Well Ken, I certainly agree that some AA FSCs have made mistakes. On the other hand, so do mechanics. Although aircraft mechanics get it right 99.999999% of the time I can clearly remember an instance at EAL where they royally screwed up. They forgot to put the O-rings on the chip detectors on the 3 RB-211s (these are engines on the L-10-11s). During it's flight, the oil in ALL 3 engines was lost and the aircraft barely made it back to MIA on one engine. Not knocking aircraft mechanics, but they are not absolutely perfect either. I and other FSCs have spotted lav leaks, water leaks, hydraulic leaks when the system is pressurized just before pushback, and other items. I AM NOT SAYING I AM AN AMT OR TRYING TO DO HIS JOB but if I see anything on my pre push walk around I report it and they call the AMT. If the cockpit has a problem during a push, which is very very rare considering how many pushes I have done, the plane goes back to the gate and mx is called. As for the Alaska incident, they hire contractor people for rock bottom wages and the one who put the belt loader in the side of the plane either didn't know of the possible consequences or didn't care. Also, the end of the belt should not have been that high in the first place.
Alcoa Signs Agreement With American Air
- Thread starter ICEMAN
- Start date
Well Ken, I certainly agree that some AA FSCs have made mistakes. On the other hand, so do mechanics. Although aircraft mechanics get it right 99.999999% of the time I can clearly remember an instance at EAL where they royally screwed up. They forgot to put the O-rings on the chip detectors on the 3 RB-211s (these are engines on the L-10-11s). During it's flight, the oil in ALL 3 engines was lost and the aircraft barely made it back to MIA on one engine. Not knocking aircraft mechanics, but they are not absolutely perfect either. I and other FSCs have spotted lav leaks, water leaks, hydraulic leaks when the system is pressurized just before pushback, and other items. I AM NOT SAYING I AM AN AMT OR TRYING TO DO HIS JOB but if I see anything on my pre push walk around I report it and they call the AMT. If the cockpit has a problem during a push, which is very very rare considering how many pushes I have done, the plane goes back to the gate and mx is called. As for the Alaska incident, they hire contractor people for rock bottom wages and the one who put the belt loader in the side of the plane either didn't know of the possible consequences or didn't care. Also, the end of the belt should not have been that high in the first place.
Hopeful
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- Dec 21, 2002
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aafsc:
You are correct! No one is perfect. NO one!
Except the executives in this company , according to the pro management supoorters here.
It's all the unions' fault and they simply had to rape us with concessions because union workers have been overpaid and underworked for decades.
What do you when an mechanical failure occurs and forces an emergency landing or, worse, an accident happens?
According to Oneflyer and ModerAAtor, the mechanics should be more concerned with "bettering" themselves in new careers. So "incidents" are going to happen!
You are correct! No one is perfect. NO one!
Except the executives in this company , according to the pro management supoorters here.
It's all the unions' fault and they simply had to rape us with concessions because union workers have been overpaid and underworked for decades.
What do you when an mechanical failure occurs and forces an emergency landing or, worse, an accident happens?
According to Oneflyer and ModerAAtor, the mechanics should be more concerned with "bettering" themselves in new careers. So "incidents" are going to happen!
Ken MacTiernan
Veteran
"Not knocking aircraft mechanics, but they are not absolutely perfect either."
aafsc, you are correct and I believe that you understood that I was not implying that AMTs are indeed perfect. Yes, a FSC can notice a leak, or a belching cloud of white smoke from an engine's exhaust. But having a TRAINED eye looking at an a/c when it leaves should be the M.O. of any airline. I'm not knocking FSCs. Many here in SAN are very observant and inform the flight crew of any percieved "abnormalty".
As for oneflyer's question I do not believe he would care who did his push back. Even the guy who ran away when the engine had a tail fire. But that is the flying public's level of understanding of what takes place in the airline business. Hopefully through education the public will become better aware of the AMTs responsibilities and actually care about who worked on and who last looked at their aircraft.
aafsc, you are correct and I believe that you understood that I was not implying that AMTs are indeed perfect. Yes, a FSC can notice a leak, or a belching cloud of white smoke from an engine's exhaust. But having a TRAINED eye looking at an a/c when it leaves should be the M.O. of any airline. I'm not knocking FSCs. Many here in SAN are very observant and inform the flight crew of any percieved "abnormalty".
As for oneflyer's question I do not believe he would care who did his push back. Even the guy who ran away when the engine had a tail fire. But that is the flying public's level of understanding of what takes place in the airline business. Hopefully through education the public will become better aware of the AMTs responsibilities and actually care about who worked on and who last looked at their aircraft.
777 fixer
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- Jul 21, 2004
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Fed Ex does not have the capability to do the conversions so it will be going to a third party.
I would imagine it would be going third-party, with MCI as a potential candidate. Of course that might require proper manning and could be an issue as seen on the Saab line.
So much for the Fed-ex work. I wonder what happened?
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=7650
http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=7650
MCI transplant
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- Jun 4, 2003
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- #83
<_< ----- Thanks for the Info. AMFAMAN! The ALCOA thing has been way too quite lately! This may explain quit a bet on what's been going on! But it seems we'll be kept busy with the C.I.P. program for quite a while. So far hasn't brought as many people back off the street as we hoped! We have three exTWA757s on the ground. I wonder if they're slated to go to FedEx?---- 
Well I just looked into this more and I'm told that we bid a lower price but would not do more than one line at a time. This compares to:<_< ----- Thanks for the Info. AMFAMAN! The ALCOA thing has been way too quite lately! This may explain quit a bet on what's been going on! But it seems we'll be kept busy with the C.I.P. program for quite a while. So far hasn't brought as many people back off the street as we hoped! We have three exTWA757s on the ground. I wonder if they're slated to go to FedEx?----
I guess that would of resulted in recalls.
Isn't ST Aero the outfit that Bronner wanted to use to overhaul the US airplanes during that short time he played Airline Executive with Alabama state employee retirement fund money?
No doubt they could bid less; I wouldn't be surprised if Cods the SuperScab used to work there.
No doubt they could bid less; I wouldn't be surprised if Cods the SuperScab used to work there.
MCI transplant
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- Jun 4, 2003
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- #86
Well I just looked into this more and I'm told that we bid a lower price but would not do more than one line at a time. This compares to:
I guess that would of resulted in recalls.
------ I can't believe it! Another case of "Penny wise, Dollar Foolish!!!!"---- :angry: :down:I'm pretty sure you are correct. I have read in ATW (I'll try and find it tonight) and believe I posted this past summer that Alcoa was charging between $4.5 and $5.5 million per plane with AA getting around $1.5 million for the labor. If that the case, the bid would be in line with Superscab shop, but the lack of lines is what killed it. That is the same story I'm hearing from those in the know. I would hate to see this loss pinned on the refusal to recall the manpower, it doesn't hold much hope for future thrid party major contracts.
MCI transplant
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- Jun 4, 2003
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- #89
<_< ----- For 757's, space is not the problem! They'll fit in any of our Docks! We have at least five open! Finding the people to do the job? Now that's another story!
Good metal people just don't grow on trees! And now I'll assume that more of our layed off people may be headed south! So if needed, aa may not get them back as easily as they think! 
And with aa's present policy of no growth, it simply couldn't happen!<_< ----- Thanks for the Info. AMFAMAN! The ALCOA thing has been way too quite lately! This may explain quit a bet on what's been going on! But it seems we'll be kept busy with the C.I.P. program for quite a while. So far hasn't brought as many people back off the street as we hoped! We have three exTWA757s on the ground. I wonder if they're slated to go to FedEx?----
Sounds like ALCOA is D.O.A. at MCI
