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Articles for tag Maintenance Minute




Feb
23
2024

Maintenance Minute - February 2024 | Monster Distractions

Posted by Admin

There is a monster in the hangar. I’m not sure how it got in but it’s high time it left. The monster’s name is Distractions. We must focus to minimize and eliminate Distractions, or it can be financially costly or even dangerous.  The Aviation Human Factors Dirty Dozen listed on www.FAASafety.gov defines distractions as anything that draws your attention away from the task at hand. It goes on to say that distractions are the number one cause of forgetting things, including what has or has not been done in a maintenance task. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Jan
25
2024

Maintenance Minute - January 2024 | Attitude of Excellence

Posted by Admin

Recently I was asked to be the guest speaker at DavinciSKY Leadership Conference. My topic was titled, “One Way to Excellence.” Just before I spoke to the group, I met with some of the linemen that worked for the company. DavinciSKY is a business with a long-standing history in the electrical power industry. These are the guys that hang underneath the helicopter or work from the skid to clear power lines. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Dec
18
2023

Maintenance Minute - December 2023 | Monster Distractions

Posted by Admin

There is a monster in the hangar. I’m not sure how it got in but it’s high time it left. The monster’s name is Distractions. We must focus to minimize and eliminate Distractions, or it can be financially costly or even dangerous.  The Aviation Human Factors Dirty Dozen listed on www.FAASafety.gov defines distractions as anything that draws your attention away from the task at hand. It goes on to say that distractions are the number one cause of forgetting things, including what has or has not been done in a maintenance task. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Nov
16
2023

Maintenance Minute - November 2023 | Focus

Posted by Admin

When I first started my civilian aircraft maintenance career many years ago, my friend and mentor Buddy Evans told me that as aircraft mechanics we are not afforded the luxury of a mistake. I understood what Buddy was saying but I thought, how can we, as humans, not make mistakes? It’s in our nature. “To err is human,” is the famous quote credited to Alexander Pope in the 1700’s. I soon realized that what Buddy was trying to communicate to me was that I must take every precaution to mitigate the risk of errors. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Oct
27
2023

Maintenance Minute - October 2023 | Before “Clear!”

Posted by Admin

As the pilot straps in the helicopter, he or she begins to go through the checklist and starts moving switches to their proper positions. Battery on, fuel pump on, and throttle set. The last thing a pilot does before he engages the start switch is to look over his shoulder and yell, “Clear!” [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Aug
28
2023

Maintenance Minute - August 2023 | On Call

Posted by Admin

“The dreaded “on call”, and “the duty” were just a couple of terms of endearment that we used to describe being “on call” for aircraft maintenance. There were other names with more colorful adjectives that I will not mention here. For certain, in jobs like EMS, Fire/Rescue and Law Enforcement being “on call” is just part of the gig. “On call” could be most frustrating for the mechanic but it also could be very rewarding. Let’s take a quick look from both prospectives. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler On Call
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Jul
27
2023

Maintenance Minute - July 2023 | On Call

Posted by Admin

It was just before bedtime. You know that moment when you know that you should make your way to bed because if you don’t go now, you will be on the couch or slumped over in a chair for the rest of the night. I was at that point when my cell phone began to scream like a red-tailed hawk looking for his next meal. My response was something like, “Oh no, not now.” Sure enough, it was the night pilot and calling that late meant there was a problem with the helicopter. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Jun
26
2023

Maintenance Minute - June 2023 | Airworthy?

Posted by Admin

He walked into my office as a confident 22-year-old with the ink still wet on his newly issued Airframe & Powerplant certificate that he proudly carried in his pocket. The young man looked at me and said, “I want to be a helicopter mechanic”.  After a brief discussion, his enthusiasm and seemingly sense of life’s direction convinced me to take a chance on him. I placed him under the supervision of a 38-year master helicopter mechanic. My instruction to the young man was “learn from him.” [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



May
23
2023

Maintenance Minute - May 2023

Posted by Admin

One of the greatest challenges we have faced post covid is finding qualified helicopter mechanics. With the forecasted aircraft mechanic shortage, I believe we should act now to strengthen our resources, invest in our staff, and begin to grow our next generation of helicopter mechanics and avionics technicians. In my career, I have been fortunate to have attended many factory schools and have had some of the best mentors to work with and train me. Let’s take a brief look at some of the best advise that I was given to set me on the right track and propel me forward. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Apr
20
2023

Strive to be a Wise Base Mechanic

Posted by Admin

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have worked on many diverse types of airframes and engines in many different flight operations. One of my favorites and most rewarding has been helicopter air ambulance (HAA). As a helicopter mechanic in the emergency medical service field, I had the understanding that my work contributed to the wellbeing of others. Motivational speaker/author, Zig Ziglar, once said that “ability is important in our quest for success, but dependability is critical.” This is especially true for the HAA mechanic. The base mechanic position is usually filled by a single mechanic who operates multiple roles with numerous responsibilities.  This one-man (or woman) setup makes dependability critical. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute


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