Well I machine gas turbine aircraft engine parts for a living, every part I run gets my work ID stamped on the paperwork.
Traceability from start to finish.

 

Turbines are quite simple in design, but as an aviation machinist I can tell you paperwork often exceeds the job time. I thought I had it bad until I saw the guys in the rotor shop. Mountains of paperwork for every part that makes up a rotorhead assembly. Compare that to even the most complex auto technician and I think it's pretty lopsided in favor of stuff that flies.

 

Both careers are not easy and commended however this one is a no-brainer.... It's the personal accountability in the Aviation field..... Apples to oranges. Every AV mechanic I have met or known is OCD to the 10th degree lol....

JW

 

This....and I have been both 😳

 

While I was serving a 10 year stint as Union President ( UE local 718 Lancaster Ohio), we hired a Airline Mechanic. The Union sit in on the interviewing process and both the company and the union thought this guy had what it took. We were a huge breakfast cereal manufacturer. We made cereal for Kellogg's, Post, Quaker, GM.... and most of the private label stuff too. We ended up firing him. He really thought he was something. But he was average at best. Our progressing process mandated the new hires took PLC training out to the college. His classes was during his second shift time period, so we paid him to go to school, and while he was there. He started skipping the classes, and then would show up, swipe in (as if he was coming from school) and get paid. Couple of the guys in the same class ( his co workers) turned him in, and he was fired. We, by law, must file first step to get his job back, ( in which we did) but afterward the executive board voted to not do a second step. Of course after that he was gone. About six months later I got a call from the international that he had hired a lawyer and was suing us for non-representation... But that's why we have our own lawyers on retainer, and they easily took care of.

 

LOL I am from Lancaster originally, now in Hebron. So you hired an incompetent person not like there any in other fields

 

When I was a kid, 1992, I worked in a lawnmower repair shop. My boss hired a mechanic from Pan AM. He was a fucking disaster ! Slow as fuck ! lazy as fuck ! I was only 15 years old and worked circles around him. He had the comebacks not me. His hours were cut until he quit.

 

People are people, regardless of occupation.
I have been in commercial aviation for about 40 years. I've worked with hundred of folks some with A&P's and many who didn't. Most licensed men/women we're usually smarter than non A&P's, BUT.........I have worked with some A&P's that couldn't tie their own shoes. Book smart doesn't mean you know what end of a hammer to hold, much less put it to work.
I have trained many ,mechanics, plumbers, electricians, and some folks that could barely install insulation blankets, but I tried hard to get folks up to speed. I have watched guys fug up thousands in parts. Sometimes I would walk away counting to 200 to keep my composure.
I also know some GREAT automotive mechanics that are very under paid for their skill level.
I also work with a handful of aircraft mechanics that are just plain BRILLIANT! Some of them seem to know EVERYTHING about our airplanes. We work the entire airplane up to delivery. As a Lead, I am the last stamp (for an hourly tech) before the A/P flies it's first flight, (and every flight after) and when I tell the customer that their $250+ million A/P is ready to start flying people/freight/fuel around the world at 38,000 feet. Ya, very stressful knowing somones kids are on my airplane. Most guys I work with consider the airplane we are finishing up, think it's "their" airplane. Personal pride.
I truly enjoy and take pride in every airplane I work on.
We do have to know a TON of specifications and how to fix/finish anything on the plane. Windows, interior, avionics, 5,000 psi hydraulics, 240v 3 phase, 28v DC, 115v 2 and three phase, fiber optics, landing gear, tires, brakes, flaps, spoilers, speed brakes, high pressure pneumatics, water systems, toilet systems, (and yes, I "get" to dump the shit tanks after test flights. I do it so the crew knows I ain't afraid of shit jobs) all flight deck switches, how to run all systems for testing/troubleshooting, paint touch up, how to clean anything and everything on/in the airplane, fueling systems, just pumping gas and thousands of other things. But my favorite duty is sitting in the pilots seat making airplane noises.😆
And. I have to build race cars when not working on airplanes. And fixing washing machines, lawn mowers, kids toys, interior trim, doors, exterior siding, decks and roofing, neighbors water heaters/furnaces so they don't get mad at me for firing up an engine at 1:00am😵
But, I cannot fix stupid people, Lord knows I try to almost every day, and be their "daddy" or therapist. Funny how you become a Lead/foreman, people think you are a doctor/therapist/financial advisor/religious counselor/etc.
Recently I had a gal (asian) who is a VERY hard worker, miss a day and when she came in the next day, she walked up to me and I asked if she was OK? She stood there with a completely blank stare and said "My husband dead!". Let me tell you, THAT was a first for me! My boss came in a few minutes later, and I told him, and he drove her home. Man! Showing up for work the day after your husband dies! I do work some very dedicated people, not all of them though, but that's for another day when I retire.

 

I have been an A&P mechanic since 1974 having graduated from the oldest and best school in the Country, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (P.I.A.)

I am also Flight Crew (retired) and am still working in my field as the head of Quality Control at an FAA 145 Repair Station. To be here as a covered employee is not easy, you have to pass a Drug and Alcohol test when hired and be subject to random tests every quarter if your name comes up from the FAA computer, I am also in that group.

How many young people today can pass a random or pre-employment drug test, not many is the answer! The rule is broken down to make it simpler is that if you take a part off of a plane, repair it, overhaul it and replace it on the aircraft you have to be a covered employee, that eliminates a lot of our applicants!

This is one of the things I am in charge of in my retirement job and it is sad to see how many people can not pass a drug test. I pay any real mechanic $20,00 per hour to start, the rest is up to them, don't tell me, show me! The things you do when you are young effect your whole life is what I tell them, there is always McDonalds or Barber College!

You don't have the right temperament for the trade. - YouTube

Dave

 

I have been an A&P mechanic since 1974 having graduated from the oldest and best school in the Country, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (P.I.A.)

I am also Flight Crew (retired) and am still working in my field as the head of Quality Control at an FAA 145 Repair Station. To be here as a covered employee is not easy, you have to pass a Drug and Alcohol test when hired and be subject to random tests every quarter if your name comes up from the FAA computer, I am also in that group.

How many young people today can pass a random or pre-employment drug test, not many is the answer! The rule is broken down to make it simpler is that if you take a part off of a plane, repair it, overhaul it and replace it on the aircraft you have to be a covered employee, that eliminates a lot of our applicants!

This is one of the things I am in charge of in my retirement job and it is sad to see how many people can not pass a drug test. I pay any real mechanic $20,00 per hour to start, the rest is up to them, don't tell me, show me! The things you do when you are young effect your whole life is what I tell them, there is always McDonalds or Barber College!

You don't have the right temperament for the trade. - YouTube

Dave

Seriously, $20/hr?

I figured aircraft mechanics got paid better than that. The factory I'm in now pays case packers more than that, and the mechanics are all at least $25 to start, with no electrical required, goes up to $35 if you have skills and learn their specific machinery. Similar drug testing

 

Hard comparison really. I think it’s the difference between a framer and a finish carpenter. Both can swing a hammer, but have different skill sets. My son is in the Air Force and turns wrenches on F-16’s, but he would probably be scratching his head if he had to swap a trans in my race car.

 

Worked in a aerospace machine shop for 10+ years. Then a quality manager for a company doing some military work and we got a job for Boeing. When people ask why I don't fly I reply with "used to make airplane parts"

Cut on space shuttle parts also. Only the leaders of the departments ran them. Documentation is a few levels higher than aircraft parts. As a rep. from the customer we were making the parts for said "the rules change when you are shooting guys into space". We joked that if those guys could see who were making the parts they would never climb into that fucker

So, on a machining level, aircraft parts are much tighter tolerances, some exotic metals, and refined surface finishes. A good aircraft machinist is higher skilled.

 

depends on which one stayed at Holliday inn express....

 

Working on cars is stressful enough, I can't even imagine being responsible for an aircraft. I bet none of the BS that happens in the automotive world would be tolerated on the aircraft side though!

 

Auto mechanic is tougher. Not the stakes involved, but in aviation you basically work off a script. Flow chart. With multiple checks and balances. So much that it can create issues. A plane almost fell out of the sky because they lost oil pressure on both engines. Managed to get one restarted and get it on the ground. Why, a vendor changed the magnetic chip plug on the engine as they supplied it. Stopped providing and installing on the plug the o ring. They nev

 

It was a three engine Lockheed L-1011 from my old airline (Eastern) and it WAS the fault of the mechanics, they even signed off they did an engine run with the cowlings open before placing it on the gate for the mornings flight! Human error again! It is almost never the fault of the aircraft but almost always the fault of the Pilots or Mechanics. Dave

 

I knew three fellas:
One was an aerospace type welder- highly stressed (don't know why) when he retired he laid down his welding gear and never took it up again- could have done very well with low tech side jobs.
Second was an mech engineer on a project to refurb Hercules aircraft- he was studying manuals, specs, records whatever- looking for that million dollar sheet of paper.
Third was a mechanic/supervisor who when he worked on his own f150- was nothing but oem parts to factory torque spec.

 

I watched Ice Pilots the other day. Told me all I need to know about C-46s. LOL Seriously, One fella I knew was the midnight turn shop foreman for Zantop at Willow Run. Not sure what kind of A&P he was but, he turned out some amazing Tri-Chevy projects.

 

If you started with a couple of guys that totally understood every aspect of their respective vehicle, the aircraft mech would win hands down. Much more complicated systems plus redundants.

 

All I know is I make $3 for shooting rivets for every $1 I made running that old turret lathe.I do work a lot of overtime .

 

Not sure who is better, but I sure know which one hope and pray is on top of their game everyday and never gets the "fuck it , its good enough " attitude.
But I am sure they do just like everyone else who has had enough for the day/week and just wants to get the hell out of dodge for the weekend to go boating, racing, camping , ect or just hangout on the recliner.

 

Not sure who is better, but I sure know which one hope and pray is on top of their game everyday and never gets the "fuck it , its good enough " attitude.

Why are you opposed to mechanics who belong to the Mediocretes Union?

Fuck it, good enough, send it!
How often do airplanes crash? Just once.
How far will this plane take me? All the way to the scene of the crash!

 

Airplanes got 2 or 3 of everything for a reason

 

I think you would have to have owned both and had both sent in for repairs before you could make a choice.. We all own cars new and older but how many own cars and aircraft?

 

No clue, but I can tell you for a fact that a aviation mechanic makes a fuck ton more money than Johnny be good down at the stealership.

 

Airplane ,car, train, motorcycle, boat, whatever, the equipment has nothing to do with how good a mechanic is IMO. I’ve been an A&P mechanic/ Avionics guy my whole adult life and I’ve seen exceptional techs in aviation and I’ve seen some of the worst techs too. I mean really really bad techs that you wouldn’t want doing an oil change. Just like the size of a guys toolbox has nothing to do with their ability. My dad was a marine diesel mechanic and he would have been a good tech no matter what he worked on.

 

I don't disagree with any of the comments but the OP asked, “Who is a better mechanic? car or aircraft?”

The two have overlapping areas of expertise but are both specialists in specific areas as are a brain surgeon and a gynaecologist.

Each could probably do some work in the other's field but could not support it with the required paperwork.

On a very cynical note, I suspect that a surgeon who messed up would be in a lot more shit than an aircraft mechanic who caused an aircraft to crash because the owners would want to cover it up.

 

On a very cynical note, I suspect that a surgeon who messed up would be in a lot more shit than an aircraft mechanic who caused an aircraft to crash because the owners would want to cover it up.

Surgeons patient will die and all of his problems with it. Remember Dr.s practice medicine and patients sign wavers before they go in. And these are generally isolated cases that dont bring media attention. Another thing it usually takes a skilled person in their field of expertise to even spot a fuck up, how many close acquaintances of this type do most average people have? My wife used to see more than an average number of patients come into the ER after a certain Dr would line up a payday opps I mean a day of surgeries.

A pour mechanic downs a plane - that shit will make national news drawing a shit ton of attention. And your god damn right they will crucify him especially if they find out hes a trump supporter.

 

this was my last day working on planes

 

I am flying on a big jet (Delta, 767) for my first time tomorrow and hoping not to see this ^

Surely it is FAA approved tape.

 

First big plane trip went well. Plane was packed, full. Sat on the right side rows, aisle seat. Nice young lady next to me in the window seat (bonus). I bought the cheap seat so the seat in front of me was 1 inch from my knee. 2 hour flight can handle it. Longer flight I need to upgrade a bit.

Observations:

• Stewardesses were attractive. The one mainly taking care of the front seat customers was really attractive.
• It is apparent that NVH issues on the ground are low priority. Ride quality during taxiing is horrible. Accelerating for take off has the whole ceiling shaking. At work, I don't think we have accelerometers course enough to read the vibration.
• Gains altitude pretty quickly. That was fun.
• Did not stick the landing very well. They probably had to just get it on the ground because it was moving around quite a bit and looking out the window I was thinking we may have a YouTube video type landing. It sounded like hitting a very large, Michigan chuck hole. Landing gear must really be stout.
• The Atlanta airport has a lot of nice looking ladies in yoga pants 😋

I was treated to flying private to a Monday night Green Bay Packer game. We flew in a Beachcraft KIng Air twin turbo prop and that ride was smoother than the 767. I am sure there are many variables regarding smooth flying. It did not sound like the ceiling was going to fall down on the run way