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Heat
of the moment
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An
Air Force member carries out maintenance work on a 707 ‘tanker’
at Manas Air Force Base, Kyrgyzstan.
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Aircraft
maintenance presents a distinct challenge at Ganci Airbase in Kyrgyzstan
for the Royal Australian Air Force Aircraft Technicians stationed
as part of the International Coalition Against Terrorism.
That is because even for Australians it is damn hot. The heat and
sweat on the tarmac at Manas contrast remarkably with melting snow
on the Kirgizskiy Mountain Range only a horizon away.
One member of the maintenance section said that with temperatures
on the flightline reaching the mid-50s, his team was certainly earning
its keep.
“Our job is to keep the jets serviceable to ensure they meet
the taskings that are required and so we run three eight-hour shifts
per day to make this happen,” he said.
“The weather’s hot – hot and sweaty. Eventually you
get used to it, but it doesn’t mean you like it.”.
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