MAINTENANCE MINUTE Before “Clear!”
By Mark Tyler
“Once I even found a bullet that had fallen from the sky, came through the roof and rested in the overhead circuit breaker panel.”
As the pilot straps in the helicopter, he or she begins to go through the checklist and starts moving switches to their proper positions. Battery on, fuel pump on, and throttle set. The last thing a pilot does before he engages the start switch is to look over his shoulder and yell, “Clear!”
Anyone who has been in the helicopter business for longer than a minute understands that “Clear!” means the pilot is announcing that he is about to bring the beast to life, and everyone should be clear of the turning rotors. The question that I would like to address is: What happens before that exclamation?
Many operations require that a daily inspection be performed prior to the next flight of a company-owned helicopter. The danger of daily inspections is that they become routine and boring. They can become viewed as a necessary evil or as just something else to do. Honestly, in my opinion, the daily inspection is perhaps the most important check that can be accomplished prior to the aircraft breaking ground.
When following the daily inspection checklist, you begin on one side of the aircraft and conclude on the other side. I like to reverse the process, if only to cause my eyes to see differently
22 Sep/Oct 2023
and to re-engage my brain from the mundane. Some mechanics approach the daily inspection with an attitude of doing the minimum because the pilot is coming along next to perform a preflight. On the other hand, some pilots approach the preflight with an attitude of doing the minimum since the mechanic just performed a daily.
We should all perform our responsibilities with a professional attitude and excellence. Some of the discrepancies I have found while performing a daily inspection were discovered simply by reviewing the status sheet. These include overflown inspections and components. Visual inspections reveal bad bearings, leaking oil lines, incorrect hardware, broken windows and windshields, and bird nests. Once I even found a bullet that had fallen from the sky, came through the roof and rested in the overhead circuit breaker panel. And not to be forgotten are any Airworthiness Directives or ICAs that may be due.
The goal is for everyone to go home safely at the end of the day, so before the aircraft breaks ground, we must check a lot of boxes. Duties must be performed intentionally. It is not just the pilots counting on us. Our work has a ripple effect, and it is imperative that we take ownership of every task we perform. Then when the pilot straps in, looks over his shoulder and yells “Clear!” we can walk away knowing that we did everything possible to complete a safe mission.
About the author: Mark Tyler dedicated the majority of his career to serving the helicopter EMS community, from base mechanic to director of maintenance. As vice president and general manager of Precision Aircraft Services, Tyler now serves helicopter operators from many sectors, including air ambulance, law enforcement, private owners, etc. When not at work, he can be found spending time with his family or sitting in a tree stand.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
