.........if what we read on PPRUNE is true helicopter pilots in the US are treated worse than truck drivers. So does that make A&P chopper mechanics the equivalent - or worse than - truck-menders. Not wishing to cast aspersions in the direction of diesel mechs. They are highly skilled and I hear they are highly paid but aviation is a different discipline ....... isn't it?
All those flight safety posters showing bi-planes poking out of oak trees with the captions referring to the unforgiving nature of aviation surely infer that this world we live in is special.
Having lost a very dear friend when a nut came off a bolt I am particularly sensitive to the notion that just because a guy (or gal) wants to be an engineer or pilot it follows that his path should be greased by a system that makes it easy to get through the licensing process so long as you have the time and the cash to keep taking the tests.
I'm not saying that the JAR system is perfect either but somewhere along the line there needs to be ability and competence and a process that tests for the right levels of ability and competence.
When you find that a licensed A & P guy in Brazil cannot even use a micrometer then you have to wonder about the system...... and when that system is modelled on the FAA system you cannot help but wonder about how comprehensive THAT system is. I don't know how good or bad it is but the anecdotal evidence does not lead me to feal that the US has got things absolutely right.
One thing is for sure and that is the fact that it is extremely hard for a good engineer to function well in a poorly managed engineering department that is starved of resources and facilities. IMHO the biggest problem we face is in this area. These guys cannot function (FAA or JAR 66) without effective and informed management. My recent experience leads me to believe that the commercial guys have their heads up their a****s and think that cost cutting in the engineering world is a sound way to proceed. Think again - before it's too late I say. A company that relies on commercial people to make operational decisions is heading for a fall.
G
