by Drema Ballengee-Grunst
PMA 231 Communications Support

NAVAIR held the premiere for the C-2 community’s “lead star” Dec. 14, marking completion of a blockbuster project replacing 23 miles of wiring in the first of 35 of the Navy’s C-2A aircraft.

Norfolk carrier logistics support squadron VRC-40, the Rawhides, hosted officials from Patuxent River Naval Air Station and North Island, Calif. as the prototype aircraft returned to the fleet.

Around 150 C-2 community members achieved the critical engineering milestone after designing and installing miles of state-of-the-art wiring at Naval Air Depot, North Island. The wiring was then tested for final return to the fleet at Patuxent River’s test and evaluation squadron, VX-20.

The scene included the entire squadron standing at attention as the official aircraft records were turned over by PMA 231’s Lt. Cmdr. Sean McDermott and Jimmy Fingerle to Cmdr. Brad Brown of VRC-40. McDermott reminded everyone that although the focus for the day was on the first C-2 to be delivered, this success would be followed by the rewire of all C-2s operating in the fleet.

“One more is already rewired,” he said, as he reemphasized PMA-231’s commitment to deliver approximately five per year through 2012.

Brown, who had the opportunity this week to spend some time on the rewired aircraft, said that the “hand-artisan work represented impeccable craftsmanship.”

The C-2 plays a key role in carrier operations and is the only aircraft of its kind - transporting mail, cargo, fleet personnel, distinguished visitors and dignitaries to and from the carrier.

“Replacing the wiring is the most important thing we could do as a community to extend the safety and service life of the aircraft,” he said.

Don Sano and Dan Plale, an award-winning duo who recently received engineering excellence awards from NAVAIR’s E-2/C-2 Program Manager, Capt. Randy Mahr led the team consisting of depot artisans, craftsmen, engineers and representatives from contract partner Cherokee Nation Industries of Stilwell, Okla.

Deputy Commander Capt. John Covell, Airborne Command Control and Logistics Wing, discussed the delivery of the aircraft with VRC-40’s AE3 Gary Greear earlier in the day and asked him to speak to squadron mates at the ceremony. Greear shared what it means to have such significant safety and performance improvements for crews operating to and from the carrier, which commonly transport passengers.
Commander Capt. Tim Trainer gave the project a thumbs-up saying “North Island stands ready and is looking forward to delivering more.”

“This success is part of our team’s continuing contribution to the Navy-wide goal of delivering the right force, with the right readiness, and at the right cost,” said Rear Adm. David Venlet, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs. Venlet oversees the efforts of PMA 231. “You’ll see much more of this as the Naval Aviation Enterprise continues to streamline development and procurement of the systems we send forward to our fleet warfighters.”

The Naval Aviation Enterprise is a partnership among Naval leadership to optimize processes that maintain current readiness while investing in future readiness.
The enterprise concept focuses Naval aviation on the single fleet-driven metric of producing aircraft ready for tasking at reduced cost.