Air Force recruiter brings along unique prop to Lynn English

LYNN – One part physics lesson and one part recruiting, Technical Sgt. Steven Grant of the U.S. Air Force brought the science of war to Lynn English High School Wednesday.Grant, an Air Force recruiter based out of Danvers, took a break from the usually dull information booth high school students are used to seeing, and provided the unique opportunity to see a jet engine once used in combat on an F-16 Thunderbird fighter jet.Nestled away in a fold-out trailer parked in the corner of the LEHS parking lot, Grant stood in front of the massive Pratt and Whitney F-100 engine, in an effort to recruit students interested in physics and engineering to consider a career as an Air Force technician.”The Air Force only has one of these demonstration engines, and most of the year it is in the southern states because of the weather,” Grant said. “I get it one day a year, and I like to get out to the schools mostly because I hate sitting at a desk handing out pencils all day.”Grant, who began his career in the Air Force as a helicopter technician, said enlisting is a great way to receive the training and education needed to succeed in the engineering and mechanical field in the private sector.”It is impossible to go into the Air Force for four years and not come out better than you were when you went in,” he said. “You may not want to make a career out of the military, but this is a great place to start because most job skills transition right into the public sector.”Although the Air Force has since switched from Pratt and Whitney- to General Electric-brand engines, the retired F-16 demonstrator is similar to those used in today’s planes.According to Grant, an F-16, which is one of the smaller Air Force models, can travel to Mach 2 speeds, over 1,500 mph, or twice the speed of sound.Using 50,000 pounds of jet fuel per hour (currently priced at $6 per gallon), the dual-engine aircraft can reach 60,000 horsepower at full speed.On a piece of machinery this powerful, with the important job of keeping a $14-$18 million aircraft in the sky, maintenance and inspections are essential. According to Grant, technicians spend 90 man-hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time, and a jet never takes off two times in a row without an extensive inspection checklist.”We have an extensive inspection to make sure that everything is working properly. The aircraft parts are very expensive – it isn’t like we can just drive to Home Depot if we need a bolt,” he said. “Always inspect and always follow a check list because you obviously don’t want to lose too much in the way of equipment, but most of all, the Air Force does not want to lose its personnel.”Grant explained the combustion system within the engine, and tied in the lesson into the concepts of physics that the students were learning in class.Even if the students were not interested in joining the Air Force, Grant was happy to answer questions and break down the concepts behind jet engines and airplanes in general.