COVER STORY
to the cell phone industry (much how rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft were to the taxi industry). Today, smartphones and tablets give us seemingly endless opportunities to make our lives easier (and more diffi cult when they don’t work). In the not too distant past, tech libraries were maintained on microfi che. Each time an update came in, we needed to physically replace the old microfi che cards with the updated ones. Today, maintenance tracking software is not only available on computers — it is also available on smartphones and tablets. Tasks that were previously extremely labor- intensive, such as AD research, have become a lot less time consuming. There is even the opportunity to view maintenance manuals on our smart devices while we are working on the aircraft! The aircraft we work on have become a lot “smarter” as well. Many aircraft are equipped with health monitoring systems that allow us to download information on a regular basis. This new technology can give mechanics the opportunity to troubleshoot a discrepancy and quickly fi x it. We should ask ourselves — is this technology helping us do our jobs more quickly and effi ciently while also dumbing us down? I give you GPS as an example. When
I was a new driver back in the early 1980s, I used maps to get around. I used an Atlas on long trips. Now, I typically tell Siri, “Navigate to XXX,” and my iPhone gives me step-by-step directions. I listen to the instructions as I drive. “Turn right in one mile. Continue on for 18 miles. The destination is on your right.” But I have come to realize that I am not learning how to navigate to diff erent destinations, I am blindly following instructions. I can still use a map if I need to. Can the same be said for younger drivers who have never read a map?
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DOMmagazine.com | dec 2018 | jan 2019
The same can be said about some of the technological advances in aviation maintenance software. Sure, practically anyone can follow directions on changing a component that the aircraft software says is bad. But do they understand how the system works and why that component is being replaced? Do they possess the troubleshooting skills necessary to resolve discrepancies that are beyond the scope of the software? As far as technology changes in
aviation itself, our regular Tech Talk contributing writer John Pawlicki keeps us informed each month about the technology trends in the industry. From the adoption of crypto currency such as bitcoin, to electric and hybrid aircraft (see this month’s article on page 10), Pawlicki stays on top of the technology changes that are going on around us.
THE JOB ENVIRONMENT This has been an up and down decade, depending on what part of the industry you have been in. Corporate aviation has always been
a volatile job market. One day, you could be the DOM at a corporate fl ight department. The next day, your boss says the department is shutting down. It happens a lot — it just seems to have happened signifi cantly more in the past decade than at any time before. Yet corporate aviation isn’t going away, and there still are career opportunities in this segment of the aviation industry. The helicopter industry has seen its
own challenges. Dwindling oil prices in recent years has aff ected a large portion of the helicopter industry. OEMs have been reporting fewer deliveries (new aircraft sales) the past several years. On the fl ip side, their revenues from aftermarket services have been rising. While this is good for the OEMs, it is cutting into revenue streams that were previously going to repair stations.
Mechanics have seen a signifi cant change as well over the past decade. 10 years ago, lots of mechanics would often be competing for a few job openings. Now, repair stations, OEMs and others are all struggling to hire and retain mechanics. It’s good news for the mechanics, many of whom are seeing rising pay and benefi ts. It’s bad news for maintenance organizations and maintenance managers that are struggling to maintain staffi ng. Although indications are that the
current challenges in hiring haven’t aff ected safety of aircraft, many in the industry are raising alarms that the shortage will become worse, and increased pay and benefi ts won’t be enough to solve the problem.
REGULATORY CHANGES
AFFECTING MECHANICS There have been two items that have specifi cally aff ected mechanics over the past few years. One was the FAA legal interpretation of “actively engaged” for A&P mechanics with Inspection Authorization. The other was a change to DME requirements. Actively Engaged — In 2011, the
FAA issued a legal interpretation to “actively engaged” regarding IAs. It basically said that mechanics applying for or renewing their Inspection Authorization needed to be actively engaged — either working on aircraft full-time or managing people who work on aircraft full-time. This caused many (including myself) to surrender their IA certifi cates because they couldn’t meet the language of the new interpretation.
DME Changes — In 2016, the
FAA made several changes to its designated mechanic examiner (DME) requirements. DMEs would need to have all of the equipment on hand to test for any possible scenario the student would need to test on. In addition, these changes aff ected the re-testing procedures for applicants who failed any part of the
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