Articles for category 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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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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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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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jun
26
2022
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Posted by Admin
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As helicopter owners, pilots, and mechanics we must consistently be advocates for safety and always meet or exceed the standards. Personal safety and prevention of equipment damage are of utmost importance. The number one concern in the aviation business today is the rising cost of insurance. The rapid rise in insurance is directly due to injuries and equipment damaged. So, how do we mitigate the risk thereby decreasing premiums? Here are some simple and basic measures that will aid your flight and maintenance operations in keeping safety as the top priority.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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May
19
2022
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Posted by Admin
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As an avid bowhunter, I tend to practice on targets to improve my aim. My granddaughter enjoys archery and often will practice with me. I consistently try to improve my arrow grouping. If I am to tighten the arrow group, I must pay attention to the little things. Consistent attention to the basic mechanics such as shooting position, anchor point, target concentration and release will pay huge dividends when the time comes to make the shot on the perfect deer.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Apr
25
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Growing up in the Deep South often meant when you turned 16 years old you went to work in the cotton mill, which was true for me. My mom, dad and sister all worked for the local cotton mill in one capacity or another. That wasn’t a bad thing. The mill provided dependable jobs for our community and had other benefits as well…company paid retirement and a company provided vacation destination with housing if desired.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Mar
28
2022
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Posted by Admin
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My dad recently celebrated his 90th birthday. We had a wonderful day reminiscing about all the good times we shared hunting, fishing, and playing ball together. When I was around ten years old, he taught me one profound lesson during a walk on a ridge line. Dad noticed that I was looking at the ground under my feet rather than surveying the landscape. He turned, and said, “Son, you’re not gonna to find a deer under your feet.” His lesson continued as he told me to always look out in front of me, scanning the horizon for minute details such as an ear flickering or the swoosh of a white tail. He stressed the importance of taking notice of things that were horizontal. Since everything in the woods grew vertically something horizontal might just be a deer’s back.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Feb
21
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Balance is critical. It doesn’t matter if it’s the helicopters we fly and maintain, a person on a tightrope or just managing our everyday life. Maintaining balance is required if we are to continue to progress and minimize our limiting factors. We can take anything to the excess and quickly get out of balance. That’s why it is a good idea to have an accountability partner to help you see things that you may miss seeing yourself. The saying “you can’t see the forest for the trees” is accurate and sometimes briefly stepping away will clear one’s focus.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jan
24
2022
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Posted by Admin
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The year 2021 was a tough year but we made it. Covid diagnosis and recovery, family health issues, a crazy economy, and low staff due to a myriad of reasons are just a few of the challenges we faced. It appears adversity was the only constant during this past year. It was that way for most of us but as a people, a family, a team we just leaned forward and kept marching.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Dec
27
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Once I attended the funeral of a man I didn’t know. His name was William, but everyone who knew him well just called him Will. I was there because Will’s son was my friend and at the time was my co-worker. As everyone sat quietly respectful and listened, one friend after another spoke of Will and what he meant to so many people. I remember thinking this man was only four years older than I am and died way too soon.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute