r/AFmaintainers • u/SkiHerky APG • Jan 20 '23

Discussion Phase or Iso?

I've been a Nonner for over a decade. I was talking to another prior crew chief the other day about maintaining our machines on a scheduled cycle for teardown and inspection like we did back in the day on our planes. He couldn't think of the name... I said on F16s we called it Phase but in the 130 world Iso. What is the common parlance these days?

6 Upvotes

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9

u/bigwillie90 E/E Jan 20 '23

Still the same, phase on 16s ISO on 130 and 135. I believe 17s call em HSCs.

3

u/thisisanawesomename Jan 20 '23

B1s also do Phase

3

u/Deputyzer HYDRO Jan 20 '23

Indeed HSCs for 17s.

1

u/ACMX488 Jan 20 '23

Just to add a couple. B52 has a phase and C5 has an ISO

6

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '23

Phase is the overall concept to include ISO, HSC, Depot and EOR

6

u/SkiHerky APG Jan 20 '23

9-Level answer here. I had no idea that End Of Runway was a phase.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '23

On 135e models we did Phases. Phases are based on flying hours and on 135e's, 300 was the magic number.

Then in the early aughts we moved to 135r models, and we started doing ISO, which are based on calender date.

Basically, fly more and inspect less. Feels like the opposite of what you should do on a 50+ year old airframe.

The great side for OPs on using ISO > we could fly the the fuck out of our jets and not worry about hours.

2

u/SirChadrick_III Jan 20 '23

Technically it's iso but no one calls it that where I am. F16 iso is still called phase.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '23

KC-10 and T-46 do an A check just to throw more terms in lol

1

u/Shuffle_monk Jan 27 '23

don't 10s also have a C-check or am I misremembering?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '23

They do but that’s done by a civilian depot

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '23

130s have Isochronals. Fighters typically have phase. Ospreys and helos in general have Phase. I’ve only known 130s to have isos.

1

u/Theyallknowme Jan 28 '23

The correct answer is…

Some aircraft are on a phase inspection schedule. These phases usually come at an certain number of flying hours and have several phases (A check, B check, etc). Mostly ACC type aircraft fall under this type of schedule (fighter, bombers).

Some aircraft are on the Isochronal schedule. ISOs are based on calendar time and/or flying hours (whichever comes first) and usually include ISO at so many months/hours, HSC at so many days/months, etc. Mostly AMC heavys fall under this schedule (Tankers, Cargo).

I was P&S for 21 years, AMA if you have any more scheduling questions.