96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

cardo, I have never put an LT1 back together after removing the heads with under 225psi cranking compression.

What part of APPLICATION SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE do you not grasp?

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

I must comment on this.
While the FAA may appear to you to be in the dark about the actual airplanes, they most certainly know the paperwork and will hang you by it. You say the A&P license means nothing, well that's news to me, you must be in managment to have such low regard for mechanics who make aircraft safe for millions of people to fly each year. Those mechanics in your hagar have my respect, they earned their A&P license.

hrcslam

I completely agree the FAA will hang you with the paper work. That's about all they are good at. (I don't give the FAA, a branch of the Government, credit for what people do. The ATC make aircraft coordinated at take off and landing NOT the FAA, etc. The FAA is supposed to GOVERN Aviation, and they aren't doing a very good job on the maintenance side of things IMO).

As far as the A&P goes, I give the fact that aircraft continue to fly as a testament to the engineers more than the maintainers.

Spend a month in any hangar and you'll know exactly what I mean. The best maintenance I've ever seen as a complete company came from those that don't require an A&P. BTW, I do have my A&P, I'm no better with than I was without it.

If you think the pressurized air vessel you fly in is maintained to the highest standards and not the lowest acceptable dollar you are sorely mistaken. You have no idea how much crap is swept under the rug.

Recently an aircraft was delivered from a heavy check, at the gate loaded with passengers, the captain goes to shut the cabin door, and it's not there. Oops.

Here's another, also recent. It leaves heavy maintenance, gets delivered, while loading passengers they go to load the baggage, open the baggage bay door and walla, no liners. Those only keep the bags from rubbing on hot hydraulic lines (fire hazard), rubbing on flight control cables (flight hazard) or pulling and breaking the ridiculous amount of wires (fire and flight hazards). Oops.

I can go on and on and on.

I've been every where from maintenance to management to training maintenance; both State side and abroad. While I haven't seen it all, I've seen a whole lot. This opinion of mine doesn't come lightly.

I maintain anything by the philosophy that my kids will fly in it. But unfortunately not everyone else feels the same way.

To put it shortly, I am an FAA certificated A&P mechanic. I currently maintain commercial aircraft for civilian travel. I have not flown nor allowed family to fly in any from the company I work for since I've started maintaining civilian commercial aircraft. Not for what I maintain, but what I see others doing.

Don't misconstrue what I'm saying either. By no means do I think all A&P's are crappy mechanics. Some of those mechanics have my utmost respect. However, I do think that the FAA regulations on A&P's is a joke because of how many absolutely horrible mechanics I've seen and how NOTHING is done to correct it by either the company nor the FAA, regardless of what is reported.

And I absolutely believe that a little piece of paper doesn't make anyone a better mechanic. I've seen way too many people with "credentials" do absolutely nothing with them, and people without credentials get slammed to the way side because they don't have them even though they are far far far better. It's BS.

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

I too have a A&P license and have been working on large commercial aircraft for a living for 31 years. With mechanics as in all walks of life there are people that are more skilled than others. I am sorry you have such low regard for the industry.

hrcslam

You must've gotten your A&E if you've had it that long.

I think a big part of my problem is that my Aviation is based heavily in rotor wing and Government. Big budgets and tight tolerances teach a certain level of quality. It's ingrained into me. So anything I see to the book is followed.

Too often I see people doing their own thing with it. It's disgusting. But it's encouraged, taught, and enforced. Management brings up budget (never mind that it's actually cheaper to do it right the first time), others bring up effort and time. It's all BS. My current employer isn't the only one I've experienced this with either. Although, my current employer is certainly not the worse.

I've quit a job 2 weeks in after I was told that their lost tool protocol is "hope your name isn't etched on it". Dead serious too, this really happened.

I have low regard for the industry because too many people within it are trying to pinch pennies, or save time, or just be lazy; from the top to the bottom. We've all seen the end game on that; it's Toyota's run away SUA problem or GM's ignition fiasco. It's ridiculous.

I will say this, with my limited experience with Boeing, they don't short cut things. They actually spend more money to get it right the first time every chance they get (seriously, they have ergonomically designed chairs); not sure who you work for. I'll also say that in actual manufacturing (not maintenance) the standard is very high (but also easy to meet because everything is brand new), but assembly is strictly adhered to and under tight QC. But also in manufacturing (get ready for this) an A&P is NOT required.....

An A&P licence does not a good Aviation Mechanic make.

/rant

Sorry.

Shownomercy

iTrader: (1)

Oh the aviation world.

The amount of stuff that fails SOF or qual but is bought off by a customer in a hurry would scare you. You are giving us engineers too much credit

Which Boeing plant do you work for? I have a contract with a part of Boeing for stuff, actually going back up on the test stand this week.

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

Why on God's green earth do you own an f-body, Baller Man-Mcrusherson?

Shownomercy

iTrader: (1)

engineer status != baller status.

'cides, I like the LT1 camaraderie on online forums.

Long live the coilpacks!

sweetbmxrider

iTrader: (13)

What the **** does this have to do with static compression ratio?

Shownomercy

iTrader: (1)

Nothing. Not a god damn thing.

We are waiting for cardo0 to come set us straight. Till then, FAA talk.

hrcslam

I think some of the best engineering I've seen for reliability and maintenance has come from Boeing and Sikorsky.

I don't work at Boeing anymore (I did a stint at the Assembly plant in Mesa, AZ). And with all the laundry I've aired here, I will not publicly disclose who I currently work for either. I will say they are not a small company though.

LOL.

Sorry, I hijacked this thread; well, my self and a few others.....

Shownomercy

iTrader: (1)

Midwest and not a small company, hmnn, I know Cessna/textron is out there, Bombardier/Lear is out there, obviously Boeing, that is the extent of my knowledge

If its bomb/LJ, then may god help your soul

hrcslam

Not gonna say anything.....

Some of the worst engineering when it comes to maintenance friendly, but they do keep flying no matter how cheap and crappy the maintenance is.

They do have a really good HR department though. An HR department that actually looks out for the employees. It's refreshing. They are doing just enough right to keep me around, that's for sure. LOL.

cardo0

Nothing. Not a god damn thing.

We are waiting for cardo0 to come set us straight. Till then, FAA talk.

Im still here and im so pissed off now i dont know if i will ever fly again! I post a 3 sentence recommendation on compression ratio and have to listen to this truck load on what? The state of aviation? No i dont want an explanation. I guess your all experts on that also. Just put me on your ignore list and/or go away.

hrcslam

You're*

nitrous2fast

iTrader: (2)

^^lol^^ I guess it will never stop.

hrcslam

I'm just saying, I can play that silly little game too....

Shownomercy

iTrader: (1)

So, let me get this right, you will listen to us banter about the state of the FAA and take that hearsay as pure truth, evidenced by your statement that you won't fly ever again. But, you won't take the many many statements of people who have actually built/raced N20 LT1 motors as proof?

Thank god its friday.