Maintenance flight wins "Innovator of the Month" award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Holly Mansfield
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTIEN AIR BASE, Germany --  Members of the 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Sortie Support Flight, make sure that aircraft maintainers receive the proper tools they need to get aircraft up and running. They were recently named "Innovator of the Month" for their efforts to enhance quality of life in the work place, reduce spending and creating time-saving materials and shipping methods. The flight introduced and initiated an alternate method to ship parts, which saved four hours per asset. They created a priority model to cut the replenishment of 970 low-use items and reduced spending by $5,648 per week. They forged prepackaged aircraft armor kits that eliminated a need to reach back from other locations for the parts. The kits recouped two man-hours and decreased install times by 30 percent. Additionally, they worked to preserve $527,851 by conceptualizing fiscal year 2014 funds and having the program approved by Air Force leaders. Finally, the flight created a deicer plan to eventually save $880 in daily fuel cost.