AMTonline Blogs

The AMT team was in Houston this past Sunday through Tuesday attending HAI’s HeliExpo trade show. The trade show floor was buzzing with activity (HAI announced that it broke previous exhibitor and attendance records).

I spent the first day of the show attending press conferences and seminars. As I was looking over the schedule in the morning to decide which press conferences and sessions I would be able to attend, two sessions stood out. The first was titled Maintenance Director’s Forum, and would address regulatory issues affecting maintenance personnel including avionics, field approvals, and current issues. Sarah MacLeod, Executive Director and Marshall Filler, Managing Director and General consul, of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), and Ed DiCampli, HAI’s Executive Vice President would lead the discussions.

The session was hosted in a room that could easily accommodate two hundred attendees. If you didn’t count journalists (myself), consultants (Richard Komarniski from Grey Owl Aviation), and associations (me, Brian Finnegan, Director, Professional Certification, SAE Institute and Clark Gordon, Chairman, PAMA), there were not two hundred. There weren’t even one hundred. There were two. And both of them were from the same company. So the eight of us pulled our chairs in a circle and had a nice two-hour discussion on industry issues. It turned out to be a great discussion.

The second seminar I had on my list was a session titled Maintenance Techs’ Mentoring Program. The program said that in this session, “a panel of top industry experts would share their experiences and expertise with individuals attending or just completing training, maintenance technicians already in the industry looking to pick up valuable information from seasoned professionals, and students considering a career as a maintenance technician.”

Across the hall at the same time as the Maintenance Techs’ Mentoring Program was a similar session for pilots titled Pilots’ Mentoring Program. As I passed that room, the room (that could probably accommodate around 80 people) was full and had people standing around the room. 

I walked into the maintenance room and met four maintenance students, all from the same school in Pittsburgh. So we pulled our chairs together in the large room and had a great discussion. The students present asked plenty of great questions and soaked up a lot of information from the maintenance veterans in the room .

As I sat in the second session, I couldn’t help but think if it was a sign of things to come. A room full of student pilots in one room wanting to pick the brains of those that have risen through the ranks, and a room right across the hall with four student mechanics taking advantage of the same opportunity to learn from industry veterans.

It was disappointing to say the least.

Thanks for reading,

Joe Escobar

I have had a few calls and e-mails the past few weeks regarding IA renewals, so I want to start off this week’s posting by giving my fellow IAs a friendly reminder — the March 31 deadline for completing your IA recurrency requirements is fast approaching. Remember — the FAA revised the requirement for renewing our IA certificate to once every two years. NOTHING changed in regards to our annual recurrency requirements. We still need to meet those annual requirements by March 31 of this year. Then between April 1 and March 31 of next year, we need to meet another year’s annual recurrency requirements and go into our local FAA office and have them renew our certificate. For those that continue to practice their IA responsibilities after March 31 without meeting recurrency requirements, they will be in violation of the FARs and subject to FAA disciplinary action. You can reference FAR 65.93 to review IA renewal requirements.

Now for the meat and potatoes of today’s blog. It has to do with the future of aircraft maintenance. Many of you take time to comment on this blog, and I appreciate your participation in this public forum. One of my most replied-to postings in the two years I have been blogging was “Future of Aircraft Maintenance?” from November 2006. To date it has received 52 comments. In that posting I asked, “What can we do to help recruit more youth to pursue aircraft maintenance as a career? What can we do as aircraft maintenance professionals to help raise the interest level in aircraft maintenance?”

Well I got just about every sort of response from very positive to negative. It reminds me of a comment we received from a reader four years ago in response to a salary survey question. He said, “Don’t become an aircraft mechanic — A piano player in a whorehouse gets more respect than we do!”

Reading the ongoing responses to that blog, it is evident that quite a few readers are fed up with the industry.

Here’s today’s question. For those of you that are fed up with the industry, are considering leaving the aircraft maintenance career field, or for those that have already left, what would it take to change your attitude? Money? Respect? Job conditions? Working hours? Advancement opportunities? I don’t necessarily want to hear why the industry is bad. I want to know what it would take to change your attitude — what changes would it take to satisfy your career goals and aspirations?

I am not just soliciting feedback from those fed up with the industry. If you are happy with your job situation, let us know why. What makes your job fun? What motivates you and pushes you to excel? Why do you find your career choice rewarding?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Joe Escobar

I was reading an article that appeared in Tulsa World yesterday. The article discusses AMTSociety, some of the efforts that Ken MacTiernan and Dennis Hayes have made in promoting AMTSociety, and the upcoming Aviation Industry Expo March 18-20 in Dallas, Texas. Thanks to Tulsa World staff writer D.R. Stewart for recognizing aircraft maintenance professionals.

Amidst all of the praise and attention given to our craft in the article, there was a quote that stood out. An American Airlines mechanic said, “They pay me just enough not to quit, and I do just enough not to get fired.”

That sentence says a lot. As we are close to getting a national AMT Day resolution passed, and as we celebrate AMT Day in more than 40 U.S. states and territories, it is sad to see this attitude exists. I can’t imagine Charles E. Taylor saying, “The Wright Brothers pay me just enough not to quit, and I do just enough not to get fired.”

In generations past workers used to get a job and retire from that same company after years of dedicated service. They would respect the company, and were proud to work there. The company treated its employees like family.

Times have changed. Many companies now just treat employees as disposable assets. Employee attitudes have also changed, as witnessed in the quote in the article. Jobs are no longer a source of pride or an opportunity for long-term employment and retirement. Instead, they are a stepping stone to the next opportunity, even if it is outside the aircraft maintenance environment.

Will this trend turn around? What do you think?

We’d like to hear your comments.

Thanks for reading,

Joe Escobar

Her name is Major Lou Ann Rickley. Rickley recently retired from the United States Marine Corps after 30 years of blazing a trail of firsts. She became a legend in the Corps as the first female Harrier engine mechanic.

According to an article by Sgt. Michael T. Knight on the Marine Corps News website, Rickley joined the Marine Corps in 1977. She became an aircraft mechanic and soon realized it was her dream job when she landed with a Harrier unit — Marine Attack Squadron 513 Flying Nightmares. There she became the first female qualified as a plane captain on the AV-8A Harrier. Rickley says, “I suspected that the Corps made a mistake by assigning me to this unit because it was a deployable unit and females were not yet allowed to deploy.”

But Rickley overcame that and many other obstacles as she advanced in her military career. In 1986, she graduated drill instructor school and became a senior drill Instructor after one training cycle. Before leaving Parris Island, she was promoted to gunnery sergeant and was the first to fill a newly established position of Series Chief Drill Instructor, 4th Recruit Training Battalion.

While stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, CA, Rickley was selected to become one of only two female Warrant Officers  in the Marine Corps.

As a Chief Warrant Officer, Rickley applied for the Limited Duty Officer program and was the only aircraft maintenance officer selected and promoted to Captain in 1999. That same year, she was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 to turn the unit around (the unit had failed its maintenance inspection). Within eight months, she dismantled the unit and rebuilt it the right way. It passed its next inspection with flying colors.

We wish Rickley the best in the next phase of her professional life.

You can read the full article by clicking here.

Thanks for reading.

Joe Escobar

This blog falls into the “What the heck are they thinking?” category.

Last April, I wrote about a couple of idiots who smuggled guns and drugs on a flight. That incident caused the TSA, Congress and airline representatives to discuss whether or not airline employees should be subjected to the same screening as the general public is. You can read that blog here.

Apparently, some people think that is the case. H.R. 1413, a bill sponsored by Congresswoman Nita Lowey, a Democrat from New York, passed the House last month. In summary, the bill:

Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to: (1) implement a pilot program at five commercial service airports to screen all airport workers with access to sterile areas of the airport; and (2) conduct a vulnerability assessment of each airport participating in such program.

Requires: (1) at least two of the participating airports to be large hub airports, with each of the remaining airports representing a different airport security risk category; (2) screening to be conducted under the same standards as apply to passengers at airport security screening checkpoints and to be carried out by private screeners at a designated screening lane for their exclusive use at a minimum of two airports; (3) the program to be carried out for not less than 180 days; and (4) each participating airport operator to conduct an assessment of the screening technology used at the airport and to submit the results to the Assistant Secretary.

There is a related bill that was introduced in the Senate last April (S. 1095: Airport Security Enhancement Act of 2007) that would:

Amend passenger and property screening provisions to require the screening by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel of: (1) air carrier employees that board a passenger aircraft; and (2) as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of certain airport perimeter screening provisions, airport and air carrier employees, contractors, and vendors before entry into a secured area of an airport in the United States.

Requires the heads of specified hub airports and nonhub airports to: (1) submit to the Administrator of TSA a plan for comprehensive screening of all individuals entering a secure area of an airport; and (2) implement the comprehensive screening plan not later than 60 days after its submission.

Maybe it’s just me, but how do you screen airline employees to the same standards as apply to passengers at airport security screening checkpoints? Do we now have to pack lunches with little 3-ounce bottles of juice that can all fit in a quart-size bag? What about purchasing new tools? How do we get a screwdriver, wrench, or other tool to work? I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Lets just hope that if the H.R. 1413 passes, the assessments of the trial security screenings will show that such a program is not feasible.

What are your thoughts? Do we need to suck it up and be subjected to security screening to protect the flying public from possible terrorist attacks? Is the government overreacting?

Thanks for reading!

Joe Escobar

As the editor in chief of AMT, I receive all sorts of press releases. Some of them aren’t related to aircraft maintenance, but they are still pitched as containing “relevant and important information” for our readers.

I received one of those press releases last week.

People say time flies when you are having fun. Well I guess we need to change the saying to, “Time flies when the universe expands.”

Enjoy,

Joe

Photon Energy to Peak in 2012 

She says that people are finding there aren’t enough hours in the day because of something called the “Photon Energy” which peaks in 2012. “No, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s going to feel like it to many.” Who is she? Her name is Margaret McElroy, or Margaret M as she is known. An Australian now living in Seattle with her husband Alan, Margaret says “The Photon Energy is causing so many problems for people all around the world. We think there are 24 hours in the day, but really there are only about 6–8. So many people don’t have the time to do the things they plan each day. They go to the bank and, before they know it, it’s lunchtime. One more appointment when they should have had two or three, and it’s time for dinner!” 

Scientists have long recognized that the Universe has been growing larger since its origin 13.7 billion years ago, but it was assumed the expansion should be slowing down due to the pull of gravity. In 1998, two teams of astrophysicists discovered that the expansion is actually speeding up. Scientists call it the “Dark Energy” because they have absolutely no clue as to what it is. Margaret said her friends in the world of spirit have told her it is called “Photon Energy,” a band of energy traveling the Universe that is speeding everything up.

Margaret also says the Photon Energy is causing many problems in the world today. It is compressing time, pressuring people, causing road rage, and bringing a lot of anger out. Metaphysically, it is designed to do just that – to bring out of humanity all the trapped energy that the majority on the Earth plane have, not only from this lifetime, but – as Margaret says – from previous lives. Margaret is renowned around the world for her accurate past-life readings both on radio and in person that tie in with people’s lives today. She is uncannily accurate if one listens to the radio show “The Sixth Sense” which is broadcast on WARM FM 106.9 HD3 in Seattle, KCAA 1050 AM in San Bernardino, California, and also streamed and archived on www.contacttalkradio.com and www.kcaaradio.com. As soon as Margaret hears a person’s voice she tunes in to their energy and hones into a past life and the problem it is causing in their life today. 

“If people understood the Photon Energy, many of them would feel better about their lives instead of thinking there is something wrong with them because they do not have enough hours in the day. I am not a scientist,” Margaret says, “but I do have the metaphysical reason for the phenomenon and, for those who have discovered what it is, it has created a great deal of relief in their lives.” 

Reuters is reporting that this past Tuesday, Chinese inspectors found eight mice (dead and alive) on a United Airlines aircraft. The airline had reported the unwelcome stowaways to local quarantine officials upon landing in Beijing Sunday after a flight from Washington, D.C.

The report prompted an “emergency team” to rush the aircraft to put rat poison and mouse traps at every possible corner of the aircraft including the cockpit. The inspectors said that eight mice were found (dead and alive) hidden in pillows onboard the aircraft.

As would be expected, the media had a field day talking about the dozens of fatal viruses that the mice can spread and the risk posed from mice chewing through aircraft wiring and circuits.

In a statement, United Airlines said, “We are taking this matter seriously and have begun a full investigation with the authorities to determine how this happened and ensure it is resolved.”

I have been to Washington, D.C. before, and I can’t help but think that the passengers of that flight are lucky that it was mice that snuck onboard the flight and not some of those huge rats that scurry around D.C. at night. 

You can read the entire Reuters article here.

Thanks for reading.

Joe Escobar

Yesterday was my first day back in the office after taking some time off during the Christmas holidays. After I cleaned out my inboxes (both on my desk and e-mail), I sat down to write this week’s Technically Speaking blog posting. As I prepared to write my blog, I scanned the wires to see if any news items caught my eye.

A news story on maintenance offshoring caught my attention. The story may sound familiar. Large airline decides to establish a maintenance base in Asia to save money. Union wants five percent pay raise for its members. Airline offers three percent. Airline’s 1,700 mechanics threaten industrial action. Company counters by unveiling contingency plans to offset any industrial actions by rescheduling flights and hiring non-union licensed former employees to replace them (at salaries that are twice what the airline’s current mechanics are making).

But this is not a story of the struggles between a U.S. carrier and its mechanics. It is of Quantas. The article appeared in the December 27 issue of theage.com.au. Reporter Scott Rochfort notes the airline fueled anger among staff when it announced plans to establish its first heavy maintenance base in Asia in partnership with Malaysia Airlines. The article goes on to note that Quantas says the new base will only serve as an “overflow” facility when its maintenance facilities in Australia are booked out.

Odd, but why would an airline build a new maintenance base in a foreign country only to use it as an overflow facility? Wouldn’t an investment of that magnitude mean more than just occasional maintenance work would be sent there?

Maintenance offshoring is a trend that affects mechanics around the world. Airlines around the globe are looking at all options when it comes to saving money — especially when it comes to maintenance costs.

You can read the entire article by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

Joe Escobar

…aviation style.

A friend of mine sent me the following poem that puts an aviation twist on the familiar Christmas poem. I don’t know who the original author is (it is one of those e-mails that spreads through e-mails like E. coli on room-temperature venison).

Enjoy, and here’s wishing you a safe and merry Christmas!

Joe Escobar

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
  Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
  The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care,
  In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.

  The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
  With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.
  I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
  And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.

  When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
  I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
  A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
  Called for clearance to land at the airport below.

  He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
  I’d have sworn that the call sign he used was “St. Nick“.
  I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
  The better to welcome this magical flight.

  He called his position, no room for denial,
  “St. Nicholas One, turning left onto final.”
  And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
  But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!

  With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,
  As he passed the fixes, he called them by name:
  “Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
  On Comet! On Cupid!” What pills was he taking?

  While controllers were sitting and scratching their heads,
  They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread,
  The message they left was both urgent and dour:
  “When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower.”

  He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
  Then I heard “Left at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.”
  He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh
  And stopped on the ramp with a “Ho, ho-ho-ho…”

  He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
  I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.
  His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost
  And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust.

  His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
  And he puffed on a pipe (but he didn’t inhale).
  His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,
  His boots were as black as a crop duster’s belly.

  He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
  And he asked me to “fill it, with hundred low-lead.”
  He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,
  I knew he was anxious for draining the sump.

  I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
  And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
  He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
  Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.

  And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
  These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
  He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
  Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, “Clear!”

  And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
  He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
  “Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,
  Turn right three-two-zero at pilot’s discretion”

  He sped down the runway, the best of the best,
  “Your traffic’s a Grumman, inbound from the west.”
  Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed thru the night,
  “Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight.”

Getting an A&P certificate isn’t cheap. Taking advanced courses once you have your A&P can also be quite expensive.

AMTSociety wants to help. It has announced the launch of AMTSociety AMTScholarships. The scholarships were created to financially assist those currently working towards their A&P certification as well as to assist those already certified in furthering their professional education and training.

The two scholarships, the William F. “Bill” O’Brien and Charles E. Taylor scholarships, are named after two aircraft maintenance professionals who have spent their careers promoting and advancing the skilled craft of aircraft maintenance professionals.

The two AMTScholarship winners will be announced in March at Aviation Industry Expo. The scholarship winners will be chosen by AMTSociety board members and the AMTSociety Executive Director.

The deadline for the applications is in a few days (December 15), but there is still time to get an application in. If you or someone you know could use some money to help pay for A&P school or to further your aircraft maintenance career, go to AMTSociety.org and click on the left hand button that says AMTSociety Scholarships to read more about the scholarships and to download application forms.

Thanks for reading,

Joe Escobar