By Dale M. Kuska

Students in Dr. Garth Hobson's Marine Propulsion and Power course walk under a massive Boeing 747 passenger jet during a field trip to the United Airlines Engine Overhaul Facility at San Francisco Airport, Feb. 26. The experience provided an opportunity for students to see the jet's massive propulsion engines, up close and completely disassembled, while the facility refurbishes them for redeployment.

"While we cover the theory of operation of gas turbine engines as well as their design, we do not cover their maintenance and overhaul," explained Hobson. "This visit is one of the best examples of how gas turbines are disassembled, repaired, reassembled and ground-tested before returning them to service."

"It definitely was a learning experience … We were able to see, first hand, many of the critical components discussed in the course," noted Lt. Angel Aviles, a student in mechanical engineering's (ME) energy track. "For a student, these kind of experiences are great because it allows you to better understand and conceptualize not only the theory learned in the classroom, but also all the hard work and effort required by the airline companies in order to make their propulsion systems work."

ME student Lt. Matthew Hamilton agreed, noting the eye-opening experience provided an in-depth view of the complex machinery beyond what he has seen in the Navy.

"It was extremely beneficial to step into the machine shop and talk with the folks who maintain and overhaul these extremely complex pieces of machinery because you gain an understanding of how to better engineer a piece of equipment to support efficient maintenance procedures," Hamilton said. "I've only seen the end use of the turbines onboard ships, and have never seen the inner workings of them. It was fascinating to see exactly how complex they are. And, the best part of the trip was getting to stand underneath a 747!"