You might work in aircraft maintenance If...

[Gatorman]

Gatorman you sound like a mad mechanic good for him sleeping in first class seat and not on the concrete . And why would you be a aircraft mechanic and tell some one not to be one? Hate your job? Sound like mabye you should be a engineer.

If I had the time and money to get my degree to be an engineer I would. Being a lowly paid mechanic such as I am and also the primary bread winner in the Gator household, I could not afford the schooling. Foutunately I married a wonderful woman with a bit of money sense that we are not up to our collective tail section in debt. I might even be able to get on of my kids into college with some of their grandparent's inheiretance.
I tell every young man I know that is thinking about college that they need to get a degree in engineering. Better pay, mostly a desk job, not having to work outside in the cold/heat/wind/rain and in high demand all over the world. I don't care what kind of degree in engineering - plumbing, home building, or aviation, just get that degree.

Now, that bit about me hating my job? Yes I do hate my job. My supervisor is flippid (telling people to do something then yelling at them in front of everybody for doing it and then saying that he did not tell them to do it), my manager has not spoken to me in months and has another job on the side plus farming out work that we could do. The sales dept has not brought in any aircraft in 4-5 months and I have been running a floor buffer for three weeks for lack of work to do.
Everybody that is left (they cut all of the contractors - except for the ones the manager has doing his farming), we are all wondering when we are getting cut.

Mad? No, I am pissed that the company I am working at is being run into the ground.

That is why I will be starting with an new company in two weeks.

P.S. If ever caught one of my mechanics sleeping in a VIP seat, he'd be fired on the spot. I guess that is the difference in corporate aviation and airlines. I have seen enough leather seats with holes in them from mechanics sitting in them with tools in thier back pockets.

 

[TrafficInSight]

I have one

You know you're a mechanic when you wear two T-shirts because the battery acid pinholes wont line up.

 

[vtwo]

You have been offered a SCAB job by NWA

 

[avbug]

You know you're a mechanic when you wear two T-shirts because the battery acid pinholes wont line up.

Or you can remember a particular cylinder change or job by referencing the oil stain on your shirt. Sort of like a logbook you wear.

 

[JediNein]

When the local FSDO sends new inspectors to your place for training. . .

You fly airplanes, but do not claim to be a pilot.

Your car's jumper cables have started Fords, Chevys, Cessnas, and the occasional King Air.

You have time on the wash rack in heels and a tight mini-skirt (male or female).

One of your birds crashes killing all aboard and you're pissed at the pilot for hurting YOUR plane.

You know looks can mean nothing.

FSDO's ramp check team hustles to your plane when you stop at the fuel pit, then wave and smile when they recognize you. They go ramp check someone else.

You've ever cussed a piece of equipment back into operation.

You wish you could get out of aviation, but know you can't. Anything else just doesn't cut it.

You narrowly avoid a hazmat citation during your last traffic stop because of all the chemicals in your trunk. The odd smells eminating from the back seat gave the officer probable cause for his search.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[Gatorman]

Good ones Avbug and Jedi....
....keep them coming.

You've stood in the exhaust of an APU or jet just to feel the warmth during the cold.

You've spent 8 hours in a class for the type aircraft you've been working on for the past 9 years to go down to the hangar to pull a pitch trim unit by yourself, run out to you car to try to catch 4 hours of sleep (at the airport mind you) to wake up in time to get back to class an pass the final exam.

Hauled a set of jacks in the back of your truck.

Drove the tug across the ramp to borrow a can of sealer (I am LMAO as I am typing this one)

Called the FBO to drive the AVGAS truck over to fill the tug up.

 

[Junkflyer]

...Taken your first shower in 3 days using bottled water and little bars of soap under a 747 being air-dried by the pack cooling outlets.

 

[Gatorman]

...Taken your first shower in 3 days using bottled water and little bars of soap under a 747 being air-dried by the pack cooling outlets.

Awwh come on....you've never done that!


Have you?

 

[Junkflyer]

I did this somewhere in the Middle East when I was riding the airplane as a flight mechanic. Our company flies a mechanic with the airplane on almost every leg (747's) The crews get off and on, but the mechanic continues with the airplane. When there is a long ground stop they get to the hotel for a shower, otherwise its continuous and short ground times like 3 hours or less. I'm an f/o now so I get to work less and drink more.

 

[Mr Wu]

You've used DC4 as chap stick.