A Hawker 800XP operator, who was experiencing a squawk on both #1 and #2 HF systems, recently contacted us for support. He was not able to receive transmissions on either system.
Contributed by Jerry Cable, Accessory Tech Rep
NBAA2012 is fast approaching. The staff of D.O.M. magazine is making final preparations for the premier business aviation trade show of the year.
I always enjoy NBAA. It is an opportunity to see what’s new in business aviation products and services and network with the business aviation community. It’s an opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones. It is a big learning opportunity.
Each industry has their own set of acronyms and abbreviations that often leave outsiders scratching their heads. There are nearly 3,000 identified aviation acronyms. However, in honor of the Duncan Download’s 200thblog post, I asked our own experts to share 200 aviation-related acronyms that they use most during a normal work day. These overachievers sent me nearly 300.
Do you know them all?
We in the aviation maintenance community have the opportunity to let our voices be heard on a regular basis as part of the FAA’s rulemaking process. Now is one of those times. A Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2012 regarding changes to 14 CFR Parts 43, 91 and 145 rules affecting repair stations . The original deadline for comments was August 20, 2012, but because of the efforts of several industry associations, the deadline has been extended 90 days to November 19.
I was recently asked by a customer, “Is it possible to wash my Pratt & Whitney engine too much?” The operator considered his inquiry to be silly when, in fact, it’s a very valid question. In fact, it’s important to periodically clean your engine as a part of preventive maintenance. And, if you operate your aircraft in adverse environments, such as air pollution and salt-water exposure, it’s very important to increase your wash schedule. Here's why.
As I chat with directors of maintenance, I always like to ask what they look for in new employees. Just about every one of them says that having a positive attitude is at the top of the list. Technical knowledge can be taught. But if someone has a bad attitude, they make life hard for the whole team.
Bombardier has released Service Bulletin (SB) for all Challenger 600 model aircraft. SB ATA 55-11 titled "SPECIAL CHECK/MODIFICATION – PASSENGER DOOR –EPOXY RAMP REMOVAL AND CORROSION PREVENTION."
According to the SB ATA 55-11:
“You foreigners,” he said. “You come to China and complain about the pollution, but I don’t know why.” He then gestured at the blurred landscape around us. “To me, this place smells like money.”
Paul Midler, author of Poorly Made in China: An Insider's
Account of the Tactics Behind China's Production Game.
I put this in the news section of the July/August issue of D.O.M. magazine (which will be mailing soon), but felt it was important to get the word out on my blog as well.
The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum will be setting aside a space at its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center for a Wall of Honor. This memorial will have names on an airfoil-shaped wall along with aviation heroes like the Wright brothers, Jimmy Doolittle, Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard, Amelia Lockhart, John Glenn and Jim Lovell.
I am writing this blog on Wednesday, May 23. Tomorrow is Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Day, the day we celebrate aviation maintenance professionals – the unsung heroes that keep aircraft flying safely.
Contributed by aircraft parts consignment experts, Bob Tooker and Susan Masek
Careercast.com has posted its list of 200 jobs of 2012 ranked best to worst. Software Engineers came in as the best job to have. Lumberjacks came in last.
So where do aircraft mechanics come in? Well, here is the ranking of the aviation-related jobs on the list:
#60 – Aerospace Engineer
#125 – Air Traffic Controller
#144 – Aircraft Mechanic
Pilots and Flight Attendants weren’t on the list.
Automobile Mechanics came in at #145, just below Aircraft Mechanics.
I was sitting down watching a NASCAR race recently and it struck me how the sport places a huge emphasis on its maintenance professionals!
Every NASCAR fan has his or her favorite driver. But their knowledge typically doesn’t stop with the driver. NASCAR does a good job of educating the public about the drivers’ crew chiefs – the top mechanics for the teams – at every opportunity it gets. As a result, not only does the typical NASCAR fan know who the crew chief is for their favorite driver, they likely know the crew chiefs for many of the drivers on the track.
The Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo 2012 is next week. The staff of D.O.M. and HeliMx magazines will be there!
We will be in Dallas, TX February 12-14 attending Heli-Expo 2012. Heli-Expo is a great opportunity so learn about the latest helicopter maintenance-related equipment, products and services. Our team will be out in full force scouring the show floor for information relevant to our readers.
After spending the last hour and a half shoveling heavy packed snow and ice that the snowplow driver dumped all over my sidewalk and driveway (which I had already cleared the last time it snowed a few days ago), I am tempted to go on a rant and vent about how I think winter in Wisconsin sucks and share my theory that snowplow drivers are evil, sadistic people who relish making winters even more miserable for everybody.
Contributed by Chuck Zahnow, Airframe Tech Rep
The normal engine startup sequence for Citation 560XL aircraft removes power from the avionics system, causing it to drop offline. The reason for this is the avionics are isolated from the start system. SB560XL-24-14R2 allows the avionics to stay online by using the APU generator during engine start.
D.O.M. magazine is seeking nominations for its second annual Maintenance Manager of the Year and Above and Beyond awards!
The D.O.M. magazine staff introduced these awards in 2012 because it felt there isn't enough recognition for all the extra effort and professionalism that exists in our industry — in particular, there is not enough recognition for maintenance managers that deal with the day to day challenge of running an aviation maintenance department.
I recently asked a customer who logs many hours flying in international skies what he thought was most important when landing on foreign soil. His reply was simply, “make sure your SAFA manual is up to speed.” After a little bit of research and a quick Google search, I found the following link that does a good job explaining the EU Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) programme.
D.O.M. magazine is the premier magazine for aviation maintenance management professionals. Its management-focused editorial provides information maintenance managers need and want including business best practices, professional development, regulatory, quality management, legal issues and more. The digital version of D.O.M. magazine is available for free on all devices (iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle).
Joe Escobar (jescobar@dommagazine.com)
Editorial Director
920-747-0195
Greg Napert (gnapert@dommagazine.com)
Publisher, Sales & Marketing
608-436-3376
Bob Graf (bgraf@dommagazine.com)
Director of Business, Sales & Marketing
608-774-4901