Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Into Thin Air: Liquid Oxygen Keeps Pilots Flying

By Senior Airman Cierra Presentado, 36th Wing Public Affairs | January 4, 2016

Senior Airmen Ferral Ceaser, left, and Kevin Hakala, both 36th Maintenance Squadron electrical and environmental technicians, push a liquid oxygen cart for transportation, Dec. 1, 2015, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. After inspecting the cart, the team takes the cart to cryogenics to be filled with liquid oxygen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cierra Presentado)

As an aircraft reaches a higher altitude, the air pressure decreases, sometimes leaving aircrews little air to breathe. When this happens, pilots and crew members are able to utilize the liquid oxygen provided by Airmen from the 36th Maintenance Squadron, thus enabling them to complete the mission.

Airmen from the 36th MXS electrical and environmental shop sustain the liquid oxygen carts that service the various aircraft on Andersen Air Force Base. The liquid oxygen is used so that pilots can breathe at high altitudes. The team ensures the carts are readily available for crew chiefs to take when needed.

“We don’t know how many aircraft we may have during a given day, so it’s important we have more than enough carts ready to go at a moment’s notice,” said Senior Airman Kevin Hakala, a 36th MXS electrical and environmental technician. “If the carts have no maintenance or mechanical issues and are good to go then we send them to cryogenics to get filled with liquid oxygen.”

It is crucial for the team to guarantee there are enough carts to service all transient aircraft for all services.

“Our aircrews need to have a supply of liquid oxygen in their aircraft at all times in the event of an emergency,” Hakala said. “It’s pretty cool to be responsible for providing clean sanitary liquid oxygen to the guys flying the planes.”
 

Senior Airmen Ferral Ceaser, left, and Kevin Hakala, both 36th Maintenance Squadron electrical and environmental technicians, push a liquid oxygen cart for transportation, Dec. 1, 2015, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. After inspecting the cart, the team takes the cart to cryogenics to be filled with liquid oxygen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Cierra Presentado)

Every four to six months, bomber aircrews, operation support personnel and maintainers rotate through Andersen AFB in support of the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific. Currently, four Airmen deployed from Minot AFB, North Dakota, are assigned to the electrical environmental shop.

“Being able to work with deployed Airmen is great. We have extra hands around the shop and eager Airmen that are excited to be here supporting the mission,” said Senior Airman Laenya Maze, a 36th MXS electrical and environmental technician. “We have different teams deploying in and out of here every six months, so it’s always exciting to work with new people.”

The team’s job has proven to play a large role here. Without the liquid oxygen, pilots and crewmembers cannot fly their mission.

“If the aircrews can’t breathe, then they can’t fly the jets,” Hakala said. “The Air Force mission is to fly planes, so our job is pretty important.”

The cryogenics shop, which provides the liquid oxygen to the maintenance Airmen, is one of only two Air Force production centers worldwide. The shop is able to generate, store and distribute liquid oxygen and nitrogen unlike other Air Force labs that are not able to produce their own.

“We work alongside the electrical and environmental team in making sure they get the liquid oxygen carts filled,” said Staff Sgt. Jon Reid, the 36th Logistics Readiness Squadron NCO in charge of cryogenic production. “We produce about 30,000 gallons of liquid oxygen a year to support the various units here. The electrical and environmental shop is a great team to work with; we produce the oxygen and they get it to the proper place.”

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Aerospace + defense

 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
  • Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable World
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more