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.

Historic aircraft on O’Malley Blvd to undergo restoration

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  In an effort to preserve a part of Hickam's history and legacy, the four static aircraft displays on O'Malley Boulevard are set to undergo an extensive, on-the-spot restoration scheduled to begin Oct. 20.

With the 15th Wing tasked as the caretaker of the aircraft, the 15th Maintenance Squadron's structural maintenance section is the unit assigned to ensure the aircraft are maintained structurally and aesthetically, a job that can be quite the challenge in Hawaii's tropical environment.

"This is a highly corrosive environment so in order for us to keep the aircraft on display and safe for public viewing, it's important to maintain the aircraft," said Master Sgt. Jose Hidalgo, 15th MXS structural maintenance section chief. "Just how it's important for us to take care of our current and operational aircraft, it's just as important for us to take care of these historical aircraft."

Hickam members driving on O'Malley will notice a blocked-off work area around the aircraft during their restoration, but the restorations will not impact traffic. John Puu, 15th MXS sheet metal mechanic supervisor, said the aircraft will be restored on-site in order to avoid any additional issues.

"One of the reasons we're doing the restorations on-the-spot is to avoid impacting traffic by moving the aircraft," Puu said. "Also, with the age of the aircraft, moving them to a different location could pose additional structural issues."

The restoration process will be completed in stages, separated by the different parts of the aircraft. The maintenance specialists will strip the plane of its paint, identify and fix any structural damage, and restore the exterior to the condition of when it last flew. Paint and other resources used will be environmentally friendly with the goal of having little, if any, impact on the environment.

The process of restoring the aircraft involves many specialists that will do their respective part of the job, which Puu said is one of the largest challenges of the project.

"It's a large logistical effort," Puu said. "It's not the [restoration] part that is difficult, but the challenge of logistics and coordinating everyone's role."

Even with logistical challenges, Hidalgo said everyone involved is excited to be part of such a project.

"Our guys are excited to do this," Hidalgo said. "It's restoring history, and they will take pride in what they do here.  I think it will show when they're done."

The project will be in four stages with one aircraft restored at a time beginning with the F-4 Phantom II. The first stage of the restoration on the F-4 is scheduled to be completed in February 2015. The completion date of restoring all aircraft is to be determined. Visitors of the area are cautioned to stay out of the cordoned-off restoration area for their safety.