Ask an (ex) aircraft mechanic anything.....

[magpie215]

As per the other "ask" threads running please feel free to ask away.

20 years in but been out the game for a few years now.

G.A bizjet and commuter turboprop in the main but have knowledge and stories from higher up the food chain.

Edited by magpie215 on Tuesday 5th October 17:15

[Leadfoot]

Why an ex & what do you do now?

[steveo3002]

did you ever throw away spare parts after a repair job...as in left over bits that should be in the airplane

[Gin and Ultrasonic]

Are you scared of flying?! And more or less scared than you were 20 years ago?

[magpie215]

Leadfoot said:

Why an ex & what do you do now?

Got bored where I was and didnt want the hassle of commuting in every day for work on larger Aircraft......carer now.

[magpie215]

steveo3002 said:

did you ever throw away spare parts after a repair job...as in left over bits that should be in the airplane

Not personally....but have heard it happens on occasion....it might be an odd panel screw or minor bit of tertiary structure.
You Can't really leave anything too important out!!

[magpie215]

Gin and Ultrasonic said:

Are you scared of flying?! And more or less scared than you were 20 years ago?

Nope not scared at all infact during my time I obtained my PPL and regularly flew the Aircraft that I and my colleagues worked on.

[Leon R]

Were you a mechanic or an engineer and what did you work on?

[magpie215]

Leon R said:

Were you a mechanic or an engineer?

Mechanic .

All my work was overseen (sometimes)and signed off by licenced Engineers.

[magpie215]

Leon R said:

what did you work on?

G.A so think anything small piston or turbine engined with 1 2 or 3 engines

Bizjets

Turboprop passenger aircraft 40-50 seater capacity

[Tony1963]

I left the RAF in 1991 (!) after having been an airframes tech on Buccaneers, Hunters, Tornado GR1 and Tornado F3. Then went to Saudi on Tornado F3 and hydraulic workshop, and now after a handful of years on civvie stuff, I’m on Apaches. Looking forward to being able to retire at some point, but the banter is great. I’ll really miss it.

[magpie215]

Tony1963 said:

the banter is great. I’ll really miss it.

I'd agree with that l.
certainly lots of characters in the sector with some great stories and humour.

[Kawasicki]

Back in the day I worked on commercial stuff, including the 747.

We had a few interesting moments over the years.

What’s your biggest holy sh!t moment?

[Leon R]

magpie215 said:

Leon R said:

what did you work on?

G.A so think anything small piston or turbine engined with 1 2 or 3 engines

Bizjets

Turboprop passenger aircraft 40-50 seater capacity

Where did you work when you worked on bizjets? I work in that industry.

[magpie215]

Kawasicki said:

What’s your biggest holy sh!t moment?

I'd say it was when Hydraulic accumulator let go because a contractor had used the wrong rig on that particular aircraft type...system overpressure found the item with the lowest bursting point.

Another contractor was about 5 feet from. Ground zero....if anyone had been working in the nose gear bay...RIP.

The cleanup after was messy fortunately it was cherry not skydrol.

[magpie215]

Leon R said:

Where did you work when you worked on bizjets? I work in that industry.

No one place it was more a supporting role for visiting aircraft so in the main snags fluids oxy top ups Tyre pressures some LRUs and batteries loose trim etc etc

[texaxile]

Did you ever see or find any epic "bodges"?.

[magpie215]

texaxile said:

Did you ever see or find any epic "bodges"?.

A few.

In the main it was bodges to get aircraft back to a heavy maintenance hangar.

One time an aircraft was being exported to Canada a pilot/engineer had come over to get it ready to fly part of the nose landing gear was broken so he bodged it together with a piece of dexion shelving and some jubilee clips the main gear would still retract but nose gear was locked in the down position...I believe he flew it all the way back like that!!!


Glue screws are common....usually a broken anchor nut so a tech will just silicone a screw in...see that often on non structural inspection panels.

[stain]

Kawasicki said:

Back in the day I worked on commercial stuff, including the 747.

We had a few interesting moments over the years.

What’s your biggest holy sh!t moment?

Mine was when the hangar fire suppression system went off one night. Was like the biggest Ibiza foam party you’ve ever seen!

[numtumfutunch]

Not that I'll ever need to worry but......

1) would you ever worry about flying in a helicopter - thinking Leicester here which presumably lacked for nothing yet still 'randomly' fell out of the sky

2) Charter or private jet given the choice, which is safer and if so by how much?

Cheers