Can You Speak Flight Crew?

A big part of being a Line Mechanic is talking to the flight crews and trying to decipher what they are telling you into something that we normal folks can understand. This may sound easy but let me tell you it can be very hard. When I first started working the line I had a hard time with listening to the flight crews and breaking down what they said into an action that I could take to fix the problem.

In essence the flight crews and the mechanics speak different languages. I wish I could say what their language is and give you a distinct break down of "this means that" but its not that easy. For the most part a flight deck is an auto-cratic work place, usually what ever the captain says goes (with-in reason of course). The flight crews are also trained to think quickly to solve or sometimes just to react to the situations that arise.

We as mechanics are much different. When we are working we are usually very accepting of other peoples advice. I know that I am aware that there is no way I could remember every trick or every system on the plane so I almost always ask for advice when I think I need it. We mechanics also have the luxury of time, time to think about a problem and just that problem until we come up with a solution.

There are times when you have to "gently" remind the captain or first officer that you are there because they called you. The flight crews often stay in that "this is my airplane" mode even after they are on the ground and seeking our help. This happens enough that I'm sure most of you have had an experience with the captain who says "you will do this" or "fix this or I'm not taking this plane" etc. While there is no set reaction to an attitude like this there are a few that I have used or seen used by other mechanics that seem to work. I have told crews that since the plane was on the ground and they called me it was in fact "my" plane until such time as I say they can have it back. This seems to work real good for the "macho" crews who are trying to keep you in your place. One time when I called for help over the radio a first officer asked me "how many mechanics does it take to change a light bulb?". I told him to watch what he says because "they trained a monkey to fly a spaceship". I have also told the flight crews that I would leave and they can call me back when they want to start listening to me. There have been captains that I have walked out on and let them rant on their own. I have seen other mechanics pull captains out onto the jetway steps and really lay into them.

For the most part the relationship between the crews and mechanics is very healthy, but as mechanics it is something we have to work on when we first start to work on the line. My main advice I give to new hires is to go to all the morning gate calls they can even if someone else is assigned the call. Doing this serves two purposes, first they can get used to the flight crews and start to understand the way they talk, second it shows them how more senior mechanics react to and intermingle with the flight crews.

If, as I have seen in the past, the mechanics do not work on this skill they lose a lot in the translation of what the flight crews are trying to say. If you are not clear as to what they want, then there is no way to address the problem. There is no reason to fear the flight crews and much of what they say is exactly what we do, but it is laid out in a different way. Remember the most important thing is to get that plane back in the sky safely and both work groups want that.