TOOLS
Terry Peed’s article Tools (page 12) this month got me thinking about the subject of tools. As Peed discusses the history of many of the tools we use, we can see that tools were developed to make our jobs easier. And who better to design a new tool than a person who uses them every day! Quite a few years ago, I received a product release
from Gear Wrench announcing a new ratcheting combination wrench. The great thing about the new wrench was that the wrench was twisted 90 degrees in the body of the wrench. The result of that simple change to the design of a combination wrench that we have used for many, many years — you have a more comfortable grip when you apply torque since your palm or fingers are resting on a flat surface instead of the edge of the wrench body. Sure enough — that design was invented by a mechanic! I tried to find out who invented safety wire pliers but
didn’t have any luck. Behind wrenches, ratchet sets and screwdrivers, safety wire pliers are used just about every day when it comes to maintaining helicopters. I can only image the amount of hours safety wire pliers have saved me over the years versus traditional hand-twisting the wire! We have a new advertiser in this issue — Grypmat.
Tom Burden is the inventor of the Grypmat. I met Burden at EAA AirVenture years ago as he was displaying a new prototype he was just coming to market with. A former F-16 mechanic, he knew the frustration to be had when working on certain projects when you needed to have tools nearby. Then he had an idea to invent a tool tray that would conform to the shape of the surface you placed it on, keep your tools in place and not damage the surface. And so Grypmat was born! He launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise initial funding to launch his product. He appeared
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HelicopterMaintenanceMagazine.com April | May 2020
on Shark Tank a few years ago, and was able to secure a deal with Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and Richard Branson to grow his business to new heights. And it all started with an aircraft mechanic knowing there was a need to make a job easier who decided to invent a solution himself! When
asked by a news outlet what advice he would give to aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs, Burden said, “Get a whiteboard on the wall of your bedroom. Keep your thoughts and ideas on this. Stay persistent and step into your dream every day. Everyone can change the world, but not everyone chooses to.” I’m not saying we should quit our jobs in order to
invent the next great product for aircraft mechanics. But who knows — maybe that idea you’ve been kicking around in the back of your head might lead to something? In closing, I’d like to share some thoughts on the
Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC). Each year, aircraft maintenance teams from around the world gather to compete in a series of events to see who is the best-of-the-best. The AMC, held in conjunction with MRO Americas each year, is the venue where they meet in a spirit of competition and camaraderie. I have been to numerous AMCs over the
years. It is an exciting event to witness. My only disappointment is that there aren’t more helicopter maintenance teams competing. I would encourage our readers to learn more about AMC at
www.aerospacecompetition.com. Can we get some helicopter maintenance teams
together to compete at next year’s AMC to show the fixed-wing guys and gals what you’re made of? I hope so! Thanks for reading! Joe Escobar
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