552nd Fuel Accessories Shop technicians recognized for hosting Turkish air force visit Published Feb. 26, 2010 By 1st Lt. Samuel Lee Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Members of the 76th Maintenance Wing, 552nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron's Fuel Control/Accessories Shop recently hosted a group of Turkish air force technicians and engineers. The five-member Turkish air force team came from their main depot facility in Eskisehir, Turkey to observe the buildup, overhaul and testing of the F-16's F110 engine Main Engine Control. "The MEC is the heart of the fuel system for the F110 engine controlled by the Digital Engine Control and electronically/mechanically schedules all the core fuel flow throughout the F-16's flight envelope," said Robert Wright, equipment specialist for F110 fuel system from the 537th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron and an expert on the MEC's repair and overhaul. The MEC is often referred to as a mechanical computer, comprised of hundreds of sub-components, requiring time-consuming adjustments to exacting tolerances. Teardown, buildup and testing of the MEC require technicians who've been thoroughly trained and possess patience and superb technical skills said James Martin, 539th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron Turkish air force engine program manager. Although the Turkish air force has had several decades of experience building and working on the F-16 platform, they needed help working on the overhaul of the MEC. "We've received MEC orientation from the vendor in the past," said Alper Ekinci, senior engineer for the Turkish air force. "However, we know of no other facility which can provide us with the practical real-world experience and in-depth knowledge as Tinker has. We greatly value and appreciate what Tinker has done for our air force in this effort." Hosting the Turkish air force required the coordination of at least 55 people from several organizations but five fuel technicians went "above and beyond the call of duty." Last December, David Haas, director of the international engines management group, presented 539th ACSS coins to the following people: Thomas Barnes and Janet Graves of the fuel test cell facility, Keith McSwain and Jason Pritchard of the MEC shop and Gary Larimore from the fuel pump shop. Also present at the ceremony was Maj. Haluk Durmus, Turkish air force foreign liaison officer, who is currently assigned to Tinker. Expressing his appreciation to the fuel shop supervisors and personnel he stated, "Observing and refining our maintenance practices on the MEC was the Turkish air force's highest priority. The visit was a resounding success; the Turkish air force gained a greater understanding of this highly complex fuel control." The Tinker technicians explained complex installation, measurement and adjustment techniques to their Turkish counterparts. Because of the limited time the Turkish team had to get answers to their critical issues, they were split up into two groups so that the team as a whole would be able to observe the entire MEC overhaul process from beginning to end. The tangible value to the Turkish air force came with the exchange of "best practices" and lessons learned. "The most important result of this experience is that this (Turkish) group has now gained confidence," said Mr. Martin. "Now they'll be able to mirror exactly what we do here and can be more self sufficient." The Turkish air force has a rich aviation history and is one of the world's oldest air forces. It was established in 1911 just four years after the U.S. Signal Corp was formed in 1907. Trailing behind only the U.S. and Britain, the Turkish air force has the third largest fleet among NATO countries with an estimated 900 aircraft. Turkey is one of only five countries in the world that produces their own F-16s and has 240 of these fighter jets in their fleet. They are also the largest F110 engine member of the International Engine Management Program operated by the 539th ACSS.