A Century of Naval Aviation Maintenance

Excellence

Volume 11 - Issue 1 – Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence

I am pleased to share with you this special issue of the Almanac.

In it, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI).

Rich in naval aviation history and steeped in a tradition of innova-tion, this command has supported the needs of the warfighter in virtually all of our nation’s major conflicts.

On July 19, 1919, the foundation of what was to become FRCSW was set with the designation of an Overhaul and Repair Department, the first aviation maintenance facility of its kind in the DOD, im-mortalizing the command as the official “Birthplace of Naval Aviation Maintenance.”

The command would undergo five name changes from 1919 to the present: the Assembly and Repair Department in 1940 (A&R), the Naval Air Rework Facility in 1967 (NARF), the Naval Aviation Depot in 1987 (NADEP) and 14 years later, to Naval Air Depot (NAVAIR).

On October 1, 2006, FRCSW and its sister Fleet Readiness Centers were created to consolidate intermediate and depot-level aircraft maintenance requirements into one activity thus, we became known as FRCSW.

The command enjoyed many notable achievements over the decades (far too many to list here), but here are a few that stand out:

• In 1942 a rubber fuel tank deterioration issue, caused by gasoline leaks, was solved when the command developed an innovative overhaul technique that involved removing the tanks and treating them with a special compound. This was completed within the “normal” processing of aircraft and did not delayed delivery back to the fleet.

• In 1943, the Navy experienced a tail hook shortage and found themselves needing 400 of the units. The Navy ordered them through private industry but they could not produce the units on time. Instead, the command manufactured the hook throat die and forged 150 hook throats within 30 days. This played a large part in the success of the Battle of Midway as more than 100 of them were installed on aircraft used in the battle.

• The 1963 structural modifications to the McDonnell F3 “Demon” aircraft was one of the most complex modifications ever under-taken. Assembly & Repair (A&R) created the maintenance plan designed to make the wing center section and fuselage carry-through area stronger and more durable.

• The initial 1991 Center Barrel procedure of the F/A-18 A-D models turned into one of the commands major capabilities. The technique mates the fore and aft fuselage sections to the new center barrel section of the aircraft, extending the flight hours of the legacy aircraft, while saving time and millions of dollars in aircraft replace-ment costs.

In the past 100 years, the hangars and shops here have housed just about every variety of naval aircraft: from wood and linen structures to the composites used today.

During that time, the innovative spirit of those at the command never failed to meet the challenges of their day. As we face our challenges today, we do so with a common bond to the past. A bond forged on loyalty, pride, creativity and a dedication to support the missions of the Warfighters who defend us now, just as the FRC employees who follow us, will in the future.

Anthony JaramilloCaptain, U.S. Navy

Commanding Officer

Skipper’s Corner:100th Anniversary of FRCSW

Magazine StaffPublic Affairs officer Mike FurlanoEditor Jim MarkleGraphic Artist Chuck ArnoldVideographer/Photographer Scott JanesPublic Affairs Specialist/Photographer Christopher Nette

FRCSW ALMANAC is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Navy. Contributions are welcome, but the Commanding Officer and editor reserve the right to correct, edit, and omit material as necessary to conform to editorial policy. FRCSW ALMANAC is printed from appropriated funds in compliance with NPPR P-35 Rev. Jan. 1974.

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest

Capt. Anthony Jaramillo

Commanding Officer Capt. Anthony Jaramillo

Executive Officer Capt. Steven Leehe

Command Master Chief CDMCM (AW/SW) Joel Rodriguez

FRCSW Command AddressCommanding OfficerFleet Readiness Center SouthwestP.O. Box 357058San Diego, CA 92135-7058

FRCSW Website http://www.navair.navy.mil/frcsw

FRCSW Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frcsw

FRCSW YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/FRCSWPAO

FRCSW Public Affairs OfficePhone: 619-545-3415Email: FRCSW_PAO@navy.mil

OmbudsmanMatthew Lutz

Phone: (619) 301-7091Email: FRCSWombudsman@gmail.com

Work Schedule Status &Special Instructions in Emergencies

1-866-269-6590

FRCSW Mission & VisionMission

We generate readiness through timelyand responsive production of engines,

aircraft, and components for thewarfighter.

VisionTo be the premier maintenance repair

and overhaul organization in theDepartment of Defense by providingthe best value, highest quality, and

most reliable products.

FRCSW is a cornerstone of futureNaval Operations which we achieve

through a highly capable workforceand robust community partnerships.

Dedicated to the hardworking teammates who have served their country with distinction under the direction of:

Assembly and Repair Department, Naval Air Station San Diego (1919 - 1948)Overhaul and Repair Department, NAS North Island (NASNI) (1948 - 1967)Naval Air Rework Facility, NASNI (1967 - 1987)Naval Aviation Depot, NASNI (1987 - 2001)Naval Air Depot, NASNI (2001 - 2006)Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, NASNI (2006 - Present)

Your professionalism, skills, knowledge and experience have saved countless lives and benefitted our nation for over a

century in helping the Navy and Marine Corps achieve their missions both here and abroad, around the world.

Thank you for your sacrifice, for your patriotism and for your dedication to Naval Aviation.

Volume 11 - Issue 1 - July 2019Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence

Glenn Curtiss’ camp at North Island, circa 1911. Theodore Ellyson became the first Naval Aviator, studying under Curtiss and helping to develop amphibi-ous aircraft for the Navy. Maintenance on aircraft was done informally, as the development of manned powered flight had only begun 8 years before with the Wright brothers in 1903.

Army machine shop at Rockwell Field. The Navy and Army shared North Island, split between Rockwell Field on the south side and Naval Air Station San Diego on the northern side. Over time, the Army presence slowly ebbed, transferring to other locations until 1939, when the last commanding officer of Rockwell Field, Lt. Col. Harold A Strauss, transferred control of the remaining section to the Navy. Many of the civil-ians that worked for the Army at Rockwell transferred to the Assembly and Repair Department.

Aerial photo of North Island in 1933, with the general dividing line between the two neighbors detailed. The large circular land-ing pad used by the Army contrasts with the directional runway used by the Navy. Spanish Bight was not yet filled in with dredg-ings from San Diego Bay, and a causeway (bridge) spanned from North Island to South Island (Coronado) across the waterway that Glenn Curtiss used to test his amphibious designs.

First official Navy insignia used on wings and rudder,

Apr., 1916 – May, 1917

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Wing roundelMay, 1917 – Feb. 1918

An F/A-18F Super Hornet taxies from the shelters at the FRCSW Test Line for a test flight before delivery to the Fleet. Photo by Scott Janes

Sheet metal mechanics Inah Cruz, left, and Ken Tu install rivets in the under tail section of an F/A-18 legacy Hornet undergoing the center barrel replacement procedure in Building 378. Photo by Jim Markle

Aircraft mechanic/work leader Rodney Abad operates the winch to install a CH-53 Super Stallion gearbox, after artisans repaired wear around the gearbox frame. Photo by Jim Markle

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Curtiss TS-2 seaplanes over North Island. USS Langley (CV 1), the Navy’s first aircraft carrier, can be seen bottom center at the pier. 1926.

Martin SC-2 seaplanes at the seaplane ramps behind Buildings 1 and 2; circa 1926.

The airship USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) at Naval Air Station San Diego, during a transcontinental flight that originated from Lakehurst, N.J., October 1924.

There were a number of Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) aircraft that visited or called North Island home for many years.

Wing roundel during WWI;Feb. 1918 – Aug., 1919.

Markings returned to the previous star roundel after Aug., 1919 and remained that way until May, 1942

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Fleet Readiness Center Southwest has always been at the forefront of technological advancements in aviation: The development of the seaplane by Glenn Curtiss, the use of airships and dirigibles in warfare, new materials and methods of manufacturing and repair, the F/A-18 Center Barrel Plus program and High Flight Hour improvements to extend the life of aircraft, and the use of Virtual Reality in training environments.

Rear Adm. Michael Zarkowski, Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers tries out a 3D virtual reality system designed to help train artisans and Sailors on painting aircraft and components. The 3-D system reduces a variety of waste factors including over production, unnecessary motion, material movement, and inventory. Artisans perform lab training without moving into paint bays, waiting for avail-able resources, or using materials, thus reducing waste and improving results. Photo by Scott Janes

Commander, Naval Air Forces Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker is briefed by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) engineers in the Cabin Pressure Test Laboratory (CPTL) in Building 487 onboard Fleet Readiness Center Southwest. The CPTL is used to test and verify F/A-18 Hornet cabin pressure anomalies in an attempt to isolate and resolve physiological events that have been experienced by pilots flying the fighter jets.

Photo by Scott Janes

Wing roundelAug., 1919 – May, 1942

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Wing roundelMay, 1942 – Jun., 1943

USS Yorktown (CV 5) loading aircraft at Naval Air Station San Diego for a naval exercise off of Hawaii; March, 1940. The aircraft were taxied from the flight line between Buildings 90 and 94 and out to the pier. The US would be drawn into World War II by the attack on Pearl Harbor only nine months later. Yorktown was sunk at the Battle of Midway on June 6, 1942.

Aircraft maintenance inside the hangar area of Building 94 during the early 1940s. Trainers, torpedo bombers, and many other aircraft fill the spaces as Sailors and civilians move about the airframes.

On VJ-Day in 1945, there were nearly 11,000 people in the Assembly and Repair (A&R) Department; about 9,000 were civilians. By the end of 1947, the A&R Department was at 4,661 civilians and 923 military.

F4U-4B Corsair aircraft in assembly inside the old Balloon Hangar, Building 17. Building 17 was demolished to make way for Building 472.

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Wing roundelJun., 1943 – Jan., 1947

Electrician Dana Joygrimley makes adjustments to a legacy F/A-18 flight control computer at the FRCSW Test Line. Photo by Jim Markle

The F/A-18 Center Barrel Replacement program in Building 378 has been helping to extend the life of legacy Hornets for over 25 years. Photo by Jim Markle

Sheet metal mechanics Pierre Nguyen, foreground, and Loc Yu remove fasteners from an F/A-18 Super Hornet windscreen. Fastener removal is one step of the disassembly phase which includes removal of the windscreen’s glass. Photo by Jim Markle

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Grumman TBD Devastator torpedo bombers and Grumman F3F biplane trainers undergoing repair in Building 94, February 1940.

Douglas F3D (later F-10) Skyknight, Lockheed TV-2 (later T-33B) Shooting Star and McDonnell F2H (later F-2D) Banshee aircraft undergoing rework in Building 94. The Jet Age was in full swing at A&R in 1954.

McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II aircraft undergoing rework in Building 94, late 1970s. The F-4 was a common sight at the Naval Air Rework Facility from 1962 until 1985.

Wing roundelJan., 1947 – Present

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An F/A-18C Hornet undergoing Planned Maintenance Interval rework in Building 94. The hangar in Building 94 has seen many different types of aircraft in its history. Photo by Scott Janes

A Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft being wheeled into the FRCSW Paint Complex. The Osprey is the latest in aircraft types to come to FRCSW for repair and rework.

Photo by Scott Janes

H-60 Sea Hawk helicopters undergoing maintenance during a Planned Maintenance Interval in Building 325. Building 325 was purpose-built to house the growing H-60 workload at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in 2016. Photo by Scott Janes

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The history of Fleet Readiness Center Southwest is ultimately a story about the people here; administration, instructors, artisans, engineers, crewmenbers, pilots, enlisted, officers and civilians. All of those who have served together as teammates in order to provide the best possible maintenance in a timely manner, safely, and with the greatest value possible.

These are the patriots who rise to the occasion daily to fulfill their duty and will continue to innovate and overcome obstacles and challenges set forth by the needs of aviation, the Navy and the nation, and have for over a century of service to the fleet.

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F-35C Lightning II of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125. P

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