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Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:15 pm

minger wrote: Sorta related: did y'all see a B-29 just got certified and will be flying soon?

Yes I did and I'm excited! I can't wait till they have Fi-Fi and Doc flying together in formation won't that be cool?! 8) :D :D

Tue May 23, 2017 6:44 am

Yes sir tommorow is the day. Last year they bought us lunch and gave us a flashlight. To show the ❤️

Wed May 24, 2017 12:04 pm

I am also an A&P, I started wrenching on OH-58's back in the mid to late 80's. They were the military version of the Bell Jet Ranger.

I actually got my A&P from Greenville Tech at Donaldson Center in SC. Its an old WWII facility if i remember correctly. I was in the second class to graduate from the then new program

I got tired of trying to find solid work so I am now doing other work and can retire in five years, maybe I will go back to wrenching on planes part time when I am done with this job. I miss that kind of work, but then again I have probably just forgot that it has its moments as well.

Thu May 24, 2018 11:08 am

Wow another year gone by this year everyone got a genuine Snap-On
1/4 drive ratchet for AMT day, people still don’t know who Charles Taylor was. Lunch was a free hamburger which gave me the shits as we reflected on decades of service to the company almost 30 years for me. We watch as they don’t hire any new people for us to train and they are busy shipping the work out of the United States. That thing that happened a few weeks ago where an engine exploded and killed a woman was example of foreign repair work. All hushed up now more important stuff to worry about like royal wedding and such. See you next year😁

Thu May 24, 2018 11:28 am

Bummer, I didn't get my free tool. That's ok. I think I already have 4-5 1/4" snap on ratchets.

I'd like to hear more about the engine losing the blade. Very uncommon failure. I've done many CFM blade changes. Looks like it broke near the root. I know there is allowable damage further up the blade that can be profiled but I don't think so near the base. Who does the engine work for SW?

Thu May 24, 2018 12:12 pm

Good to hear from you. I used to do bill of work job on those blades on RB211 on 757s. Specifically you are removing the blades checking for cracks, weighing them test run and check for vibration before return to service.

The work for SWA gets done through partnership with engine manufacturer and another outfit in South America. General public has no idea nor do they care till something happens luckily that’s infrequent but as more stuff transitions outside US control what could go wrong? Ever heard of Aeroman in El Salvador? Multiple U.S. flag carriers going there for heavy maintenance now, not engine work specifically but lots of B check and light C checks. Just googled aeroman lots of info including prominent shots of well known US Airlines getting service there. As an older guy nearing the end of my career I count my lucky stars I managed to hang on here. People getting into this business now has much less opportunity.

Thu May 24, 2018 12:18 pm

I’m totally against moving this work offshore. Remember Sabertech? They were in Miami but most of their workers weren’t licensed mechanics

Thu May 24, 2018 12:25 pm

Sabertech was a subsidiary of a major US airline, Two of the supervisors were transferred to our station for reasons unknown to us. About a month after that fiasco people here unloaded oxygen generators and stored without protection of the lanyard. Thrown into a cardboard box, this was on an F-100.

Thu May 24, 2018 12:35 pm

A subsidiary? They did the Valuejet work which resulted badly. I always heard they were third party maintenance. The plane was a DC9. Are you saying these same people did the same thing again and shipped O2 generators unsafely ?

Thu May 24, 2018 12:53 pm

Sabretech shipped the oxygen generators without locking the lanyard. The lanyard when pulled begins the chemical reaction which generates intense heat which in turn can and did cause a fire. What I saw was same scenario but without the fire, we were lucky and training is better now I hope. FAA is still looking for one guy from sabretech after all these years he’s still hiding.

Thu May 24, 2018 12:58 pm

Amazing. I saw that they renewed their search for the south american mechanic. Seems like a strange thing to do after so long.

Fri May 24, 2019 6:38 am

Happy AMT day to all those hardworking men and women in the aviation industry. I would still recommend this as an occupation to youngersters that enjoy turning wrenches. This year we got a hamburger and a 3/8 drive Snap-On ratchet. I’m still on the books here as full time but only work 2 days a week. Retirement looking great

Fri May 24, 2024 8:28 pm

Five more years gone like a fart in the wind. Still good money to be made working as AP mechanic. I retired anyway they gave us a good severance package. A bunch of maintenance is done in South America and China but if you can travel that’s an option. Oh and I used to overhaul over wing emergency exit doors on Boeing aircraft, never had one blow out😂

Sat May 25, 2024 2:41 am

Did you get a 1/2 snap on for retirement? Seems like they upsized each five years.

Thanks for being part of the incredible six sigma safety experience of flying. It’s not the pilot,,,,it’s everybody from the design team to the gate agent, the people under the wing, the FA, the wanker up front watching the computer flying the plane.

Fri Nov 07, 2025 5:48 pm

I spent 8 years as a UH60 and UH1 mechanic in the Army but I never tried to test for my A&P and eventually left all that for a 31 year career in law enforcment. How I miss those 8 years.

Fri Nov 07, 2025 7:51 pm

No. All the jet engines i worked on were firmly attached to the ground and spinning 15kv generators :D

AP&M Aviation Power and. Marine

Fri Nov 07, 2025 9:51 pm

Abscate wrote: Did you get a 1/2 snap on for retirement? Seems like they upsized each five years.

Thanks for being part of the incredible six sigma safety experience of flying. It’s not the pilot,,,,it’s everybody from the design team to the gate agent, the people under the wing, the FA, the wanker up front watching the computer flying the plane.

I crossed the 5 million mile threshold last year, which is 1/4 as insane as my associate who crossed 20 Million miles.

Thanks to everyone in Aviation who make it happen.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 10:13 am

minger wrote: Sorta related: did y'all see a B-29 just got certified and will be flying soon?

Link Please????

Mon Nov 10, 2025 10:16 am

I am A. P. if it comes to aeroplanes, i.e. skill level Average to Poor!!!!! :wink:

Real AP folks got to be really good to keep things flying!!! Hats off to them.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 12:26 pm

I remember shopping at A&P.