737-700 M. E. L.

[blackmail]

hello everyone,

here another one concerning mel applications.
mel applications is sometimes a hot topic between pilots & maintenance.
pilots rightfully see mel advise & applications as an aid in their decision making process, to go(be) or not to go(be),(shakespeare),that's the question, as where maintenance people see the mel as a licence to do nothing until the last day of the allowed repair period, 10days in case of cat c discrepancy(most squawks fall in this category) & even worse, if then no solution is found, missing or wrong spare parts etc. further extention on mel is sought by the relevant authorities, generally 3 more days. and one more, illegal trick this time, is to interchange the faulty part with another aircraft of the same type & start the mel period all over again.

all very frustrating practices for pilots to be subjected to & doubtful if done in the name of saving costs. eg, apu inop, happens of course mostly in the summer hot season. 10 days groundpower, airstart & airco ground units at 7 to 8 times a day + passenger & crew discomfort with cabin temps reaching +40°c & more if no ground airco is available, can easely outrun any anticipated costs savings, not to speak about the bad image the company is exhibiting & the inevitable delays this mess is causing.

but in this case the beancounters probably never heard about something called "preventive maintenance", making sure all apu's & other things are in pristine condition before the hot season starts, with critical spareparts readily available in case of trouble & a positive attitude to take action asap if needed. i stop, because i'm dreaming.