Aircraft maint issues

[DallasConehead]

Before anybody gets hyped up on this announcement, let's remember it takes time to get that many FSCs qualified to drive on taxiways, plus trained on super tugs and also in Miami's case get 55 FSCs that aren't already dedicated to their current jobs. And based on how things have been going with this merger, I bet it was half assed thought out and will be half assed implemented. They will be begging for maint to take it over again.

Let's not forget moving planes around all day isn't a fun job, like an engine change or troubleshooting. There will be high amount of turnover from the FSCs on their tow crew, and then maint will do again except we will be doing in on six/seven days.

Your dreaming, this management team is incapable of admitting fault, once they have made a decision, they will stick with it even if it means driving the operation off a cliff.

 

[WeAAsles]

I just asked the Local Fleet President in MIA if he had been approached by management as to when the company would like to make this transition and this was the response I received from him.

"The conversation about that is not with us, it is with the current holder of those positions. That issue was arbitrated in 2005, and the decision was for the maintenance group."

I took that answer as either a no or perhaps he refused to discuss it with them.

And the Fleet President in BOS also told me that he believes they just want to divide us and said if they gave him a directive he would have to call the ATD Director for further directions.

 

[Twistedmetal]

Yes crossing active runways is the one of the reasons why DFW and ORD are not effected ..YET. At LAX we rarely have to cross an active runway, however LAX Is probably the most traffic congested airport in the country with the majority of aircraft being moved are wide body (380,777-300,747,etc plus all the cargo clowns, makes for at times some hair raising taxi operations. LOTS of foreign carriers who can barley speak English and unable to understand and comply with ATC...(they go down the wrong taxiway quite often). LAX is a complete disaster, company is trying to squeeze bowling balls through a garden hose at that station...so please AA hand over aircraft movement to a non D.O.T work group. Lots of aircraft damage and incursions, hopefully the operation will burn.

Also someone mentioned that when they tried to take Aircraft movement away at MIA, they shove it up the companies A$$. Unfortunately the majority of mechanics at LAX are company loving vaginas (also lots of new hire yes votes) and will talk about how they have "had enough" and will" shove it up the companies a$$" all while signing up for a sixth day or getting a letter to take four days off because of working the maximum hours for the month.

As for the Union, I don't care what they have to say , I just don't want to pay dues anymore since we are "at will" employees now anyway. I have unsuccessfully tried to hand pay my dues.

 

[MetalMover]

At this moment this whole thing just seems designed to create division between the two groups. Jim Weel states in his response to Gary that the transition will not cause any loss of maintenance members but will add to the overall FSC ranks.

Ok Metal you tell me what I might be missing here? Wouldn't the idea of giving the work back to us be to gain some type of cost savings?

I really don't think the Company likes that your Presidents have supported ours on a few positions that the Company doesn't want to back off from?

Let me see here, hangar being built in SA, more work shifting there, mechanics in ground equipment shops going the way of the dinosaurs and now aircraft moves going to fleet....

Yea there will be no mx jobs lost..

 

[MetalMover]

I don't know the situation at ORD, I do know at Dallas, which is DFW and DWH, crossing active runways to the east and west is inherent in the movement of aircraft from the terminal operational area to the hangars to the tune of 40-50 moves per day. Which equates to over 14,500 moves per year. I am fairly sure the FAA won't allow un-certificated people to cross runways and all the risk associated with that.

Some dude smoking a bowl of weed and then dragging a triple with a marginally maintained Goldhofer over a runway with a 380 on a 2 mile short final? LOL, recipe for disaster, literally.

On top of that, you have the Goldhofer situation which is that they are not maintained adequately to be a reliable source of moving airplanes across actives on a regular basis. The occasional airplane that cant be taxied, sure, if it passes the walk around and checklist, roll the dice hoping it wont crap out on the runway. The maintenance problem is no fault of the T2 guys, its the company's fault because management tries to nickle and dime maintenance, you cannot maintain a Goldhofer like a car, it has to be maintained like an airplane.

How about gate to gate moves? As for those poorly maintained Goldhofers, I understand new TLD machines are being ordered.

 

[Vortilon]

Yes crossing active runways is the one of the reasons why DFW and ORD are not effected ..YET. At LAX we rarely have to cross an active runway, however LAX Is probably the most traffic congested airport in the country with the majority of aircraft being moved are wide body (380,777-300,747,etc plus all the cargo clowns, makes for at times some hair raising taxi operations. LOTS of foreign carriers who can barley speak English and unable to understand and comply with ATC...(they go down the wrong taxiway quite often). LAX is a complete disaster, company is trying to squeeze bowling balls through a garden hose at that station...so please AA hand over aircraft movement to a non D.O.T work group. Lots of aircraft damage and incursions, hopefully the operation will burn.

Also someone mentioned that when they tried to take Aircraft movement away at MIA, they shove it up the companies A$$. Unfortunately the majority of mechanics at LAX are company loving vaginas (also lots of new hire yes votes) and will talk about how they have "had enough" and will" shove it up the companies a$$" all while signing up for a sixth day or getting a letter to take four days off because of working the maximum hours for the month.

As for the Union, I don't care what they have to say , I just don't want to pay dues anymore since we are "at will" employees now anyway. I have unsuccessfully tried to hand pay my dues.

It is doubtful the FAA would buy into allowing non AMTs to move aircraft at DFW, and ORD. There is no accountability - no license to suspend or revoke. Not subject to random drug and alcohol testing. Since non AMTs can't taxi, the company would have to rely on the Goldhofers to move the aircraft. As was pointed out in a earlier post the Goldhofers are not maintained properly, and are unreliable at best. Add to that, many of the aircraft moved to the hangar have issues that could affect personnel or equipment without proper knowledge and handling. Then, if the company thinks that there would be any cooperation from the AMTs to help FSCs take our work - that would be a mistake. FAA would be on speed dial.

 

[WeAAsles]

I transferred to DFW in 97 and don't recall anyone performing or having performed that work in the past there?

In 95 when I hired in at LGA they weren't doing the work there either.

 

[Twistedmetal]

It is doubtful the FAA would buy into allowing non AMTs to move aircraft at DFW, and ORD. There is no accountability - no license to suspend or revoke. Not subject to random drug and alcohol testing. Since non AMTs can't taxi, the company would have to rely on the Goldhofers to move the aircraft. As was pointed out in a earlier post the Goldhofers are not maintained properly, and are unreliable at best. Add to that, many of the aircraft moved to the hangar have issues that could affect personnel or equipment without proper knowledge and handling. Then, if the company thinks that there would be any cooperation from the AMTs to help FSCs take our work - that would be a mistake. FAA would be on

Agreed, not saying that FSC will taxi, but here at LAX being a VERY hectic station with crazy R and R aircraft(the real money maker for the company at this station), it is a for sure disaster and I will have my lawn chair and popcorn out watching it go down. The leadership of this company holds us to a very high standard more so then other work groups including management. DOUG PARKER is a three time DUI criminal and served jail time(google it). Most people would not even have a drivers license anymore and this piece of sh!T is running the company., PARKER, ISOM and associates have no moral compass and no ethics, they should all be locked up or put on the trim rack and shot at dawn.

 

[ATD]

are you going to be on your own time or co time when you are eating popcorn on a lawn chair.
It is remarks like this that this blogs have no credibility. The fact you work around airplanes and speak this way are very troubling. You need some serious help...

 

[Albert]

I bid tomorrow here in MIA and it wasn't on our bid. So I'm not sure when they plan to make the changeover.

Weez here at LGA you need a DR3 license to go on taxiways. It just covers the taxiways etc then a trainer comes in for a 4 hour course At first just the leads were riding brakes now it's anyone qualified. My next door neighbor is a AA AMT at JFK I think re-positioning was his job, he's going to chit. I hope he doesn't egg my house. I also hope AMTs know we have no desire to do their work for us all it is is added work

 

[MetalMover]

Weez here at LGA you need a DR3 license to go on taxiways. It just covers the taxiways etc then a trainer comes in for a 4 hour course At first just the leads were riding brakes now it's anyone qualified. My next door neighbor is a AA AMT at JFK I think re-positioning was his job, he's going to chit. I hope he doesn't egg my house. I also hope AMTs know we have no desire to do their work for us all it is is added work

I don't think anyone will FIGHT to take away the moves, but as WeAAsles said, there will be alot of HIGH-FIVING going on. Having said this, there is nothing any of us can do about it. Union tech crew chief instructors will be TOLD to train the new group. they can NOT REFUSE to do so...Just as your department can NOT refuse to get trained and do the job.

 

[MetalMover]

Yes crossing active runways is the one of the reasons why DFW and ORD are not effected ..YET. At LAX we rarely have to cross an active runway, however LAX Is probably the most traffic congested airport in the country with the majority of aircraft being moved are wide body (380,777-300,747,etc plus all the cargo clowns, makes for at times some hair raising taxi operations. LOTS of foreign carriers who can barley speak English and unable to understand and comply with ATC...(they go down the wrong taxiway quite often). LAX is a complete disaster, company is trying to squeeze bowling balls through a garden hose at that station...so please AA hand over aircraft movement to a non D.O.T work group. Lots of aircraft damage and incursions, hopefully the operation will burn.

Also someone mentioned that when they tried to take Aircraft movement away at MIA, they shove it up the companies A$$. Unfortunately the majority of mechanics at LAX are company loving vaginas (also lots of new hire yes votes) and will talk about how they have "had enough" and will" shove it up the companies a$$" all while signing up for a sixth day or getting a letter to take four days off because of working the maximum hours for the month.

As for the Union, I don't care what they have to say , I just don't want to pay dues anymore since we are "at will" employees now anyway. I have unsuccessfully tried to hand pay my dues.

No body is going to SHOVE anything anywhere. Where was all the SHOVING the past 14 years of concessions?

 

[Albert]

I don't think anyone will FIGHT to take away the moves, but as WeAAsles said, there will be alot of HIGH-FIVING going on. Having said this, there is nothing any of us can do about it. Union tech crew chief instructors will be TOLD to train the new group. they can NOT REFUSE to do so...Just as your department can NOT refuse to get trained and do the job.

To train someone to do what was your job is a swift kick in the balls .

 

[Slopoke]

I don't know the situation at ORD, I do know at Dallas, which is DFW and DWH, crossing active runways to the east and west is inherent in the movement of aircraft from the terminal operational area to the hangars to the tune of 40-50 moves per day. Which equates to over 14,500 moves per year. I am fairly sure the FAA won't allow un-certificated people to cross runways and all the risk associated with that.

Some dude smoking a bowl of weed and then dragging a triple with a marginally maintained Goldhofer over a runway with a 380 on a 2 mile short final? LOL, recipe for disaster, literally.

On top of that, you have the Goldhofer situation which is that they are not maintained adequately to be a reliable source of moving airplanes across actives on a regular basis. The occasional airplane that cant be taxied, sure, if it passes the walk around and checklist, roll the dice hoping it wont crap out on the runway. The maintenance problem is no fault of the T2 guys, its the company's fault because management tries to nickle and dime maintenance, you cannot maintain a Goldhofer like a car, it has to be maintained like an airplane.

At SFO, the USAir ramp does the moves and yes they cross the 28/10 active runways all the time with the Goldhofer.

 

[Albert]

I don't know the situation at ORD, I do know at Dallas, which is DFW and DWH, crossing active runways to the east and west is inherent in the movement of aircraft from the terminal operational area to the hangars to the tune of 40-50 moves per day. Which equates to over 14,500 moves per year. I am fairly sure the FAA won't allow un-certificated people to cross runways and all the risk associated with that.

Some dude smoking a bowl of weed and then dragging a triple with a marginally maintained Goldhofer over a runway with a 380 on a 2 mile short final? LOL, recipe for disaster, literally.

On top of that, you have the Goldhofer situation which is that they are not maintained adequately to be a reliable source of moving airplanes across actives on a regular basis. The occasional airplane that cant be taxied, sure, if it passes the walk around and checklist, roll the dice hoping it wont crap out on the runway. The maintenance problem is no fault of the T2 guys, its the company's fault because management tries to nickle and dime maintenance, you cannot maintain a Goldhofer like a car, it has to be maintained like an airplane.

You do realize that in a station like JFK a contract company paying $14 an hour tow 380s