day after the 40th anniversary of the first KC-10 Extender flight on July 12, 1980.

“It takes a village to do what we do, and the fact that I get to be a part of it and witness the day to day interactions of these Airmen is an amazing opportunity,” said Thomas.