Articles for category Maintenance Minute
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Jan
22
2021
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Posted by Admin
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It was April 1990 and my day one as a new helicopter mechanic for Carraway Methodist Medical Center. I was not quite thirty years old and had previously served in the US Air Force and for the helicopter maintenance contractor at Fort Rucker. My prior duty and experience were to support and defend and train but at Carraway it was helicopter emergency medical service. With no idea what was about to happen or how it would impact my life and work and even my view of life, the squelch of the radio broke the silence with” Scramble Lifesaver, Scramble Lifesaver - self-inflicted gunshot - Scramble Lifesaver.”.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Dec
28
2020
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Posted by Admin
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My first exposure to aviation began in the U.S. Air Force. When training in my chosen field was postponed, I was asked to crosstrain to a secondary career field. “We really need aircraft mechanics,” I was told. I readily agreed, and so the adventure began. Later, as a crew chief for the F16 Fighting Falcon, I quickly learned the importance of marshaling aircraft and the use of hand signals…flight controls-check, speed brake-check, stop, go, chock, and the aircraft salute. Little did I know at the time that these simple hand signals would become part of an especially important essential tool that we must use every day. We have already discussed the tool of integrity: doing the right thing, and the tool of commitment: the fuel for action. Let us now look at the essential tool of communication.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Nov
17
2020
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Posted by Admin
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My favorite part of the aircraft maintenance process is the post maintenance operational checks or commonly referred to as ground runs. During my early days working for the helicopter maintenance contractor at Fort Rucker, I was engine run qualified for the UH-1H and the OH58 and performing ground runs was something I did on a regular basis. This is the time we see the fruits of our labor, but it is also the most dangerous time. The maintenance event may have called for component overhaul, engine replacement or flight control rigging. The maintenance process calls for checking, rechecking, and verifying. It is always good to have a pre-runup discussion with the pilot and every mechanic that is involved with the runup. Communication is key to keeping everyone safe. When the pilot yells, “CLEAR” and the mechanic responds with, “CLEAR” the setting will get noisy in a hurry. Prior planning with everyone is a must. The person behind the controls should know where everyone is always located so ducking under the tail boom to change sides is not allowed.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Oct
19
2020
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Posted by Admin
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I clearly remember that life-changing day in April 1990. It was my first day working as a helicopter mechanic at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The radio call dispatched the helicopter, the pilot brought the machine to life and the medical crew strapped in as the Bell LongRanger took to the air. It seemed like only minutes later the aircraft returned, and the patient was rolled past me to the Level I trauma center. From that moment on, life was different as the purpose for my work became clearer in that instant.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Sep
18
2020
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Posted by Admin
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Aircraft maintenance comes in many shapes and sizes. There are so many different models of airframes and engines that one can become overwhelmed with all the manufacturing differences and operational requirements to keep these aircraft flying safely. Inspection requirements range from daily checks to major overhauls, progressive to periodic, scheduled and unscheduled. As an aircraft mechanic, we train to a standard and once that standard is achieved we receive a certification card from the United States government verifying that we have met the standard and are therefore authorized to inspect and return to service aircraft registered in the United States. With our signature on our certification card, off we go to make a difference in the world of aviation.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Aug
24
2020
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Posted by Admin
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Looking back, I recall the time just after separating from active duty with the U.S. Air Force. I was attending Alabama Aviation Technical College to obtain my Airframe and Powerplant certificate. It was during this time that I was hired at Fort Rucker by the helicopter maintenance contractor that supported U.S. military helicopter pilot training. One of the first requirements of this contractor was to have a minimum tools list. As a young man just out of the military, I did not own many tools nor could I afford to buy a lot. Taking my tools list, I drove to Sears to comply with the minimum, never dreaming that in the ensuing 39 years I would collect so many thousands of dollars in hand tools, special tools, precision tools and high-end toolboxes.
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Mark Tyler
ROTORwrench
Categories:
Maintenance Minute