Old Timey Maintenance

For a while now I have been collecting pictures of aircraft maintenance from back in the day. It facinates me. The pictures demonstrate how far we have come but in many ways also show how little has changed. I figured I would put some of these up for you guys to check out.

The old prop-liners were cool and the Connie was the coolest of them all. Check these guys out wearing their white coveralls. It looks to me like they have some kind of radar issue but whats funny is that even today we say "one guy working, two just watching". Some of the ground equipment even looks the same as the stuff you would find at any airport these days.

A patch from a mechanics hat from Wilmington-Catalina Airlines. Even back in the day we wanted to be recognized as mechanics, not rampers. Today there is a struggle-mechanics want to stand out, not be confused with other ground crew. How many times have I gone up to the flight deck to be handed the landing gear pins or the fuel slip by the captain because he thought I was a ramper or fueler. I know it's cost effective for companies to have everyone have the same uniform but every mechanic wants to be recognized as such.

Look at these poor bastards!! Look at those ladders and no safety lines or lanyards. The term "back when men were men" comes to mind. Imagine having to climb up that ladder with tools or heavy parts. Think any of them had a fear of heights? These days the heights may not be as great but they say a fall from even four feet could kill you. Remember that these days we do have to put ourselves in some crazy positions to fix these planes. Walking the crown looking for lightning strikes, RRing rudder PCUs, working out on the wings. The dangers are still prevalent.

 

This is actually an old picture. It was taken during WWII, and yes they had color photography back then. This is an awesome pic that shows that women have been involved in our industry from way back in the day. Even prior to WWII women did the majority of work on the fabric of fabric covered planes. It always amazes me when people are shocked that we have female mechanics at our job. As a matter of fact one of the best students at my A&P school was a woman. She already had a job lined up working in an auto garage and could work circles around us guys.

The last one for today is not an airplane but it does have a lot of similarities. Hatches are open, tools are being used, etc. These guys are hard at work on this old locomotive. I wanted to include this pic because of the dirt and grime. I don't think this was a staged shot. There is grease and dirt all over these guys and this is what maintenance is actually like. We have a dirty job, some nights you make it through and you are not too bad off, but other nights you are filthy. The dirt and grease get everywhere. Also this demonstrates that the chemicals that we use to keep our equipment (trains or planes or cars) running gets onto us and, let's face it, is slowly poisoning us as we work. It is an unfortunate by product of doing the job we love.

The Legend of ...........

I'm going to start a new series about "The Legend of......." This will be about mechanics that I have met and worked with who have made a lasting impression on me and others. Also since it is the holidays I have been away from the blog for a bit but I will try to keep it going and will resume with regular additions after the new year so thanks for your patience.

My buddy SkyWalker suggested this subject and even the person to start with!! Thanks brother!

The legend of Don Tripp.

Don Tripp used to work with us in Oakland. When I first got the job Tripp was already working there. He was a former Marine and you could tell he was a larger than life type of guy. One of my first memories of Tripp was one midnight shift when I was working at gate 17 doing an Service Check. Tripp was working all the way at gate 25 which is pretty far away in Oakland. I was outside doing something when I hear "FUUU@@@%%%", followed by sparks moving rapidly away from the tail of the plane on gate 25. Tripp was working on an APU, up on a stand and things were not going well. As per his character he was screaming and the sparks were his open end wrench which he threw in his frustration.

Tripp was the quintessential Marine. He told you what he thought and did not give a damn about what you thought. To be honest when I first started here I was intimidated by him. I knew he was tough and I was still new to this whole Line MX game.

For a while we Oakland Mechs were going to San Jose for one Service Check and any MELs and then onto San Francisco for any MEL issues. We did this with a bread truck stocked with parts and able to carry any additional things we would need for the trip. We all took turns going down to San Jose but after a while the same few guys would go. Tripp was one of those guys. He liked to travel and do the non-scheduled work involved in that type of job. Tripp had worked in San Jose at his previous job and had famously stood at the open R-1 door of an MD-80 as it was being tugged from the remote parking to the gate wearing nothing but his combat boots! (Since it was his last day there it seemed like the thing to do.)

Tripp would do things like pounce on crickets and catch moths and then shove them into his mouth and eat them, apparently they taste like peanut butter. Tripp wore old school marine corps shorts that were wayyy short and always a Hawaiian shirt for I.D. pictures.

Tripp was a pretty good mechanic but I'm not sure how he would survive in this day of computer-jet. He was definitely an old school, old-iron, hit and beat it until it worked type of guy. He went through Mag-Lites regularly simply because he beat them to death.

The man had no type of table manners and in fact often had a box of Entemanns chocolate donuts for lunch followed by a carton of milk. He chewed and talked with his mouth open and cussed like the marine he was. While he worked in Oakland he dated a woman who ran an escort service and lived in a condo with little furniture but for some reason it had a barbers chair in it. He collected frogs, and adult movies.

By the time the end came for Tripp he had become a close friend. I respected him and appreciated his I am what I am ways. The end was not very graceful for Tripp and it was full of controversy. He was put in a bad spot by a person he thought was a friend and that made him go over the edge. The early days at Oakland maintenance could not be considered complete without Tripp and I will not soon forget his honesty with everyone and his interesting troubleshooting methods (remember the Mag-Lites?).

I think that knowing Tripp during my early years of Line Maintenance helped to sculpt me and in many ways helped me to find my voice and realize that I could also speak up and say what I thought also. We miss having Tripp here and I wish him well wherever he may end up.

Respect Your Elders

When I first got hired at SWA we were flying 737-200s and -300s. The 200s were old and they had a lot of issues. I for one was simply excited to work on ANY airliner at the time. Within 3 years time we had started to phase out the 200s so I did not really get a chance to get tired of working on them.

These days at SWA we fly 737-300s, -700s, and -800s. The 300s are getting old. Maybe old is the wrong term, more like worn out. We have the highest aircraft utilization, in terms of hours/day, of any airline out there. The planes are mostly 80s and 90s vintage 737s and they are simply used up.

When a typical mechanic shows up at work we look at the job board and sometimes when we find out we are working one of these older planes we cringe. "Not another old beast." I admit that I myself have had those days when I get assigned a 300 and I think "this thing is going to be falling apart."

My buddy SkyWalker is the exact opposite-he gets a 700 and he thinks, "what a bunch of relays and circuits." SkyWalker likes the older mechanical jets. Planes like 727s and the older 737s are just his cup of tea.

I have been looking at the older planes, recently, as older friends or older family members. These old warriors deserve our respect. There have been times when we have had battles and cursed them and even hit them with hammers in frustration. These planes have made us lay down in puddles in the rain, burned our arms while trying to pry out their PRSOVs, cut us, and even knocked some of us out cold. The leaks that only show up during high power runs, the L1 and L2 windows that would not see themselfs removed, the Rudder PCUs that needed to be RR'd in ALL types of weather and any times of the day.

The one thing that I try to remember is that the 300s have done all those things to me and those working with me BUT they also kept me and my family feed and clothed, they put money in my pocket and for many of us have provided the ONLY stable job we have had in the airline business.

These planes deserve a little respect from us. They are worn out that much is true,but day in and day out they go out and do their thing. They may be old and worn but I still feel bad when they are cut up and scrapped.

Check out these links regarding some of my old friends who will not be taking to the skies any more.

Aircraft 504

Not AC 504 but a pic of AC 501

Aircraft 351

Pic: ITSParts

Aircraft 692

Pic: ITSParts

And the list goes on.....

To Drill Or Not To Drill

I like my drill I use at work. I have a Hitachi cordless drill and it has worked for me very well. I am an advocate for using cordless drills, they speed up panel removal, etc. I do, however, get into these moods where I do not want to use my drill to remove panels. Occasionally I like to remove screws by hand, it helps me keep touch with the tactile, hands on nature of our profession. I also notice that there are guys at my job who use the drill to remove and install all sorts of screws into all sorts of things. I have seen guys use a drill to remove and install the little screws that safety the nose wheel retainer ring on. Then they wonder why the thing gets stripped out! I have seen a guy use a drill to put 1/4 turn fasteners in! I mean they only require a 1/4 turn of the wrist for goodness sake!

I think the cordless drill is a blessing to our jobs but people should also be able to use a speed handle or ever a screw driver and I'm convinced that some guys do not know how! We all know that even if you have a panel that has 100 fasteners it is easier, and I think smarter, to loosen each one with a speed handle before trying a drill. We all know this and yet time and time again I see guys blasting away with their drill, cussing when they strip out a screw head, and loathing having to go back and try easy outing the screw.

I know that I am an old fashioned type of guy and that there are cool new easy-outs now that almost always work, but I still reach for the old speed handle. Of course I am also finishing up before most because I do not have to drill out screws because of stripped heads.

This thought was not really about speed handles but rather simply using hand tools now and then. Once a long time ago I was changing a forward position light on a 737-300. I had my speed handle going and my ratcheting screwdriver and I was happy as a clam. One of the other RON mechanics was driving by and asked if I wanted to use his drill motor. I told him no thanks and explained that I wanted to do it by hand. He drove off with a confused look on his face and returned later with a drill motor that he left on my belt loader (that should tell you how long ago it was). Apparently by the time he reached the shop he had convinced himself that I was kidding around!

Call me a glutton for punishment but there are times when using a screwdriver makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

Old School vs New School

There is a very definite difference between old and new school line maintenance. I like to think that I am a member of the old school. The old school as I see it uses more common sense and a lot less complaining than the new school. I enjoy being a member of the old school. We are the guys that get the work done. If it is a crap job we do not complain, we go and knock it out. We can listen to a pilot and figure out what he means and use the common sense we have to fix the problem.

The new school guys like to talk. They talk instead of working. When I get assigned a job that requires two mechanics and I am assigned with a new schooler I know I'm in for it. The night will begin and as soon as we are supposed to start they begin by telling me about their weekend, girlfriend, truck, car, motorcycle, brother, sister, uncle, this, that, and the other. Now don't get me wrong we old school guys love to chat it up at work, but we are able to work and talk. You would be surprised how many people can not work while they talk. This is also the reason the new schoolers complain a lot about the old schoolers. Let me explain.

If I am assigned a job at night I go right to work and knock it out. When I finish I go onto the next thing. When I feel that I have done enough for the night-I stop working. I don't continue to work plane after plane just because these other guys are dragging their heels. Now a little while later (or a long time later) when those guys finish up they see me chilling in the shop. This is when all the trouble starts. "Hey why is Goat in the shop while we are still working?" "Why does Goat get all the easy jobs?" etc.

Well Goat didn't waste time smoking, socializing, or eating when he first got to work. Goat did not spend an hour complaining about how he got screwed by the Lead with a big job. Goat went to work and fixed his planes and now he is chilling. I'm not going to blow smoke here, our job is not too hard, something is broken and needs to be fixed. It works a certain way and it is not doing its thing right now. Sure it takes some knowledge but it really takes a heck of a lot of common sense. The ability to weed through all the frivolous info we get from the flight crews and attack the actual problem is a skill. That is one of the most important skills we as mechanics can develop. Sure its good to be able to change a tire or brake but knowing how to talk to and interact with the pilots is key for a line guy. One of the things i always tell a new guy (a probbie) is that learning to do RON (remain over night) check work is all well and good, but to survive and thrive on the Line you have to go and learn how to talk to the crews.

Communication is the key! Figure out what the crews want and it makes your life all the more easy. One of the Old school mechs and I used to always work RON together. He spent a lot of time cleaning the flight deck windows, taking care of the oil, tires, keeping the flight deck clean, etc. I finally had to ask him why he spent so much time doing these things. He told me to pay attention to the morning gate calls and see if any of his planes. Sure enough not one gate call, ever. He explained to me that if you do the things that keep the crews happy, in addition to the normal work, they won't call. Its little tid bits of info like that that make you a better Line Mechanic.

Old school or New school I think that I will have to take this up again at a later date, but as far as I'm concerned-Old School Rules!!

The View From The Other Side

Tonight I am the bump up Supervisor. In other words for one night I am in management. Now i've been a bump up supe before and I have to admit I have done my fair share of complaining about the regular supervisors. So I will try to express my views as a mechanic/supervisor or as I like to call it "The View From The Other Side".

Being a product of the "Old School" I tend not to complain too much to management because I feel it is always better to leave them out of the loop so to speak, if not you are inviting them to get too involved in the whole maintenance thing. My main complaint about mechanics when I'm being bump up supe is the persons who tend to spend an awful lot of time complaining about the work load or fainess of the work assignments etc. I do not understand the need to do these things but I know a lot of people do.

The supe should be involved only as much as necessary. If there is a real problem, a real problem, then the supe should get involved. If there is trouble, real trouble, by all means go get the supe. The problem I see from this side of the desk is that there is way too much merit or even ear time given to the few people that complain about the majority of things. These few people (of course) get the majority of the supes attention and really in an unfair and un-needed way. It's the squeaky wheel syndrome and I guess its inevitable.

When I'm supe I try to run the shop the way it ran when I first got hired on(we had no supe!). I always think I sound like an old man when I start this reminiscing but here we go. back in the old days we had no supe. The Lead Mechanic came in, put the work on the board and the mechanics came in and signed up for whatever work they wanted to do. This accomplished two things: first, there was a certain self motivation factor. People tended to come to work and start working right away. When the work is assigned there is no motivation to start right away, I'll just wait until they assign me and start then. The second thing not assigning work accomplished was a kind of healthy competition among the mechanics. We were always going back and forth about "I did this" or "I fixed that" etc. No body seems to care now and it seems like it is an actual chore when you are assigned work versus volunteering to do it.

New School - Old School.