JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. —
62d Maintenance Group personnel completed a four-day, hands-on training program on the Skydio X10D small unmanned aircraft system at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Sept. 3, 2026. The training, which is the first of its kind in Air Mobility Command, included classroom instruction and practical applications of the system, introducing new, timely and safe capabilities into routine maintenance operations.
The 62d Airlift Wing is the first unit within AMC to fully implement a dedicated sUAS training and qualification program for maintenance inspections on the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The program is designed to be a streamlined, standardized course that can be easily replicated throughout AMC, and used as a base for further sUAS implementation.
The 62d MXG employs the Skydio X10D sUAS to conduct exterior and elevated visual inspections on the wing’s fleet of C-17s. The initiative aims to significantly reduce inspection timelines while reducing safety hazards associated with personnel conducting visual assessments.
“As a crew chief, I’m out on the line working on the C-17, which is a huge aircraft,” said Staff Sgt. Marcuscio McCampbell, 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief. “Being able to use the drone to perform duties like upper wing inspections, that normally take much longer, saves us time and helps the maintainers of tomorrow.”
Implementation of the X10D is not a new concept; the sUAS has already been fielded for aircraft maintenance inspections across the Department of the Air Force. Furthermore, Skydio liaisons to the Air Force introduced the system to Team McChord in 2025, demonstrating its ability to complete C-17 inspections in approximately 40 minutes. Now, the 62d MXG has a standardized training program that qualifies maintainers for C-17 inspections with the system.
“Drone technologies are expanding fast,” said Tech. Sgt. Austen Russell, 62d MXG maintenance qualification training program instructor. “I think it’s good for us to learn about them and autonomous operations, that way we’re not sending our people into harm’s way. We’re saving our people time and eliminating risks.”
Decreasing inspection times and removing excess dangers for personnel with the sUAS program increases the wing’s operational agility and accelerates crew readiness, especially in austere or expeditionary environments where specialized ground equipment may be unavailable. By utilizing the high-resolution cameras and thermal sensors equipped on the X10D, maintainers can rapidly assess entire aircraft in detail from safe ground positions.
“Having people that are qualified on using this technology is going to be a steppingstone,” said McCampbell. “We can start using drones for all types of things, it’s not necessarily just going to be aircraft maintenance.”
As the lead unit implementing sUAS maintenance training within AMC, the 62d AW is establishing standardized qualification models, flightline operating procedures, and safety protocol to serve as a scalable model across the larger mobility force. The 62d MXG is setting the standard, utilizing innovative technology to accelerate aircraft turnaround times and project rapid global mobility more efficiently.
By Airman 1st Class Frederick Barnes, 62d Airlift Wing
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