Prevention key to success
920th Maintenance Squadron Airmen, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., conduct a Foreign Object Debris walk on the flight line here. Airplane parts, nuts, bolts, trash and rocks found in the wrong place are just a few examples known as FOD. When FOD ends up on the flight line it can cause serious damage to aircraft. The maintainers routinely form a human chain, scanning the flight line to remove any FOD found, preventing potential aircraft damage. FOD prevention is not only directed at maintainers and aircrew, support staff that only have a small footprint on the flight line also need to practice FOD prevention. “If you drop it pick it up" (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean)