FLOPS Maintenance Sucks

[skanza]

Nope. I don't find life difficult at all. Not what you mean Guitar Guy.
Yes, NJW, the strife should end. But at what cost? I'm not sure I have the answer. All violence aside, I consider the viewpoints that many of you have and I wish it were easy for everyone. But it's not. Let's hope the contract works out for everyone.
I don't know anything about an auto industry reference and what "Bobby" sadi. I've had that opinion for a long time.
"don't waste yor time with this guy"? who here is truthful about thier profile? That takes away from the whole "hinde behind the computer. Right?
And in reference to this thread title, does FLOPS MX really suck? They are better than getting the plane worked on by non-FO maintenance people. Those guys don't care about the equipment like the FO people do. Maybe some feel they are steered when writing something up, but that's illegal. I'd write what's broke, not what I'm "told" to write.

 

[FR8DOG777]

Skanza
I like how you have chosen to pick and choose to answer which questions that were directed at you. What has FLOPS done for you lately? What improvement have they made that directly affects the pilots? I thought it was humorous when you got anal-itis when you posed a question on this forum and you thought no one answered it. Then you received many answers and responses. My question still stands for you. What improvements has FLOPS had for the pilots? I don't believe you even work for the same FLOPS I work for. You must work for a different FLOPS. The industry leading FLOPS we all have been hearing about.

 

[FR8DOG777]

I can say that after the increase of insurance premiums being passed on to the maintenance employees, I can see an improvement to their work. I noticed the could care less how fast scheduling would like the plane released back into service. The plane gets released when it becomes fixed. I have also noticed a reduction of "could not duplicate" sign offs. I believe it is because the FLOPS mechanics are taking their time to diagnose and repair the planes properly without influence from scheduling. Also it may be the crews are writing the planes up more accurately for maintenance. Now if only we could get the planes to a maintenance facility instead of operating them with numerous MEL items and several of those bogus MDL items. MDL is just a fancy word meaning if it isn't on the MEL we will just use our MDL. I bet the MDL will change soon.

 

[netjetwife]

I don't know what "Bazokas" is, but I do know what it is to worry when my husband tells me that the hotel is too noisy for him to rest well. In a sense of community spirit I extend that concern to all pilots. If it takes pilots protesting loudly to get managers to focus on safety--so be it. Every frac pilot and family should thank those who speak up. Here's mine--thanks for helping to make the industry safer for all involved! Industry standards need to apply to lodging as well as wages.

Skanza, if the process of contract negotiations was an easy one the phrase "labor dispute" wouldn't be so common. You do seem interested in finding answers. I strongly recommend that you read a book that can shed a lot of light on the situation--Confessions of a Union Buster. It's the true story of a man that got rich destroying the efforts of workers to organize and acquire a contract. In the process, he lost his self-respect and didn't regain it until he confessed and began applying what he had learned to helping, instead of harming, others. What an eye-opener!

As to cost, management is wasting tons of money fighting the pilots instead of dealing with them fairly. Ford & Harrison are union busters. I'm sure their fees would enrage the pilots. An example of what the author charged in 1983--$1000--$1,500 a day per labor "adviser" on his team, lawyers were extra. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time seeing things from the viewpoint of a manager who throws money away instead of using it to solve the problem by giving the pilots a long-overdue raise. To add insult to injury, the only "raise" the pilots have seen, while F&H are raking in the dough, is an increase in their health insurance. When you read the inside story of how companies fight their workers it all becomes very clear. I think if you read the book you'll begin to understand why your fellow pilots are so disgusted.

 

[Dep676]

Nope. I don't find life difficult at all. Not what you mean Guitar Guy.
Yes, NJW, the strife should end. But at what cost? I'm not sure I have the answer. All violence aside, I consider the viewpoints that many of you have and I wish it were easy for everyone. But it's not. Let's hope the contract works out for everyone.
I don't know anything about an auto industry reference and what "Bobby" sadi. I've had that opinion for a long time.
"don't waste yor time with this guy"? who here is truthful about thier profile? That takes away from the whole "hinde behind the computer. Right?
And in reference to this thread title, does FLOPS MX really suck? They are better than getting the plane worked on by non-FO maintenance people. Those guys don't care about the equipment like the FO people do. Maybe some feel they are steered when writing something up, but that's illegal. I'd write what's broke, not what I'm "told" to write.

I can say for sure that FO mx does suck. How about picking a plane up in PBI and taking it out with 3 MEL's, that is just the beginning. Also that is after the plane had been in MX of at least 18 hours. Then we get to TEB, they do not fix but one of the MEL's and extend another that takes 30 minutes to fix. They had the plane at least 12 hours that night. We had to have them come out to re-fix something that they signed off as fixed. Meanwhile the pax are there waiting to go. We finally make it to MCC for more MX. They finally fix all the MEL's. We show up at 0530am and there is more wrong. I have a guy tell that is what a bad switch. The lead comes out and says what is the problem the light is out. I proceed to tell him that the other guy told it was a bad switch. The lead then tried to argue with me that the light was out and the door was closed. I told him that the last guy told me that the switch was bad. He finally agrees and says we will get you a new switch. So after he messes with the switch he says it is a fuse that was blown. He is changing that and here comes another MX guy and says "so this is the one he blew the fuse on purpose so they could get out of here". We confront him on it and he says he was only joking. Joking my A$$, that is funny when they replaced the fuse the light came back on and all the doors were closed. So that leads to the issue of they did not fix anything. Meanwhile all before that the first guy was telling the lead the light was flickering when he was messing wiht the switch. When in fact the light was never coming on because of the fuse being blown. All it turned out to be was the switch on the lav door needed to be adjusted.

So I disagree 100% that FO MX is good. I have been at other shops and they do not let it go until it is fixed.

 

[skanza]

That's really dissapointing. The maintenance people need to realize that they need to be humble. Repairing aircraft a safety sensitive and if you let your pride get in the way (e.g. lying about what the problem was) you're bound to get someone hurt. I see that too many times with mechanics. They, like pilots, need to resist getting to complacent with the job at hand. I'm sorry that happened to you at a FO facility (not that we or I can control them), but I still support them over an outside vendor.

 

[TORCH67]

Haaa Bazooka's is like crossing a cheap diner with Hooters! Just like Crossing Newark with Vegas and you get Atlantic City! Gotta love the soft spoken Jersey Girls!:laugh:

 

[simba]

OK - so you feel a lot of pressure from Scheduling. Don't you think that the maintenance department feels the same pressure? I hate to say it, but I've seen the maintenance controllers as well as the maintenance facilities get over-ruled by Scheduling's need for an aircraft. The result - the plane gets pushed out of the hangar with more MEL's and MDL's than it showed up with.

Hope you guys see the industry treand: maintenance is handled by outside vendors. That's where FLTOPS is heading.

 

[jetwash]

I heard they are going to be opening a Las Vegas MX base now that APA is closed.

 

[FR8DOG777]

Las Vegas MX

Who in their right mind would come to work for FLOPS. Does FLOPS think they can attract talented employees anywhere? I don't. FLOPS will have a hard time staffing at the moment if not for the rest of FLOPS term in business, how ever long that might be.

Recent actions from the FLOPS leadership show that they truly only care about one thing, and no it isn't to show a profit. It is themselves. That is the only thing they really care about. I predict that with the latest predatory firings, and people quiting, FLOPS will end up short handed. Not just in staffing with the pilots, but including the OCC and maintenance. This company will flop due to the lack of qualified help. No pilots, No fly. No mechanics, No planes. No OCC, No big picture.

Aviation is a relative small industry, and most people don't forget easily, or soon. Flops/TravelAir had a Raytheon maintenance facility in Las Vegas. They closed it suddenly just like they did Denver's, without a moments notice. I suspect I won't see people beating down the door to come and work at FLOPS. With the current management, I don't think we ever will.

 

[400pilot]

LAS will be staffed by 4 mechanics from MCC. 1 month rotations.....

 

[FR8DOG777]

LAS will be staffed by 4 mechanics from MCC. 1 month rotations.....

You are joking right??? MCC is understaffed themselves. So is TEB for that matter. Do you think they will find any underpaid mechanics that are currently working for FLOPS, relocate to Vegas. Here today, gone tomorrow with the current management.

Lets see, let me uproot my family sell my home change my kids' school, have my wife quit her job, and move to Vegas. Then all of the sudden FLOPS realizes it was a mistake to open a maintenance base in Las Vegas, and closes it down without notice. No mechanic is that hard up for a job to relocate for FLOPS. The tier policy proved that no pilot would move for FLOPS either. This company isn't worth the effort.

 

[400pilot]

You are joking right???

No

Do you think they will find any underpaid mechanics that are currently working for FLOPS, relocate to Vegas.

They aren't relocating. 1 month road trip.....

All per the lead at MCC...

 

[netjetwife]

My sympathies to the mx families. I bet that's not what they signed on for. In this case I'm using "signed on" only as a figurative expression---unfortunately. Rumor or not, it certainly reinforces the need for a contract. Hang in there Options pilots!
NJW

 

[FR8DOG777]

I personally can't imagine being away for a month at a time for FLOPS. Eight days is way to long. The maintenance people that choose to go to Las Vegas for a month at a time may realize that FLOPS really doesn't care about them or their families. Are they going to put these guys at the Amerisuits for a month? That in its self is enough reason not to go to Vegas. I am sure FLOPS will sucker someone in to going to Vegas, but I bet it won't last for a month.