An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Saving lives...One canopy at a time

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Adam Grant
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Senior Airman Ryan Smith, 51st Operation Support Squadron air crew flight equipment journeymen, reassembles a de-acceleration canopy. The canopy is being reassembled by Airman Smith for the Republic of Korea's F-4 fighter plane. It's used as a second option for pilots to bring the plane to a halt, in the case of an emergency where the main brakes have a mishap. The canopy is on a 60-day inspection cycle which means every 60 days members of air crew flight equipment team will inspect and reassemble approximately five canopies. The process of reassembling the canopies takes about thirty minutes, in which, the canopy is often tested repeatedly for safety precautions.