I'm here too. I asked for this forum to be started about a year ago, and felt a bit of a pratt with the the lack of postings it recieved.
17yrs in the industry most of it spent overseas contracting and as an expat. Now trying to settle back into life in dear old blighty, its dead boring and I miss the money. Also pursueing a career driving them instead of fixing them. A&P A&C and FAA CPL.

[This message has been edited by JetFixer (edited 18 October 1999).]

Mon Cheries - Who could forget. Especially one engineer was in the tub when his wife walked in - not me.

A certain Mech from LTN went down on one of the girls - got a cold 2 days later as it was winter - thought he was going to die from AIDS, nearly called his wife to say he loved her & sorry he would not see the kids grow up!! Even called out the company doctor to the Penta & Mon payed the bill!!
Good old days.

Then Bart arrived.

Hi All. I agree we all should have more to say in this forum. Re the long hours we all work or have worked. I remember driving home to see my missus one weekend (five hour drive after coming off a 21:00 to 05:00 five day shift - yeah usually 21:00 to 09:00) and I didn't even remember the drive home. Another yobbo I was working with woke up when his car nudged the traffic lights on the opposite side of the intersection after his car (in D for Duh) idled across the (empty) road.

My stats for your inquisition:
Black hander apprenticed in '72. Licensed on a gagle of fling wing and some heavy metal stiff wing.

LAME of 10yrs in Kiwiland Heavy Jet and various lighter types, own aircraft and PPL, now working in management because LAME wages and hours SUCK!!!

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Skydozer/Traveling toolbox I hear where you guys are coming from but I do not think that it is going to get any better, not enough LAME's in Aus and the work load is increasing.Guys leaving the Industry and not enough new people being trained. I believe that our Authority are contemplating duty hours for engineers but how are they going to police it, as they are flat out doing the day to day business!!!!
I have just left a management position to join a regional airline but as engineer incharge on salary, I happened to negotiate a reasonable deal.
GA engineers really get paid the pits as there are too many dreamers that think that they can afford aircraft, I to have a PPL and did own shares in an aircraft but like boats you need deep pockets to do this , I spent more time working on my aircraft than flying it !!!! Hope to hear from all you guys soon, Lets keep this forum alive.

Airbornespanner - you're right. The cheapest part of owning an aircraft is buying the damn thing. The owners generally don't quibble when it's big bucks to fix their flash cars but when it comes to spending money on their aerotoy, they squeal like stuck pigs.

I don't know how many apprentices I've lost over the years because of the abismal pay and conditions our industry offers. I've tried to get kids to stick with it (their apprenticeship) citing the rewards that can be attained on some heavy metal, but even that's hard to break into if you weren't lucky enough to start out in a big shed.Even the prospect of field work around the world is not enough of an insentive.

Let's hope that the shortsightedness shown by management in not fostering young starters will start to bite them hard. We can only hope that starry eyed kids (yes I admit I was one too oh so long ago) still persevere and get into this noble profession (he says while stepping down off his soap box).

Remember when you were young and stopped, looked up everytime something flew over? Hell! I still do!!

Airbornespanner - you're right. The cheapest part of owning an aircraft is buying the damn thing. The owners generally don't quibble when it's big bucks to fix their flash cars but when it comes to spending money on their aerotoy, they squeal like stuck pigs.

I don't know how many apprentices I've lost over the years because of the abismal pay and conditions our industry offers. I've tried to get kids to stick with it (their apprenticeship) citing the rewards that can be attained on some heavy metal, but even that's hard to break into if you weren't lucky enough to start out in a big shed.Even the prospect of field work around the world is not enough of an insentive.

Let's hope that the shortsightedness shown by management in not fostering young starters will start to bite them hard. We can only hope that starry eyed kids (yes I admit I was one too oh so long ago) still persevere and get into this noble profession (he says while stepping down off his soap box).

Remember when you were young and stopped, looked up everytime something flew over? Hell! I still do!!

Airbornespanner - you're right. The cheapest part of owning an aircraft is buying the damn thing. The owners generally don't quibble when it's big bucks to fix their flash cars but when it comes to spending money on their aerotoy, they squeal like stuck pigs.

I don't know how many apprentices I've lost over the years because of the abismal pay and conditions our industry offers. I've tried to get kids to stick with it (their apprenticeship) citing the rewards that can be attained on some heavy metal, but even that's hard to break into if you weren't lucky enough to start out in a big shed.Even the prospect of field work around the world is not enough of an insentive.

Let's hope that the shortsightedness shown by management in not fostering young starters will start to bite them hard. We can only hope that starry eyed kids (yes I admit I was one too oh so long ago) still persevere and get into this noble profession (he says while stepping down off his soap box).

Remember when you were young and stopped, looked up everytime something flew over? Hell! I still do!!

Airbornespanner - you're right. The cheapest part of owning an aircraft is buying the damn thing. The owners generally don't quibble when it's big bucks to fix their flash cars but when it comes to spending money on their aerotoy, they squeal like stuck pigs.

I don't know how many apprentices I've lost over the years because of the abysmal pay and conditions our industry offers. I've tried to get kids to stick with it (their apprenticeship) citing the rewards that can be attained on some heavy metal, but even that's hard to break into if you weren't lucky enough to start out in a big shed. Even the prospect of fieldwork around the world is not enough of an incentive.

Let's hope that the shortsightedness shown by management in not fostering young starters will start to bite them hard. We can only hope that starry eyed kids (yes I admit I was one too oh so long ago) still persevere and get into this noble profession (he says while stepping down off his soapbox).

Remember when you were young and stopped, looked up every time something flew over? Hell! I still do!!

Airbornespanner - you're right. The cheapest part of owning an aircraft is buying the damn thing. The owners generally don't quibble when it's big bucks to fix their flash cars but when it comes to spending money on their aerotoy, they squeal like stuck pigs.

I don't know how many apprentices I've lost over the years because of the abysmal pay and conditions our industry offers. I've tried to get kids to stick with it (their apprenticeship) citing the rewards that can be attained on some heavy metal, but even that's hard to break into if you weren't lucky enough to start out in a big shed. Even the prospect of fieldwork around the world is not enough of an incentive.

Let's hope that the shortsightedness shown by management in not fostering young starters will start to bite them hard. We can only hope that starry eyed kids (yes I admit I was one too oh so long ago) still persevere and get into this noble profession (he says while stepping down off his soapbox).

Remember when you were young and stopped, looked up every time something flew over? Hell! I still do!!

Airbornespanner - you're right. The cheapest part of owning an aircraft is buying the damn thing. The owners generally don't quibble when it's big bucks to fix their flash cars but when it comes to spending money on their aerotoy, they squeal like stuck pigs.

I don't know how many apprentices I've lost over the years because of the abysmal pay and conditions our industry offers. I've tried to get kids to stick with it (their apprenticeship) citing the rewards that can be attained on some heavy metal, but even that's hard to break into if you weren't lucky enough to start out in a big shed. Even the prospect of fieldwork around the world is not enough of an incentive.

Let's hope that the shortsightedness shown by management in not fostering young starters will start to bite them hard. We can only hope that starry eyed kids (yes I admit I was one too oh so long ago) still persevere and get into this noble profession (he says while stepping down off his soapbox).

Remember when you were young and stopped, looked up every time something flew over? Hell! I still do!!

I hear what you are saying, I still get rung by private owners wanting a good "cheep" check done, they are all dreamers and it bugs me that they are happier to spend more money on their cars than on the aircraft they own.....go figure. But still I became an engineer because I wanted to work on aircraft, I still do but it is a shame that the only way that I can make good money and have a life to is from behind a desk.


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I hear what you are saying, I still get rung by private owners wanting a good "cheep" check done, they are all dreamers and it bugs me that they are happier to spend more money on their cars than on the aircraft they own.....go figure. But still I became an engineer because I wanted to work on aircraft, I still do but it is a shame that the only way that I can make good money and have a life to is from behind a desk.


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I hear what you are saying, I still get rung by private owners wanting a good "cheep" check done, they are all dreamers and it bugs me that they are happier to spend more money on their cars than on the aircraft they own.....go figure. But still I became an engineer because I wanted to work on aircraft, I still do but it is a shame that the only way that I can make good money and have a life to is from behind a desk.


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I hear what youa er saying, it still chokes me up that these dreamers are happier to spend more money on the family car than on their aircraft, I became an engineer because I love aviation and I still do but it is a shame that the only way that I can earn good money and have a life to is from behind a desk!!

Hey folks, I'm here too. Trouble with us is we're the ones who get on with the job whilst muttering to ourselves. Pilots, on the other hand CREATE BLOODY MAYHEM when things go wrong. That's why we're still treated like ****. There was a good article in CHIRP last year (Taken from a US MAg) called Cinderella in the Flight Department. Well worth a read.
BTW US DOT classes an A+P as "Semi-skilled" and before some smartass agrees, remember we gotta stick together on this.
Anyway, lets not get too serious -
"What's the difference between God and a Pilot?
God doesn't believe he/she can fly"

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The Stamp is mightier than the Toolbox!!

Travelling Toolbox & Skydozer
We have owners like that here too. I call them the Minimal Maintenance Society. They fly 25 hrs a year and can't see why they should do an annual!

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The Stamp is mightier than the Toolbox!!

..and as for dealing with the IAA!!
Sheesh!

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Whoops! How'd that happen?

Guys it seems that we are all on the same wave lenght if I can say that, no pun intended for the greenies !!!. I gained my pilots licence early in my apprenticeship after it being suggested that engineers were meer grease monkeys, so I learned to fly to show that any one can become a pilot.I must admit being a LAME ( Dispite all of that long hours and some times unfavorable conditions) has been good to me. I think that having the right attitude helps considerably.
I have gained reasonably good GA licence coverage on both fixed and rotary wing and am looking now at getting on to the heavy metal which will be very challenging.
over to you guys.

Back to page 2......
Multi-X....Mon Cheries.... engineer in the tub when his wife walks in...

Tell us more. What was he doing? Why did his wife walk in? Was this usual? Sounds like an interesting place:-)