previously I did alot of flying spanner work and let me tell you the money isn't worth it!
you get to the aircraft first,(5am) carryout what you have to do then go flying for 5-6 hours get off carry out any defect rect's refuel turn around go flying again mind you new crew another 5-6hour flight, land and do it again. by this time new crew but still only you!
no duty times for engineers regardless of if you are flight crew or if you are on the ground.
I guess what we do is inconsequentional to a safe flight?
engineers aren't paid thier true value and due to us not bieng seen by joe public not considered vital in the whole picture.
if you have to do overtime to earn a decent wage are you really earning your fair worth?
don't quote me but aren't pilots paid for the maximum hours flying a year regardless of whether they do or don't.(once again assumption)
and this might be different for LCC pilots.
companies believe they have enough engineers to do all the work with all there expansions and the increased flying,
now when a company buys an aircraft it adds depending on how much utilization anything up to 8 sets of crew( allowing for sick leave, duty hours, and 24 hour coverage)
my question is how many engineers are added? if any.
every engineering company/airline wants to fight off duty hours for engineers because maybe they realise they don't have enough.
then the old excuse new aircraft less maintenance not as much to be done as the older ones, yes but for how long? aircraft don't stay new for ever, or do they. in the eyes of a beancounter it's oh the airplane is only 3 years old, not it's done 30000 cyles numerous heavy landings flown through ice,snow,rain and hail half its life on paper its still new!
now I'm getting carried away and getting more and more off track.
just my opinion