Importance of FOD reemphasized in wake of F-22 arrival

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Kocin
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  With the F-22A Raptor coming to Holloman, there are many things to be done to prepare for its arrival. One of these things is getting Team Holloman members aware of how important foreign object damage is.

FOD can be rocks, screws or trash found on the run way or taxiway that can be sucked up off the ground by an aircraft, possibly causing damage to the aircraft.

"If a jet happens to suck up FOD into the intake, not only could that cause damage to the engine, it could also cause danger to the pilot," said Col. Michael McGee, 49th Fighter Wing vice commander.

There are two types of FOD, preventable and unpreventable FOD. Preventable FOD can be tools or even rocks left out on the runway. Unpreventable FOD could be birds sucked into the intake or rocks blown in the intake due to high winds.

"If FOD awareness is not an integral part of flight line personnel's daily routine, we can miss a piece of trash or rock on the ground that has been blown onto the taxiway or runway due to either heavy rains or winds like we are experiencing right now," said Colonel McGee.

Preventing FOD has always been important to Holloman, but it is especially important now with the arrival of the F-22.

"FOD is being highlighted because the F-22 engines are lower to the ground than the F-117 and the F-22 has a lot more thrust compared to the F-117," said Master Sgt. John Bratton, wing FOD prevention program noncommissioned officer. "The F-22's exhaust is pointed down so it has a greater chance of picking up FOD compared to the F-117 with its exhaust pointed upward."

However there are things being done to try and decrease the amount of FOD the F-22s suck up. One is a FOD walk, which is where flight line personnel line up and walk down the runway or taxiway picking up any rocks or debris.

"A FOD walk is the last line of defense before the aircraft cranks up and starts to taxi," said Sergeant Bratton.

"A lot of times FOD will cause minor damage, but as you run up the engines to take off the heat increases in the engines and the stressed on the blades increase," said Colonel McGee. "Now that small amount of damage that was caused through FOD now can cause catastrophic damage at a critical phase of flight such as takeoff."

Though FOD awareness is critical in keeping the F-22 mission ready, Colonel McGee believes Holloman is up for the challenge.

"We just need to get vigilant, all across the wing to access our daily actions to ensure FOD awareness is an integral part of every day," he said.