MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Members from the 23rd Maintenance Group and contractors tested the flightline sunshade cover renovation process at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Feb. 13-17, 2023.
Current fabric canopy covers last approximately 10 years; however, the upgraded fabric is projected to extend the lifespan to twice as long. The three-month upgrade project will continue to protect the A-10C Thunderbolt II while parked on the flightline and allow generation squadron Airmen to continue doing aircraft maintenance on the jets, rain or shine.
"These sunshades protect Airmen and aircraft from the harsh weather elements, extending the lifespan of aircraft and their components," said Capt. David Madsen, 23rd Maintenance Group maintenance tactics officer. "By protecting Airmen from the sun, this increases the quality of life, which will positively impact efficiencies and in turn compound a heightened readiness and mission effectiveness."
This renovation initiative is contracted to Creative Tent International and Ryzing Technologies. They’re projected to completely renovate all 52 sunshades structures, replace fabric covers, critical hardware, and more under a $1.5 million contract.
Wear and tear, rust and fabric degradation are expected for the sunshade’s typical use, so maintaining the integrity of these structures for a longer time prevents any type of potential injury to a person or damage to an aircraft.
“If these sunshade covers were not replaced, the fabric would eventually begin to fail by ripping – reducing the cover provided to personnel and aircraft,” said Micah Butler, Creative Tent International program manager. “Although structures like these are a much more low-cost and low-maintenance alternative to conventionally structured buildings, they do require occasional maintenance and upkeep.”
Once the bulk revamp process is started, it will take approximately one day to completely uninstall, clean the metal hardware and install a new singular sunshade.
While the renovation process was tested on a single sunshade recently, CTI will be returning to Moody AFB in the near future to update all 52 of the A-10C sunshade structures.