MAFFS Mission Report

July 6th, 2008

Today’s Topic: MAFFS: “The Plumber’s Nightmare”

Today’s topic title is from someone who should know. Lead mechanic, Howard “Hoot” Gibson has been working on the MAFFS plumbing for almost thirty years. Hoot hails from South Pines, North Carolina, and is one of only six mechanics in the entire country who are hired to keep the “guts” of the MAFFS system pumping the fire retardant, which turns a C-130 cargo plane into an airtanker capable of dropping 3,000 gallons of fire-cooling liquid.

Hoot has help from Harry Owen, another MAFFS mechanic. Two others, Clifford Lemmons and Paul Wilbert, started at McClellan but were moved to support the reload tanker base at the Channel Islands Air National Guard facility at Point Mugu Naval Air Station. Before leaving they tended to a bellow with a blown seal on the starboard (right) tube on one of the MAFFS.

For Cliff this is a real family affair as his dad is one of the other two MAFFS mechanics.

Hoot has quite a history of mechanical expertise, ranging from working on teletypes to working with Atlas ballistic missiles, during 33 years in the military. He not only directs MAFFS maintenance but also ends up being responsible for other important tasks that occur in the area of his hangout, known as “Hooterville, when he is not conferring with the aircraft crews.

The large metal bins that store the parts and tools necessary to keep the MAFFS operating also serve to support a shade canopy that is really needed when is gets over 100 degrees on the concrete tarmac. This area is not too far from the MAFFS-equipped aircraft they service, which sometimes gets very loud as one or more C-130’s taxi in and out for fuel and fire retardant.

Hoot quipped about how loud it can get by saying, “Those C-130’s are highly efficient. They convert jet fuel into noise.”