Aircraft maint issues

[chilokie1]

I’m not interested in sacrificing pay so we can have mechs that don’t work on airplanes but get paid as if they do. Like moving planes around, I don’t care how that effects my seniority.

It's a two-way street Bigjets, we had a CFM come in from the field last week with multiple problems one of which was the fan.
Some joker thought he knew how to blend fan blades, I have seen butcher knives with worse edges then the leading edges of these babies, they were not great for making thrust but they would do a hell of a job on cutting your grass. That highly qualified line mechanic cost AA the price of at least 6 scrapped fan blades. That being said, I agree that the days of job-saving are over
and should have never happened in the past but once again get off your high-horse. Most of the TULE mechanics are just as capable and many are willing to finish their AA career at a line station, so be careful what you wish for the days of juniority are
also over with.

 

[Kev3188]

Sidebar: What is blending a fan blade, and what does it involve?

 

[bigjets]

It's a two-way street Bigjets, we had a CFM come in from the field last week with multiple problems one of which was the fan.
Some joker thought he knew how to blend fan blades, I have seen butcher knives with worse edges then the leading edges of these babies, they were not great for making thrust but they would do a hell of a job on cutting your grass. That highly qualified line mechanic cost AA the price of at least 6 scrapped fan blades. That being said, I agree that the days of job-saving are over
and should have never happened in the past but once again get off your high-horse. Most of the TULE mechanics are just as capable and many are willing to finish their AA career at a line station, so be careful what you wish for the days of juniority are
also over with.

I’m not on a high horse, I’m talking specifically about moving airplanes, seat shop etc, engine shops are of course doing mechanic work. I didn’t say anything to disparage OH AMT or park crew mechanical abilities, I just don’t want to except a lesser contract to protect those type of jobs that don’t require an A&P license. As far as those blades go, well we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

I look forward to do away with juniority system, it has been a system abused by the union leaders for too long to help THEMSELVES. No layoff has been the same. With seniority, there’s no way to misinterpret that.

 

[texasreb]

It's a two-way street Bigjets, we had a CFM come in from the field last week with multiple problems one of which was the fan.
Some joker thought he knew how to blend fan blades, I have seen butcher knives with worse edges then the leading edges of these babies, they were not great for making thrust but they would do a hell of a job on cutting your grass. That highly qualified line mechanic cost AA the price of at least 6 scrapped fan blades. That being said, I agree that the days of job-saving are over
and should have never happened in the past but once again get off your high-horse. Most of the TULE mechanics are just as capable and many are willing to finish their AA career at a line station, so be careful what you wish for the days of juniority are
also over with.

Juniority is not over with until we get a new contract. That should be five or six years from now.

 

[B737 driver]

Sidebar: What is blending a fan blade, and what does it involve?

First you have to see where the damage is, you have limits where you can blend the blade or not. The closer it is to the blade root, where it slides into the hub, the less you can take out or it is, totally out of limits and it is scrapped. You basically get a set of jeweler's files, and start to blend the blade to a smooth repair. Then you have to do a high frequency inspection within so many hours or right there to make sure there are no cracks, you put a knife edge on a blade you risk cracks not allowed.

 

[Buck]

I can tell you this Engine Fan Blade Blending is Proprietary and belongs to GE.
You have to have permission to use this technique.

 

[conehead777]

I’m not on a high horse, I’m talking specifically about moving airplanes, seat shop etc, engine shops are of course doing mechanic work. I didn’t say anything to disparage OH AMT or park crew mechanical abilities, I just don’t want to except a lesser contract to protect those type of jobs that don’t require an A&P license. As far as those blades go, well we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

I look forward to do away with juniority system, it has been a system abused by the union leaders for too long to help THEMSELVES. No layoff has been the same. With seniority, there’s no way to misinterpret that.

Yes we all have our strength and weakness but if your going to butcher up fanblades then you need to get help. As we saw a couple of weeks ago a lady died from a fan blade. It could of been worse a lot worse. You sound like management

 

[Kev3188]

First you have to see where the damage is, you have limits where you can blend the blade or not. The closer it is to the blade root, where it slides into the hub, the less you can take out or it is, totally out of limits and it is scrapped. You basically get a set of jeweler's files, and start to blend the blade to a smooth repair. Then you have to do a high frequency inspection within so many hours or right there to make sure there are no cracks, you put a knife edge on a blade you risk cracks not allowed.

Thank you!

 

[B737 driver]

Thank you!

You're welcome.

 

[Buck]

You're welcome.

Even though I am a Higher Class Mechanic than the majority I do know that the Mechanics
have to go to school on this Fan Blade Installation Proceadure.

 

[B737 driver]

Even though I am a Higher Class Mechanic than the majority I do know that the Mechanics
have to go to school on this Fan Blade Installation Proceadure.

Yes I have gone to CFM 56-7B and -3, which involved fan blade installation, blade repair, and borescope. I am still waiting to go to the Leap engine class, have to go to Cincinnati for that class.

 

[Real tired]

When AA gave us that big raise, that 4% was included in that raise.

AA and the association screwed up by agreeing on that pay raise.

AA could be holding that great raise over the unions head

The association would not agreed to the concession of an 8 year top out and wouldn’t allow us to work on each other’s metal. Plus haveing a pissed off membership.

There would have been motivation on all sides to get something done.

Maybe we should have another AMFA drive, that always seems to motivate the twu and AA to work together to take care of the mechanics.

You're right.

With the raise outside the contract, we lost our juice. And with the synergies the company gained, they could keep us as 2 separate groups for years. It's the cheapest way. Keep in mind, they kept our Pilots as 2 separate groups for more than 10 years.

As for AMFA, your group is the majority. If you want a change for the better, you'll have to do it. You'll get no help from us.

Unless............. if we lose medical or pension contributions or classification seniority, the crying will begin like you've never heard before. And then, maybe, just maybe, we might be motivated to do something.

 

[Vortilon]

You're right.

With the raise outside the contract, we lost our juice. And with the synergies the company gained, they could keep us as 2 separate groups for years. It's the cheapest way. Keep in mind, they kept our Pilots as 2 separate groups for more than 10 years.

As for AMFA, your group is the majority. If you want a change for the better, you'll have to do it. You'll get no help from us.

Unless............. if we lose medical or pension contributions or classification seniority, the crying will begin like you've never heard before. And then, maybe, just maybe, we might be motivated to do something.

Oh, it would be nice to hang on to that level of medical insurance. Unfortunately, the people who currently enjoy that level of benefits are in the minority - within not only the company, but the industry. The failing, multi employer pension is another dinosaur that finds itself utilized by a small minority within not only the company, but the industry as well. It's too easy of an argument for the company to make in negotiations against continuing either option.

On the LAA side, we are already begrudgingly used to the higher medical costs, and have done likewise with the frozen pension.

So, it comes down to the negotiating committee agreeing on what to bring back for vote.

Signing an AMFA card to get rid of both of these POS unions is always fun.

 

[bigjets]

http://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-statement-on-iran-nuclear-had-typo-2018-5

Looks like the White House is putting out misleading info to start a conflict with Iran, like the Bush administration did with Iraq.

That means we will be less likely to get a contract when that happens, and seeing how the association already agreed to cross utilization. AA had all the synergy it needs.

 

[bigjets]

I would love to see AAs last final offer, the full contract just to see if it is good or bad.