The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

This forum has been developed to discuss maintenance topics in Canada.

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crazyaviator
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The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by crazyaviator »

Sleepless nights wondering if the work I did was perfect, Working that overtime shift well past 14 hours + and trying to be 100% in the game, doing the best of my ability and having management and even fellow AMEs continually nitpick as if it was a competition in one-up-man-ship!, Having to beg for raises when the industry standard is much higher than your requests when you are doing better than standard , Being rewarded for getting it done successfully on time and the reward is with your own AME s in the Bar after 10 pm. How many AME s have experienced the above and what are the answers to this foolishness? I have moved on to being self employed and will not entertain the craziness of organized abuse! Please respond with your stories and your solutions !
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Addicted4life
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by Addicted4life »

copied from another thread.
The ugly truth.....
I have been in aviation for over 30 years and contracting for the last 20 years on and off. I can no longer afford to do it. No travel expenses, shit wages, shit/no per diems, no accommodations. When I started in this game contractors got paid well because we were temporary, not covered by EI, severance etc. So we charged accordingly. What I have seen is AMOs pitting you head hunters against each other and driving down their cost to the point that why would they employ full time when it is cheaper to use contract labour. Not to mention working us like slaves, who actually wants to work 50 60 70 hr weeks. I am better off to stay at home and drive a truck. FYI I started out pushing a broom in the local flying club and gradually worked my way up. I have wrenched on everything balloons, gliders, bug mashers, helicopters, turbo props, biz jets and most boeings and airbuses and I have always been the last guy out the door at contract end. If we were a recognised trade I would be a Master Mechanic and paid accordingly. In this industry I get paid the same as someone with the ink still wet on their license. Oh, I am also a 2500 hr cpl. Right now I have one foot out the door and the other is not too far behind.
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212wrench
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by 212wrench »

I got to heliski for free. No sorry, I got paid 600 a day to heliski.
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Pat Richard
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by Pat Richard »

Is that what you tell your students?
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DonutHole
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by DonutHole »

I know a few of his students who ended up with that deal.
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robertw
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by robertw »

crazyaviator wrote:Sleepless nights wondering if the work I did was perfect, Working that overtime shift well past 14 hours + and trying to be 100% in the game, doing the best of my ability and having management and even fellow AMEs continually nitpick as if it was a competition in one-up-man-ship!, Having to beg for raises when the industry standard is much higher than your requests when you are doing better than standard , Being rewarded for getting it done successfully on time and the reward is with your own AME s in the Bar after 10 pm. How many AME s have experienced the above and what are the answers to this foolishness? I have moved on to being self employed and will not entertain the craziness of organized abuse! Please respond with your stories and your solutions !
I've worked night shift. That really sucked. I felt like a total zombie after a year. The longest shift I ever worked was 22 hours. Didn't have to do that very often, but, yes, there were definitely several 12-14 hour days. The reward was my paycheque and that the aircraft made it out on time to make the company money. All of this happened while working for operators. I've had good though too. Working for an AMO where the shift was 8:00 AM till 4:30 PM. Very little OT. Good people (for the most part anyway...) to work with. Worked in a component O/H shop where the shift was 7:00 till 4:00. Sometimes had OT. Got to travel for several courses. Current job, management role, work 7:00 to 4:00. Very little OT. Pay is fair. Lots of vacation, good benefits, good people to work with.

The solution to ending the madness crazyaviatior spoke of is to let your feet do the talking. There are so many types of places to work for in aviation and they all have different working conditions. if your work is driving you mad, you do have the power to change where you work and you should. No job is worth your sanity! It will take a bit of courage though. Change is hard. Stepping into the unknown is not easy and it involves risk. I promise you though, there are better places that you can work for.
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chowda
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by chowda »

212wrench wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:28 pm I got to heliski for free. No sorry, I got paid 600 a day to heliski.
Bringing this back from the dead, but when someone spends most of their time on here denying and ridiculing those who didn't share his online rosy bs version of the aircraft maintenance industry and then posts on another forum saying exactly the opposite, it's a bit much. Especially considering he's an instructor.

https://forums.verticalmag.com/topic/23 ... e-working/

At the bottom.


Care to comment, Professor 212???
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212wrench
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by 212wrench »

It's really quite simple. Is aviation maintenance the perfect job. Of course not. Did I heliski and get paid yes. Did I change a Collective servo at -25, yes. Did I bitch and complain about it, you bet. Did I love it, not all the time. But I have a great job. As for the other post I was pointing out exactly why engineers leave the industry and why the skills they develop are a bonus into getting other work.

I have always said this, especially to my students, Miserable people go on the internet and tell everyone why their lives suck, Happy people have better things to do.
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edmanster
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by edmanster »

212wrench .. Good back at you! .. Yup .. did not like everything .. but I did have fun !
Kids today all want an antiseptic job in some room filled with cubicles staring at computer screens & sending porn to their colleagues in the next cage.
How exciting is that ?? .. when your kids someday ask what u did at work today ??
- Me on the other hand
../ passed out on the couch
.. / Just too plumb tired to talk with the kid
.. / having changed an engine on top of some mountain with some dipstick apprentices ..
.. / "just get me a cold beer while i recoup"! .. tell ya tomorrow ..
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junes123
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by junes123 »

Hey guys, i came to canada a year ago from dubai, uae. i had done advanced diploma in aircraft maintenance engineering and when i came here and went to transport canada, they didnt count 3-4 units such as human factors in aircraft engineering, mathematics for engineering technicians, aviation legislation and the engineering project. which got me about 780 hours and ame license require 1000 theory training hours. now my option is to go for aircraft mechanics in ICS CANADA and do the course which i dont know how long its gonna be for and also the decision to provide any exemption from the full course is gonna be of ics canada although more than half of my exams have been done in dubai. just 2-3 left for example piston engine and avionics. is there any other option i can go with? please help
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wam2
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by wam2 »

I once sent an email to ICS and received this reply:

Previous experience won't count. However, you can work through the program as quickly as you feel comfortable, so if you have the knowledge in a particular lesson, you can move through it quickly and then move on. With your background you might be able to finish in less than a year.
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jasonCH
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North Atlantic College - A/C Maintenance Engineers Technology & Prospect of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers

Post by jasonCH »

Hi all,

27yo looking forward to come to Canada for my Aircraft Maintenance Engineer study to College of North Atlantic. Specifically targeting CA because the current study policy allow students to stay for let's say 2 years if they've done a 2 years study course. This should allow me to gain experience through apprenticeship before being fully Licensed and tackling the real industry challenge.

I'm going for this field not because of the money but rather my passion. My end day goal is to be able to buy an aircraft for cheap, renew it and certify it airworthy.

I would like to know what you guys have to say about the mentioned college and the potential of finding an apprenticeship after my 2 years course.

Regards,

Jason.
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rwm1273
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by rwm1273 »

My colleague and I worked the late shift, finished up a gearbox change, and then went back to our compound for a bedtime beer. About one sip into the beer and we both turn to each other and ask if either of us had replaced the cowl. Back into the car, 30 min drive back to the airport just to see that we had installed the cowl.

It is the occasional item that keeps you up at night. Did I lockwire that thingamajig? Did I put the oil cap back on?
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Boooooo
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Post by Boooooo »

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Last edited by Boooooo on Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bug_Stomper_01
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Re: The good, the bad, and the ugly of aircraft maintenance

Post by Bug_Stomper_01 »

Addicted4life wrote: Sat Aug 05, 2017 3:26 pm copied from another thread.
The ugly truth.....
I have been in aviation for over 30 years and contracting for the last 20 years on and off. I can no longer afford to do it. No travel expenses, shit wages, shit/no per diems, no accommodations. When I started in this game contractors got paid well because we were temporary, not covered by EI, severance etc. So we charged accordingly. What I have seen is AMOs pitting you head hunters against each other and driving down their cost to the point that why would they employ full time when it is cheaper to use contract labour. Not to mention working us like slaves, who actually wants to work 50 60 70 hr weeks. I am better off to stay at home and drive a truck. FYI I started out pushing a broom in the local flying club and gradually worked my way up. I have wrenched on everything balloons, gliders, bug mashers, helicopters, turbo props, biz jets and most boeings and airbuses and I have always been the last guy out the door at contract end. If we were a recognised trade I would be a Master Mechanic and paid accordingly. In this industry I get paid the same as someone with the ink still wet on their license. Oh, I am also a 2500 hr cpl. Right now I have one foot out the door and the other is not too far behind.

An all too common story and most including myself got in at a good time and got trapped. I’m primarily in helicopters also some fixed wing just no interest. This industry is f’n disgusting and needs some regulations, your post is so painfully accurate, hope you moved onto a better path.
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