History 1966

4453rd CCTW History

1966

In March the Wing's Organizational Maintenance Squadron (OMS) "A" Section introduced a unique maintenance program which was to be "tested" through April of 1967. Following up on a request from higher up the Continuous Inspection Cycle (CIC) was developed by Wing maintenance personnel--basically the CIC system involved rescheduling inspections to occur during the aircraft's normal down time and in "modules." If a panel were to be removed to repair / inspect a component then all other components behind the panel were to be inspected as part of the routine inspection process. The CIC system replaced the then-standard method of conducting these routine inspections at the 300 flying hour checks. Results from the CIC test program reduced the length of inspection time from 11 day down to 4-1/2 days at the 300 hour mark. During one month shortly after implementation of the CIC reportedly saved the Wing 15,000 maintenance man-hours, reducing the maintenance man-hours per flying hour to only 19 hours.

The F-4D was added to the inventory during the spring.

On 21 May F-4C 64-0809, crashed near Davis-Monthan AFB. Lt. R.A. Nester made a successful ejection. On 16 September F-4C 63-7627 crashed near Gila Bend, Arizona. (Looks like crew was killed)

Until recently the Wing had been focusing on training USAF aircrews in basic flying characteristics of the F-4 for aircrewmen transitioning from other aircraft types. However, circa September, due to combat needs in Southeast Asia, the Wing reconfigured the curriculum into a much longer course that brought the aircrews up to speed, sufficiently so that the men could be transferred directly to a combat wing based in Southeast Asia. The new course added dogfighting (informally referred to as "hossling"), dive bombing, strafing and other air to ground ordinance delivery tactics.

A visitor from "down under" was assigned during November. Squadron Leader Frederick M. Kinvig, New Zealand Air Force, was an exchanged pilot serving as an F-4C instructor Pilot for the 4453rd CCTW.

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