My experiences at Ari Ben

[The_Russian]

Really? Because the maintenance at my last 121 job was fantastic. Don't tell me Gulfstream is cutting corners! Surely with all that seat-rental revenue from the FOs, they can afford to maintain the equipment.

What does the FO program have to do with aircraft maintenance? Nothing. Our mechanics do a fantastic job. BTW GAA and GIA are two separate companies.

The equipment is maintained well, but it is old. Just like at most airlines. There is a difference in handling maintenance issues as a professional and a momma's boy. The ones complaining on this thread are not handling this issues professionally.

From my personal experiences, I have found that if a person complains a lot, they usually suck at flying.

 

[CA1900]

What does the FO program have to do with aircraft maintenance? Nothing... BTW GAA and GIA are two separate companies.

So are TSA and GoJet, but the money goes to the same place.

My point was that, with all that extra cash rolling in from what amounts to an additional paying passenger on every flight, they have no excuses to cry poor and cut corners on maintenance, as a previous employer of mine did regularly (a flight school). That's all.

Our mechanics do a fantastic job....

The equipment is maintained well, but it is old. Just like at most airlines.

So when you said this...

Wait until you fly for a 121 company. The maintenance sucks everywhere. If you get over it now, you'll be better off.

You said the mx "sucks everywhere." I pointed out that it didn't at my previous 121 carrier, and you counter by saying that it's good at yours, too.

Which is it? I agree that old equipment can be maintained well; I've seen it regularly. I disagree that "maintenance sucks everywhere." I think we agree and don't even know it. :0

From my personal experiences, I have found that if a person complains a lot, they usually suck at flying.

Heh, you must have met the my training partner for upgrade at CommutAir. During the walk-around inspection, he actually said to the examiner, "how come he gets all the easy ones?"

"He's not getting the easy ones. He's just answering them quickly and correctly." DOH! Scaaaary....

 

[The_Russian]

Oh, nevermind! Let's get wasted.

 

[CA1900]

I'll drink to that! :beer:

 

[flynryan15]

First off the Aviator is another name for Ariben!!

Second off what the Russian said was exactly my point. If he had handled himself in a professional manner and went to see Mike or Mary about his issues he would have some solid ground to stand on. But he didn't he went on the World Wide Web and blasted them.

Come on you are gonna tell me if he makes it to a regional and starts posting a day to day diary on here he is not gonna get fired. I could see it now day 1 at xyz airlines lots of info instructor went to fast. Day 15 simulator is broken again am I ever gonna get to IOE? And if I do what are the planes gonna be like if they can't keep the sim up?

 

[Mike man]

Wait until you fly for a 121 company.

What??? The maintenance at my carrier is second to none. What do you mean?

I made the trip down to Ft. Pierce to build time about 7 years ago...and the airplanes all had the same trouble then too. The WX radar didn't work, the AP didn't work, blue flames shooting out of exhaust, and all of the other stuff too. When I was there we paid 49.95/hour wet...what did I expect? Exactly what I got, if you go to the worst flight school in America to build time you get exactly that...the worst flight school, with crappy CFI's who can't talk on the radio or know how to do Vmc demos, and crappy airplanes that hardly work.

So what is my point? I survived and lived to tell about it. And learned tons flying all over Florida every night. I flew 72.3 hours in 9 nights...exactly what I set out to do.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

I'm not going to get into the debate on what Ari Ben does or doesn't do. I'm sure their airplanes are safe and legally maintained or they'd be out of business. If they have all the equipment that their ads say they do, fantastic...if not, I don't know about it.

Easiest solution is to (shameless plug alert) just come to www.americanjettraining.com and do your time building here. Same type of program...duchess...from $89.95-$87.95/hr depending on the block purchased. Blocks from 50-250 hours available in 50 hour increments. (plug over)

FWIW

While oil temperature and pressure gauges are required, the duchess uses (L) and O-360 air cooled engines and therefore a temperature gauge is not required per 91.205(b) [(6) Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine.] for VFR flight. The oil temperature gauge is required for air cooled engines.

That being said, if the CHT gage was inop, it needed to be deactivated and placarded INOP per 91.213 to keep the airplane going.

The exception would be if the CHT was required equipment listed in the Duchess POH/AFM/TCDS, in which case you can't placard it INOP.

Example - One of our skyhawks' landing lights just burnt out and it's about 10 hours from 100 hour. Rather than put the plane down for a light bulb, we deferred the mx to 100 hour by placarding the light inop and having it deactivated. The A&P will do the replacement with 100 hour. Had this been listed as (R) in the POH, we couldn't have done that.

-mini

Minitour,
I'm sorry, but you are mistaken. I never said that an oil temperature gauge was required. I stated that an oil pressure gauge and an engine temperature gauge are required. I am referring to an engine temp gauge, not an oil temp gauge. An oil temp gauge is only required for liquid cooled engines, however, an engine temp gauge is definitely required for air cooled engines. Those gauges were INOP regularly at Ariben Aviator.
Second, I never mentioned anything about CHT (cylinder head temp) gauges. Were you replying to somebody else's post about CHT gauges?
I spoke of INOP carb heat (ya know the little lever you pull that allows warm air to flow around the carburetor assembly) to avoid carb icing. Carb heat is a required item according to the AFM and is very important when flying in humid areas like FL. It cannot be MEL'd or placarded.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

He does not work at Ari-Ben.

Maintenance is part of the game boys. Wait until you fly for a 121 company. The maintenance sucks everywhere. If you get over it now, you'll be better off.

The Russian,
I'm confused too...my former employer was a 121 carrier, and their maintenance was pretty good. It was at least 10x better than the maintenance I experienced at Ariben Aviator.
My current job is 135 and has crappy maintenance, but I'm not paying them for the privilege of flying their airplanes. I am not giving my employer $5000 out of my own pocket.
I would still say that my current job has better maintenance than Ariben did.

 

[Metro752]

First off the Aviator is another name for Ariben!!

Second off what the Russian said was exactly my point. If he had handled himself in a professional manner and went to see Mike or Mary about his issues he would have some solid ground to stand on. But he didn't he went on the World Wide Web and blasted them.

Come on you are gonna tell me if he makes it to a regional and starts posting a day to day diary on here he is not gonna get fired. I could see it now day 1 at xyz airlines lots of info instructor went to fast. Day 15 simulator is broken again am I ever gonna get to IOE? And if I do what are the planes gonna be like if they can't keep the sim up?

Yeah you are still missing the part about how YOU are paying to fly the airplane, they aren't paying you.

Plenty of people post their day to day "diary" when in flight training, on the interweb.

 

[flynryan15]

And you are missing the point that there was nothing actually wrong with the aircraft. He saw a indication problem he did not troubleshoot it he did not consult the POH he simply returned and complained about it. The other pilot a CFI/CFII with 4 times the experience attempted to troubleshoot it and show him it was because 2 alternators were sharing a light load.

That in its self is a big problem there. People come in to time build they don't take the time to study the systems of the Duchess and begin to think there is more of a problem then there actually is.

It doesn't matter if I am paying or being paid to fly an aircraft the nature of anything mechanical is to develope problems overtime. That is why there are required inspections for aircraft and preventative maintenance with automobiles.