Technical Orders

Blake Davis, front, and Jeff Foltz made the ease of getting technical orders on line even easier when they created a new application for mechanics. The 72nd Communications Directorate developers made an easy-to-navigate site where finding a specific engine or aircraft technical order is a click away. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

New software provides mechanics easy access to maintenance manuals

Published Sept. 14, 2012
By Mike W. Ray
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- A variety of maintenance manuals used by Tinker Air Force Base mechanics to repair aircraft, jet engines and commodities are now conveniently accessible through a newly installed icon on the computer "desktop."

At the request of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, David "Blake" Davis of the 72nd Air Base Wing Communications Directorate developed an icon enabling any mechanic in the OC-ALC to quickly and easily access any technical manual from any maintenance station.

Anyone performing a repair on an engine, an aircraft or a commodity at Tinker needs specific documentation, noted Mr. Davis, 72nd ABW/SC Tier III Technical Rapid Improvement specialist. Tech Orders contained in that documentation can now be reached with the click of a mouse on an icon appearing on the task bar on the lower left side of each mechanic's computer screen.
The icon is also accessible to Tinker mechanics throu
gh the self-help TierZero page on the Tinker home page, through AppSpace and through the OC-ALC home page.
Once a customer fills out Form 2875, the new icon gives them instant shortcuts to the TOs. Serious time savings are found in being able to access all of the TOs rather than having some not available or through an "on request" basis causing a delay.

"Now, a gateway to all tech data is pre-loaded on all workstations and all it takes to get access is a quick process of a Form 2875," said Robert Cuthbertson, 72nd ABW/SCO Customer Service site manager.

"These maintenance manuals are all different," Mr. Davis said. "They're produced by different manufacturers; they cover different subjects, need different viewers to be able to read them, are stored in different locations, and were accessed in a variety of different ways. We consolidated that process."

"We're trying to make it easier for the mechanics," said Jeffery Foltz, of the 72nd ABW/SCO Network Engineering and Operations Office.

Ensuring Team Tinker accomplishes its many missions in the more effective and efficient way is 72nd ABW/SC's focus.