Articles for category Maintenance Minute
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Aug
28
2023
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Posted by Admin
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“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.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
On Call
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jul
27
2023
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jun
26
2023
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Posted by Admin
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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.”
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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May
23
2023
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Apr
20
2023
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Feb
27
2023
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Posted by Admin
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The 407 intake cowl assembly is notorious for corroding in salt-laden environments, especially on the intake shelf and intake screen supports. One proactive measure is to remove the shelf and screen support associated steel nut plates, strip the factory paint, and apply a new coat of epoxy primer and a quality polyurethane paint. Then reinstall the nut plates with dissimilar metal tape between the nut plates and aluminum metal. The result won’t be 100% corrosion proof, but will make it much easier to manage.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Scott Skola
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Oct
24
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Have you ever heard your mother or grandmother quote John Wesley saying, “cleanliness is next to godliness”? Turns out that quote is effective in aircraft maintenance as well. I like to think that cleanliness is the twin brother to order, and all aircraft maintenance requires cleanliness and order to attain the highest level of professionalism.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Sep
26
2022
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Posted by Admin
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As a young helicopter mechanic at Carraway Hospital, one of the first jobs assigned to me by my mentor was washing the helicopters every day. One reason was to display a positive and professional image for the hospital. The other reason as he explained was to provide another avenue to put eyes on and inspect the aircraft. I quickly learned this was sound advice.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Aug
26
2022
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Posted by Admin
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My first encounter with helicopter maintenance was just after separating from the U.S. Air Force. I was attending Alabama Aviation and Technical College and my instructor helped me land a job at Fort Rucker maintaining U.S. Army helicopters. It was love at first sight and that love for helicopters is still strong today. Thinking back on the countless ways helicopters have shaped my professional belief system, I am reminded of the everyday obsession I have with tool control. You see, in the Air Force I had to check-out and check- in my toolbox every day. Every time I removed a tool a numbered chit went in that empty spot and stayed there until the tool was returned to its proper place. My chit number is still committed to memory after all these years. Tool accountability was then—and is now—a big deal.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jul
24
2022
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Posted by Admin
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When you hear the acronym FOD, what is your first thought? Do you hear it as Foreign Object Damage or Foreign Object Debris? Either is correct depending on when it is found. Debris is certainly the preferred option as finding the foreign object before it can cause damage is optimal.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute