The Glory Boys
Recently, Greg and I were in the airport security line at Las Vegas returning home from a trade show. The line was long, and we spent quite a bit of time weaving back and forth through the cattle herding lines. We noticed that the guys behind us had Delta Airlines uniforms. We asked them what they were doing in Vegas. It turns out they were there to get their security clearances. Greg asked them if they were mechanics. They replied that they were ground handlers.
We told them that we were both A&P mechanics. “Oh, the glory boys,” one of them said.
“That’s funny, most mechanics think that pilots are the glory boys,” Greg said.
“Well, that’s a given,” he replied. “But to us ramp workers, the mechanics are also glory boys, too good to do the dirty jobs.”
That reminded me of joke I heard a while back. It compared employee attitudes at some companies to a tree full of monkeys. The monkeys at the top of the tree look down and see a bunch of smiling faces. The monkeys at the bottom of the tree look up and see a bunch of assholes.
Unfortunately, employees often look at others in their own organization the same way the monkeys in the tree do.
Thanks for reading!
Joe Escobar
glory boys??? i’m guessing they don’t drug test delta rampers…
Hmm… thinking back fondly on the days and nights when I ended the shift covered in Skydrol or jet fuel or grease or ?? The days when no amount of hand washing will get the grime out of the calluses. Yes, those were the glory days alright!
I also remember being certain that the rampers would intentionally break the cargo net anchors just so that maintenance would take the hit on the delayed flight and not the ground crew
I remember my days working that when the ground crew was short handed I would jump in and load up freight or bags. I wish I had a picture of face when they were shocked, however if I needed something they would also pitch in. it is a shame that the perception of pilots and mechanics has not changed since the begining of aviation time. keep up the great job Joe!!!!!
Hmm… I remember when I started working at the Big U in 1998 how the mechanics and the rampers would interact. I’d speak, they’d ignore me… sorry, I was taught you don’t walk past folks with at least acknowledging that they’re breathing… and then, after they’d gotten over the shock of being spoken to, a tentative “hello” would come out. Thankfully a few folks have changed their minds about how they treat each other.. Now it’s not uncommon for some mechanics to visit with the rampers between trips (I guess the better video gear is in the ramp ready rooms! :-)),the rampers are asked to hold a flashlight or two and the mechanics don’t mind getting a bag or stroller up to the passengers. We haven’t gotten totally together concerning our common enemy yet (management) but we’re working on it!!
Wonder what kind of attituide the supervisor for this pair has. If they think we are the “Glory Boy’s” then lets enjoy it, we sure had our asses kicked long enough.
I have no airline experience but things seem the other way around in corporate aviation. When working at many FBOs I’ve noticed that it’s the line crew that is on a first name basis with the celebs and CEOs. They are the ones who get the tips and the left over - often untouched - catering. They sit in the line office and watch us working out in the rain and wind. And they sure can find something else to do when I need an aircraft moved in or out of the hangar! I try not to do the monkey thing but reserve respect and admiration for the guy who does his job with excellence and humility. If that’s the aircraft hygenist, or the guy who mops the floor, then I’d rather take him to lunch than the lazy or arrogant type, whatever his status. I also have plenty of time for the chief pilot who treats me as a peer. And as for the “common enemy”, that should be ignorance and apathy, not management. But then, once again, I’ve no airline experience. If I did, perhaps I’d better understand the adversarial relationship thing.