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Dec
05
2014
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Posted 10 years 24 days ago ago by Scott Skola
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Knowledge. It’s the foundation for all tasks--especially helicopter maintenance.
When I started in the industry the first thing I was told there was the right way…the wrong way…and the “company” way. Bad thing was not all the “ways” could be found in the manuals. Every mechanic seemed to have their own little black book of cheat sheets, tips, special part numbers, etc., for every model they had worked on, or learned from others.
Before I transitioned from main stream employment to a life of leisure, I had always wanted to gather these tips and put them in a centralized location for any mechanic to access, no matter the aircraft model, free of charge. So with the advent of today’s technology, I am attempting this endeavor through this blog. The ultimate goal is to have a searchable database, with an online interface, that will provide tips covering the A through Z of maintaining and supporting all available rotorcraft, past or present.
My plan is to feature several maintenance tips on a regular basis. Each entry will be categorized by aircraft manufacturer/model and ATA code where applicable. In cases of multiple manufacturers, all previous entities will be listed under the current name. For example, under Airbus you will find Eurocopter, MBB, Aerospatiale, and so on. Visitors to the blog will be able to add input to the posted tips through the comments section.
But to really make this work, I would like to invite all mechanics to share their own special information. There will be a tip submit section at the bottom of all future blog posts with information and an email address. Tips can be as simple as a unique part number, or as complex as troubleshooting a digital SPIFR system. Those contributing may do so anonymously, through a nickname, or their real name. And it doesn’t matter how “dated” the information may be. I think it is just as important to document tips from days of the S-55 or UH-1H, as it is on the S-92 or EC135.
Aviation was born and still survives on this fluid, underground knowledge regardless of what some people want to believe. It’s this unique information that really makes a mechanic…a mechanic.
About the author: After a 32 year career in maintaining helicopters, Scott now provides limited maintenance consulting services through his company, TEK Aviation LLC. He can be contacted at [email protected] .