Good to have Aviation tools

[espyking83]

You aviation mechanics get respect from me. I work on golf course equipment for a living. If something breaks, big deal, I'll fix it out in the field or tow back to the shop. If I worked on airplanes I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. I'd be afraid I overlooked something, left a tool somewhere, or just plain old fucked something up.

A good aircraft mechanic performs maintenance IAW manufacturer AMM's and AC43. Each maintenance action should get looked at by atleast 3 people, the mechanic, lead, QA. If everyone does their jobs and uses materials as they're meant to be used then there's not a whole lot of margin for error. With all that said there is still ****** maintenance everywhere, and there's also times that you may have a pilot bitching at you to perform a shady field repair and make the best of what you have without someone looking over your shoulder and wiping your ***.

 

[P51Boilermaker]

One time I was doing a 100-hr. inspection on a Grumman Goose and the owner (who was also the pilot) was hovering over us in a big hurry to take it on a charter. He jumped in and fired it up as we were putting away our tools. I couldn't find one screwdriver, and told him to wait until I found it. He refused, and took off. When he returned, we found the screwdriver jammed in the landing gear and it had sliced part way through the main gear tire. He was upset that it cost him a tire, but did admit that he should have waited.

I always inventory my tools after working on a plane.

I had a friend who did the final flight line inspections on 747's at the Boeing factory in the 1970's. One time while getting a wrench from his toolbox, I noticed that he had about 50 3/8"x7/16" double box end wrenches. I asked him why he had so many, and he replied that he had found them all in the new airplanes. He said that he could guarantee finding at least one in each plane!

Scary but true. Lots of tools get left in airplanes, and even more small parts like rivets, washers, etc.. Bucking bars are also common tools to find. Important thing is to make sure you have all your tools and have a system in place to make it easy to see if you're missing anything. I prefer colored foam in my drawers. Makes missing tools standout. I got mine from Fastcap and I like it a lot . http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/Kaizen-Foam-p13435.htm

 

[P51Boilermaker]

A good aircraft mechanic performs maintenance IAW manufacturer AMM's and AC43. Each maintenance action should get looked at by atleast 3 people, the mechanic, lead, QA. If everyone does their jobs and uses materials as they're meant to be used then there's not a whole lot of margin for error. With all that said there is still ****** maintenance everywhere, and there's also times that you may have a pilot bitching at you to perform a shady field repair and make the best of what you have without someone looking over your shoulder and wiping your ***.

Agreed! I was always taught that when you're done working in an area you inspect the area you worked in but also around where you worked. Like a 2-3' sphere so there's a better chance you'll catch something you missed. Easy to forget about a wire bundle clamp you removed to make it easier to access something.

 

[Provincial]

When doing periodic inspections my co-workers and I would double-check each others area. It was amazing how many things we caught by doing this.