Frontiers October 2014 21 that you had a hand in the work, there is a satisfaction that is hard to explain.” Pride is one word to describe that feeling, according to Wilson and other employees who assemble Boeing’s three fighters in St. Louis. The F-15 is a tactical, multi-role fighter operated by the U.S. Air Force and a number of other countries. The F/A-18 Super Hornet is the mainstay carrier-based fighter for the U.S. Navy and, like the F-15, has an international presence. The EA-18G Growler is a modified version of the Super Hornet with state-of-the art electronic warfare capabilities. “Everybody here takes a lot of pride in being here and what we do,” explained Wilson, who joined Boeing just over seven years ago and has spent almost the entire time working on the fighters. He started as an F/A-18 flight mechanic. More recently, Wilson has had the opportunity to join other Boeing employees in taking the Super Hornet to air shows, including Dubai. The last Dubai show was a career highlight, he said. “Seeing that F/A-18 fly across that skyline of Dubai was one of the really PHOTOS: (Clockwise from far left) Advanced F-15 flight operations mechanic Steve Hickey performs detail work on the aft section of a new Advanced F-15 as it progresses through the St. Louis assembly line; Paul Robertson, flight mechanic, helps ensure safe towing operations for an EA-18G Growler on its way to the hush house; Kelly Dili, F/A-18E/F and EA-18G electrician, routes electrical wiring in the nose barrel of a fighter.
Frontiers October 2014 Issue
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