Vicky Falcón
NAVAIR Public Affairs Office

Imagine having a flat tire on a lonely stretch of country road miles away from a repair shop. It’s getting dark and as you try to repair it yourself, you begin to worry about your surroundings and who might find you in this position.

Now, imagine your flat tire is on a H-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Repeated landings from exercises held during the day have begun to take a toll on your right wheel. Repairs need to be made – quickly.

To your rescue comes a handy little nitrogen cylinder kit – designed to charge components such as high-pressure tires by means of a pressure regulator up to a maximum pressure of 3000 pounds per square inch. Within minutes your tire is repaired and you are back in the air and on your way home.

Can you imagine your predicament had that cylinder not been in working order?

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Samuel Boyd knows how important it is to keep maintenance equipment operational. A field maintenance officer at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Boyd turned to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for assistance when he needed parts for a quick repair.

“We have a nitrogen cylinder system and I was unable to obtain a manual for the nitrogen cylinders,” said Boyd. “I needed some parts in order for us to put it back into service.”

Boyd had been unable to locate the technical manual for the cylinders. “Within minutes of my conversation with the NAVAIR Response Center I had a manual e-mailed to me and other information concerning corrosion control for helicopters.”

The NAVAIR Response Center (NRC) is part of the Navy’s Distance Support program and coordinates the resolution of naval aviation-related questions and issues. The NRC assists military personnel from all agencies, as well as Department of Defense civilian and contract employees.

According to Fillip Behrman, program manager for the NRC, the center links customers with experts across the naval aviation community, ensuring the most current, comprehensive and accurate responses possible in a timely manner.

“We assist customers who have been unable to find answers via their appropriate chains of command by putting them in touch with the experts across the naval aviation team,” said Behrman.

The NRC has been in operation for more than a year acting as a conduit between the aviation technology experts and providers at NAVAIR and the customer – facilitating the resolution of thousands of aviation questions and issues.

“When we stood-up the NRC last year we received about a dozen calls during our first month of operation,” said Behrman. “Now we receive approximately 150 per month and those numbers are growing.”

Customers can reach the NRC by calling the Navy Integrated Call Center at 1-877-41TOUCH (press option 2); by sending an e-mail to [email protected]; by sending a naval message at PLAD: ANCHORDESK; or by visiting the NRC Web site at http://nrc.navair.navy.mil/. A customer service representative enters the request and assigns a tracking number, which follows the action to completion.

The NRC handles all aviation-related questions – obtaining any necessary clarification from the customer and routing the question to the appropriate subject matter expert. The expert then researches the issue and responds directly to the customer – usually within two – 48 hours. Finally, the NRC follows up with all parties to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

“The assistance I received from NAVAIR was the best, and the information I received was extremely helpful and prompt,” said Boyd.

“Our warfighters have the right to expect timely, accurate answers to their questions – and that’s what we provide,” said Behrman.

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From professional training to carrier launch and recovery; from sensor data to precision targeting and real-time communications; from aircraft and weapons development to successful deployment and sustainment; NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the American warfighter.

For more information about the Naval Air Systems Command, go to www.navair.navy.mil.

Photo: A UH-60L Black Hawk of the Fort Bragg, N.C.-based Co. B, 2nd Bn. , takes off on a night mission. U.S. Army Photo by Phillip Lee Britt.