TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE
some examples of the problems that I have observed and that I have had to deal with. This is by no means a complete list: • When I look out on the hangar fl oor, I see mechanics who are so engrossed with the computer monitor they no longer see the aircraft. I have been there, too. I have spent many hours trying to navigate the software to fi nd what I was looking for. (In the old days, I used to go to the greasy pages of the manual.)
• My mechanics have been printing off the pages that they needed so they can climb up on the aircraft to do their inspections. Besides seeing the line of mechanics at the printer, I fi nd all of these pages of paper data stacking up around the hangar. I have had to remind them constantly that this paperwork must be destroyed after use because there is no way to guarantee if it is current, should the mechanic want to use it again at a later date.
• Since we purchased a server for more storage and standardization, the term “the server is down” has been catastrophic for the mechanics. Nobody can do anything.
• For the most part, this technology is not free. My technical library “budget” has gone through the roof and I have to pay annually for each “access seat” of this software.
• We have had to contract an outside company to maintain our system and back-up capabilities.
• Files are something we have basically allowed access to by everyone in the company. More times than not, we are spending hours just trying to fi nd archived data because everyone has their own idea about fi ling.
• Deleting fi les and data, whether accidental or intentional, has lead to many lost days searching for important information.
• Our software isn’t too bad, but most of the software that I have seen demands that all of the data entry be made at the fl oor level by the mechanic. The mechanic is now supporting all of the departments in the company instead of them supporting him or her.
• Unfortunately, we have also found some of our mechanics surfi ng the internet instead of focusing on the aircraft maintenance. Sometimes they must go online for research, but it is too easy to get distracted and lost.
These are just a few of the problems that I have encountered. I don’t think that we are unique and I am not throwing the blame on my mechanics. I
just feel that things have changed so much in the last decade. We have to remember the mechanic’s primary job function. When an aircraft is in for maintenance, he or she must be able to concentrate completely on that aircraft. As a company, we can’t just sit at our desks and expect the mechanic to do all of the data collection and entry it takes to satisfy all of the other departments’ requirements. We need to do whatever it takes to support the mechanic and keep him or her focused. For all of the benefi ts to the industry that I have listed
above, that software can’t relieve the mechanic of his responsibilities for the airworthiness of his or her aircraft. Computers can’t install cotter pins in fl ight controls or safety wire PC links. All of the technology in the world can’t replace the mechanic’s toolbox, training and duty to the aircraft and our profession. This is just a friendly warning to all of the Dr. Frankensteins out there. You don’t want to see the villagers coming up the mountain carrying torches, do you?
Terry L. Peed has been in Aviation for 43 years and is a licensed A&P and IA. He is the chief inspector for Helicopter Specialties Inc., a certifi cated FAA repair station that performs heavy helicopter maintenance, completions with painting capabilities and avionics installations.
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Actual photos taken with a Machida 3mm Videoscope, Model VSC-3-140-NP
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