Staff Sgt. Richard Cole and Airman 1st Class Chase

Staff Sgt. Richard Cole and Airman 1st Class Chase Russell, 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron MQ-9 Reaper crew chiefs, perform a routine inspection on an MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Aug. 12. The 49th AMXS thoroughly inspects each part of the aircraft before takeoff and after landing, looking for any discrepancies that could interfere with the proper operation of the aircraft. Inspections are performed based on various factors including total hours flown and discrepancies noticed or reported during training sorties. Additional inspections are completed on several milestones, including 200, 400, 800 and 2,000 hours of flight time. Each inspection is more in-depth as the flight hours increase. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Montoya / Released)