SAFETY
A correct procedure or routine, such as depicted in the manufacturer’s operations and maintenance manuals, encourages confidence and enhances out knowledge.
KNOWLEDGE As obvious as this may sound, we should know and have experience with the aircraft we are working on. Just because you have worked on a Boeing 737, doesn’t necessarily qualify you to work on a Eurocopter AS350 and visa-versa. When a pilot asks us what appears to be an innocuous question about their aircraft, believe me they are testing our knowledge about what we are doing as much as they are seeking information. Give a vague answer or one apparently constructed from bovine excrement, and our credibility will drop quicker than a piece of hardware into a compressor inlet. If we don’t know the correct answer, we should admit it, tell him or her we will fi nd out and let them know. And then we need to make sure to get back to them with the answer. Do this and the pilot will always trust us and our work. Bottom line — we shouldn’t venture into a maintenance or repair activity unfamiliar to us. We need to read the ops and maintenance manuals and ask for assistance from a technician with more experience with the aircraft or job we have been assigned.
ATTITUDE Attitude is defi ned as the manner of thinking, acting or feeling of a person toward a situation. I am sure you will agree that attitude is a fl uid and changeable characteristic that is infl uenced by events or persons within our environment. Right?
16
DOMmagazine.com | aug 2019
So, when we describe a person’s attitude as good or bad; positive or negative; concerned or careless we are describing their response to an infl uencing event or person. So, Mr. Freud, what does all this mean? Simply, that our attitude is the result of an aff ecting event that has a direct eff ect upon our job performance. Our knowledge can be enhanced or compromised by our attitude. A good attitude keeps us focused, energetic and keeps our mind stimulated. A bad attitude is distracting, promotes lethargy and dulls the intuitive and cognitive thought processes. Also, a curious but obvious fact about attitude is that it cannot be disguised. Good or bad, our attitude is out there for all to see. So, a bad attitude = concerned pilot and a good attitude = a trusting pilot.
PROCEDURE Procedure is a technique or method that is ascribed to the completion of a task. A correct procedure or routine, such as depicted in the manufacturer’s operations and maintenance manuals, encourages confi dence and enhances our knowledge. This is accomplished by replication of a particular course of action. And, confi dence in our ability is good, right? Sure, it is! Our confi dence, combined with a routine procedure, advances a stress-free maintenance event. However, if we are not careful, this same routine can also evoke overconfi dence and complacency causing us to abandon the written procedure. Now
complacency in aviation maintenance is bad enough on its ow,n but blend one-part complacency with one-part bad attitude and stir with the pressure of a reduced maintenance turn time, and Shazam — we are about to serve a disaster cocktail to our pilot. When we are sure we don’t need to look up a particular torque or procedure, think of this — maintenance by memory kills!
TECHNIQUE Technique is the manner in which we carry out our procedure or routine and defi nes the respect we have for the aircraft, the pilots and our profession. A shoddy technique can eclipse multiple years of experience and knowledge. If we and our work area are reminiscent of the Peanuts character Pig-Pen, our disassembly methods suggestive of that dog digging in the garden, and the condition and organization of our tools and tool box a chaotic riot of candy wrappers, oily shop rags, used paper coff ee cups and worn AN hardware mixed with our tools, our credibility with our pilot and our fellow technicians will be suspect at best. A logical and orderly technique, keeping our work area neat and our tools clean, operational and organized will have both a positive eff ect on our attitude as well as that of our peers. That is KAPT. And now back to my apprentice
friend. He was a quick study — recognizing that talent is only as good as the technique applied to the job
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
