The funny stuff us A&Ps find

[jsstevens]

Same squadron as before, we were stuck at a small airfield after an airshow where one of the jets had an APU basically eat its internals and bleed oil everywhere. At airshows I only had 2-3 maintainers, myself as the safe for flight authority and a tool pouch with hand tools as we usually relied on faith that nothing would break. At least that was my bosses theory, personally I was never a fan. Thankfully this airport also had a college course for fixing aircraft and they graciously gave us hanger space and free reign of their tools. After the parts got shipped to us I’m there with my guys trying to replace a large heavy part without all of our normal things and I’m feeling like a bump on the log watching. Next best option was to ask if they were hungry, of course they were. I went and got pizzas, soda, and a case of beer. Told them the pizza and soda was for while they performed the maintenance, the beer was for the time when it was complete. I helped grab tools and other things to but for the most part I stayed out of the way as technically I wasn’t allowed to touch the jet If I was going to sign off the work.

And that is good management. Define the goal, remove the obstacles, reward successful completion.

 

[86Aviator]

We managers had a saying at the airline:

What does it mean for a manager to have a day off? It means you could wear jeans to work.

There's a similar expression applicable to lawyers that was shared with me by a (very) senior partner back when I was a freshly minted associate.

 

[ARFlyer]

When I helped run a flight school I dropped a fuel stick not once BUT TWICE into the tank of our 172. The first time was funny and the A&P shop we used helped me fish it out. The second time was on a cold Friday evening. The A&P with my boss walked out holding some tools and a headlamp. They both told me to have a good weekend as they handed me the tools and walked back to their trucks.

I spent two cold dark hours on the ramp fishing that damn thing out of the tank!

 

[smv]

When I helped run a flight school I dropped a fuel stick not once BUT TWICE into the tank of our 172. The first time was funny and the A&P shop we used helped me fish it out. The second time was on a cold Friday evening. The A&P with my boss walked out holding some tools and a headlamp. They both told me to have a good weekend as they handed me the tools and walked back to their trucks.

I spent two cold dark hours on the ramp fishing that damn thing out of the tank!

Was there an auto parts store nearby?

 

[ARFlyer]

Was there an auto parts store nearby?

View attachment 89051

That was one of the tools! The crappy part is that the fuel stick was one of the those clear Fuel Hawk ones. Which come to find out has almost the same light refractivity index as 100LL so it is almost invisible.

So I was chasing down a shimmer!

 

[MauleSkinner]

That was one of the tools! The crappy part is that the fuel stick was one of the those clear Fuel Hawk ones. Which come to find out has almost the same light refractivity index as 100LL so it is almost invisible.

So I was chasing down a shimmer!

Hopefully a match wasn’t one of the other tools.

 

[Will Kumley]

When I helped run a flight school I dropped a fuel stick not once BUT TWICE into the tank of our 172. The first time was funny and the A&P shop we used helped me fish it out. The second time was on a cold Friday evening. The A&P with my boss walked out holding some tools and a headlamp. They both told me to have a good weekend as they handed me the tools and walked back to their trucks.

I spent two cold dark hours on the ramp fishing that damn thing out of the tank!

The school I rent from recently found a fuelhawk fuel stick in one of their Cessna’s fuel tanks. It had been in there so long you could bend it like a paper clip and it would slowly return to a semi-straight stock. Didn’t matter how much you bent it the darn thing wouldn’t break.

 

[ARFlyer]

The school I rent from recently found a fuelhawk fuel stick in one of their Cessna’s fuel tanks. It had been in there so long you could bend it like a paper clip and it would slowly return to a semi-straight stock. Didn’t matter how much you bent it the darn thing wouldn’t break.

Interesting that the 100LL softened the plastic that much but didn’t dissolve it.

 

[Doc Holliday]

OBTW,, we lost 13 guys on the 1964-5 cruise.

Which carrier?

 

[Strutwipe]

When I bought my plane it came with a nice little AA Mag-Lite rolling around in the wing, and a couple of sockets under the floor. They probably don't count, though, because I'm not an A&P.

By the power invested in me, by the FAA, you are now an honorary A&P. There, I fixed it

 

[Strutwipe]

Not finding of an object but I wish I still had my photo of someone's idea of safety-wiring an oil filter.
The twisted safety wire apparently was not tight enough after the job was done so someone added a second wire, attached midway along the first, in order to put more tension on it.
This second wire then pulled the first wire towards I think it was, a member of the engine mount frame.
"giterdone"
(hoping someone doesn't now show me this is an acceptable way lol)

Found 0.032 safety wire being used as support clamping for pitot tubing

 

[Strutwipe]

I've never seen such an animal, but I own a Maglite that requires four D cell batteries. Back in the day, they were popular with police officers, and changed the colloquialism of 'wood shampoo' (the nightstick) to 'aluminum shampoo'.

Good call Out! It is a 4 cell I believe. I haven't touched a "D" cell in a decade or more!

 

[Strutwipe]

Right up until you get a new manager who either has no life or just doesn't care, and can't understand why the people with families and lives outside of work don't really want to work 80 hour weeks.

I didn't mind working long hours for many years. Now I do, and in hindsight wish I hadn't been so devoted to my job while my kids were growing up.

So true. Facing the same dilemma myself.

 

[Will Kumley]

Interesting that the 100LL softened the plastic that much but didn’t dissolve it.

What I thought was crazy was that the graduated indications were still clear. Almost seemed like you could still use it. It sat in the front desk for at least a week or two as various people got to see it. Pretty sure it made its way to the trash bin after a while.

 

[DaleB]

By the power invested in me, by the FAA, you are now an honorary A&P. There, I fixed it

Well, I do have the repairman certificate for that airplane. Which allows me to do exact one thing...

 

[Crow]

Was preflighting a C150 in 1970 for my second flight as a student found a SK 3/8 socket set still in the metal box laying on top of the cylinders. Everything was there, all sockets, extensions, ratchet, etc. Asked around whose it was nobody owned up to it now use it working on my own plane. Found out it would cost what I paid for 2 hours flying in the 150 with instructor.