First Raptor fuselage trainer arrives at Sheppard Published July 26, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Jacob Corbin 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- When it comes to the future of fighter aircraft maintenance, technology is part of the training from the ground up - sometimes literally. The road to the first Airmen-in-Training occupying Sheppard's recently completed $21 million, 122,000-square-feet, F-22A Raptor Maintenance Training Facility began July 16 when it received its first fuselage trainer. The trainer, which features a re-creation of the left wing and rear section, will be used by 361st, 362nd, 363rd and 365th Training Squadrons come January 2008. The Air Force's next generation of Raptor crew chiefs, avionics specialists, armament specialists, egress specialists, engine maintainers and fuels specialists will all train under the same roof, on the same trainers. "All of the Air Force's F-22 initial skills maintenance training will be in this building," said Richard Engle, Sheppard F-22A program director. The trainers are fully functional representations of parts of the F-22A, ranging from the cockpit and landing gear, to the engines and rear sections, said Tech Sgt. David Greenlee, a Raptor avionics instructor with the 365th Training Squadron. Each trainer is hooked up to both a student station, featuring cockpit controls related to that portion of the aircraft, and an instructor station, where the instructor can control the trainer's systems and functions. The eight varieties of trainers are being used in place of actual aircraft. The Raptors $139 million price tag isn't cost effective. Not only are the trainers high tech, but the classrooms are too. All of the students' computers plug into the instructor's workstation, which, according to Mr. Engle, is far from the pulpit and overhead projectors of his day. The instructor's work station not only controls the room lighting and state of the art projector, but can also be used to monitor an individual student's work station. The instructor is able to view exactly what the student is doing at that moment, and can lend aid or give advice based on what he sees. Each classroom is built on a raised surface, allowing all of the wires and networking equipment to be stored out of sight. In addition, F-22A maintenance students will begin using the Portable Maintenance Aids they will use on real F-22A's once they depart Sheppard. These aids are, in essence laptops, but in practice are a lot more, said Tech Sgt. John Jefferson, an F-22A crew chief instructor with the 362nd TRS. He said that maintainers are able to plug the PMA into the Raptor, helping with system checks and repairs. In addition, each PMA is wireless enabled and contains all of the work orders and technical orders pertinent to the Raptor. The first classes of F-22A maintainers are scheduled to begin in January 2008.