About Had It!

[Lostdog65]

dropped a nickel and a dollar on the ground, and mimicking the owner he stepped over the dollar saying:"Look! A Nickel!". (He was one of the few management types who realized the benefit of spending money now to avoid spending a ton of money later, but it fell on deaf ears).

Leardawg...

That brings tears to my eyes! We have a picture of the owner in the hangar staring at the floor. Someone put the caption under that says, "Lookie here...a perfectly good used screw!"

Like I said...it's not that the aircraft are unsafe it's just the nickel and dime crap that is driving me nuts! Case in point. I drove a mechanic to one of our outstations to help put on a new turbo. (I'm not an A&P but I can uncowl a 402 and hold a flash light and pass the 9/16 etc.) He pulls out all the new parts and curses that, again, he has to use the old expansion bolts for the exhaust. I asked what he meant. He replied that when a new turbo system comes in it has all new hardware. All the new hardware is dumped in a bucket in parts and he's told to use the old stuff if it's any good. My question was, "What if this stuff isn't any good? We don't have the new stuff!" He said, fortunately these used parts were still good.

Best part? I had to now fly this plane out of Montague with a 400' overcast/10 mile vis afternoon. Right engine runs so rich it bogs down and pumps out black smoke. FBO operator calls me and mentions the smoke, I do a 200' left pattern (Former leadplane pilot here) no big deal save the fact that I'm now nursing the mixture lean (almost half way back) to get the engine to run. Make pass, FBO operator says no smoke, I yank back and pop through the overcast as I'm picking up my clearance from Seattle (uncontrolled airspace to 10K thank God!). Finally the mechanic visibly relaxes and says, "Good...were on top and can see!"

I got a million of them like this...

I just want a freakin' schedule with aircraft that the passengers aren't asking, "Is it supposed to make that noise?" (Gear kept retracting on the 421 due to leak in hydraulic system causing the gear to not uplock properly and the pump kept having to raise the gear. Maintenance's solution? "Can you have Jet West add some fluid or do you want to stiff-leg it home??" Get real!)

Eric

P.S. I'm not a whiner...just a little put out.

 

[UnableDirect]

but it sounds like each time you are confronted with these mx situations, you in fact take the flights... why dont you on an occasion cancel and show mx that their laziness, in your words, is affecting "service" which of course affects INVOICING!!!

 

[bell47]

Some times you just have to say "NO, I'm not flying it until it's right." If they argue, then you can tell them to get the FAA maintenance inspector on the phone and ask their opinion, tell them if the FAA says it's OK then I'll Fly. Remember if you fly it in that condition it makes you as guilty, or more so, than them. PIC has final authority on the flight. Good luck, I've been in your shoes, bell47.

 

[cynic]

It's not that the maintenance is bad...it's just...well...how to put it? Lazy? Nickel and dime stuff?

You are the one that agrees to get in it. Find another job, refuse to fly until they fix it or quit your bitchin.

 

[Lostdog65]

Unable...Bell...Cynic...

I have turned down flights. It has affected the bottom line. I will refuse to fly an unsafe airplane. Like I said...nickel and dime stuff...all the time.

In my early days I would fly the broke planes. Not anymore. Matter of fact, the Chief pilot just grounded both charter planes due to maintenance. He, too, got tired of it.

Company has a freightdawg mentality on the charter side. Doesn't work.

And I am looking for another job...but I need this one to EAT!

Eric

 

[AC560]

And I am looking for another job...but I need this one to EAT!

Can't eat if your dead.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Can't eat if your dead.

Pretty self-righteous comment.

 

[AC560]

Pretty self-righteous comment.

I fail to see what is self righteous about my statement. There are dozen of threads running all the time about pilots complaining about unsafe airplanes and then proceeding to fly them because they need the job. No job is worth losing your or your passengers lives over, if more people understood that we would have a lot less dead pilots every year.

I hope things work out for LostDog.

 

[FN FAL]

Can't eat if your dead.

Depends...if you come back a zombie, you eat brains. Brains, must eat brains...:nuts:

 

[Say Again Over]

You need the help of your fellow company pilots, get together and take a position, what's the saying " If you think good maintenance is expensive, try having an accident".:beer: