AME Work Schedules

[PlumbBob]

Hey all,

I have seen numerous discussions on avcanada regarding AME wages, but have never come accross a discussion on AME work schedules. What kind of work schedule do you all find is the most enjoyable? Do you prefer a normal work week? Shift work? Straight days? Straight nights? What kind of shift pattern works best? What shifts do they run at AC, WJ, Transat, etc.?

[iflyforpie]

I liked the schedule I had at Flightcraft and Cascade. Mon-Fri two week swing shift between days and evenings. Didn't mess with sleep patterns, and evenings left me a couple weeks to get things done during bankers hours and a bit more relaxed on the job without all the brass walking around.

But I don't work full time any more.... that's the schedule for me! Off to the ski hill!

[747-875]

Where I work at a northern airline myself and most of our AMEs and apprentices are on an 8 on 6 off schedule, and roughly half on day shift half on evening shift (10 hour days). This schedule does create an overlap day but we've set it to happen on a slow flying day when most of the fleet is in the hangar and try to line up any big jobs that are coming due to be done on the overlap day. It's also really handy to have the one afternoon a week where pretty much everyone is there so we can meet up and pass along anything new and exciting that came up over the last week to the next shift coming on.

I really like the 8 and 6. 10 hour days are a good length and 6 days off are nice. Plus social life is super easy to schedule, your free to hang out or go away or whatever you want every second weekend. In the past we've had 5 on 2 off, but two days off isn't nearly enough and it's hard to get weekends, 4 on 3 off was decent but again someone always looses on weekends, 4 on 4 off was mostly good but your days off always landed on different parts of the week so trying to schedule things with family and friends was always a pain in the @$$. 8 and 6 is by far my favourite so far.

[robertw]

My first job was working night shift 6:00 PM - 4:30 AM. 8 on 6 off. It was brutal. I will never work night shift again if I can help it. For the rest of my career I've been working 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mon - Fri (5 on 2 off) and I love it. Makes you feel like a normal human being.

On another note, what do you all think of having a regulated duty time for aircraft maintainers much like what pilots are held to? I know that management would probably fight that tooth and nail, but I think it would be a very beneficial thing for AME's and other maintenance technicians, not to mention the trickle down safety benefits. It would certainly put an end to 14 - 16 hour days that some guys are sometimes forced to work.

[kilpicki]

Summit is looking for guys to work their Edmonton base on the RJ startup , 7:30 at night till when ever. Go try that for a year and tell up how you like it.

[fixnfly]

My first job was working night shift 6:00 PM - 4:30 AM. 8 on 6 off. It was brutal. I will never work night shift again if I can help it. For the rest of my career I've been working 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mon - Fri (5 on 2 off) and I love it. Makes you feel like a normal human being.

+1 I worked a similar night shift schedule but days off would always shift throughout the week, like 747 said, it is a pain in the a$$ to schedule social events plus two of the days you would use to try to readjust to the daytime. I find that nightshift takes a toll on a persons physical health and social life and hopefully I never have to work it again. Best gig I had by far was working 6:30AM-2:30PM Mon-Fri with two coffee breaks as a paid lunch break. No rush hour traffic and I still had half a day free.

[PlumbBob]

Mon-Fri shifts are very hard to come by, and pretty much non-existing in the Airline world; unless you stop wrenching and take up a desk job. Does one have to work in Corporate or GA to land a normal work week schedule? I've only known shift work, rotating days and nights, 4on 4off. 4 days off is great, but I only get weekends off once a month which sucks now that my kids are starting school. Has anyone ever experienced a 554 shift? I think you cycle through getting a weekend off every two weeks on a 554 rotation.

[shaune]

During fire season, April to September we work 10 on 5 off. Nice to have 5 off but 10 can get long. Non fire season is Monday to Friday, 8 to 5. Could never do shift work again.....those days are done for me.

[DrBoeing]

I work at AC, I am on a 4x4 sched. 4 days on then 4 days off. I have been doing this for over 20 years, I do not think I could go back to a Monday to Friday routine. I truly enjoy my 4 days off

[FrozenWrench]

First job was a continental shift on a 2 week set up 12 hour shifts and that was pretty good once we got it figured out. Monday Tuesday on, Wednesday Thursday off, Friday Saturday Sunday on, Monday Tuesday off, Wednesday Thursday on, Friday Saturday Sunday off. Bit of a mess around to figure out what days we worked until we got it straight and the 12 hour shifts were long but you are only doing 2 or 3 of them in a row and its 8 am - 8pm. Pretty nice once you got used to it.

[twotter]

I worked so many different shifts back in the day I can't even begin to describe.. My fave when I was playing with the bigger airplanes was the 4+4, at least then you had a chance of a somewhat regular life. 5+2 afternoons or nights suck and I would totally avoid them. I hate to say it but I now have my own operation and my guys work 5+2 dayshift Monday to Friday... Maybe I should toughen them up and put them on nights... LOL.. Or cut their wages to what Jazz pays..

[MZUNGO]

4X4 6am till 6pm absolutely love it.