Maintenance Personel

[Charles Talleyrand]

How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic assigned to a plane or to
a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234, or to "left
wing hydraulics"?

-Thanks

[S. Sampson]

"Charles Talleyrand" > wrote
> How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic assigned to a plane or
to
> a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234, or to "left
> wing hydraulics"?

Back when I was in (70's and 80's) we started out with the time-tested crew chiefs
and specialists. Using this system, the crew chiefs busted their ass on their plane, and
the specialists mostly operated the BBQ and stood around smoking. Somewhere in
the 80's they came up with the "everyone is a crew chief" concept, and specialists now
had to rig their own jets to work on their subsystems. Before, a crew chief hooked up
all the AGE and put it in a state where the specialists could begin work. Later, the
specialists met with the crew chief and the crew chief ordered all the AGE, and when
it arrived, the specialists hooked it up, and ran it. The crew chief then went off to do
his own work, or assist other specialists. On big planes, you have several crew chiefs
and probably five jobs being worked by various specialists. When everything's all
fixed, the crew chief owns the jet and they clean it up for the next flight and complete
the paperwork (most times today, the flight crew is in-place waiting for the crew chief
to release the jet, as they are almost never ready for flight at the crew-show time).

Where this tends to fail, is when you have an electronic specialist (for example) given
the task of putting air in the tire. I think we've all seen the picture of the A1C
blown-up
on the ramp, with his nice regulation haircut being the only thing left of his head, when
he decided to air up the nose wheel with the hi-pressure cart. Speaking of BBQ meat...

Back in Thailand, many crew chiefs deployed to central shops, instead of being assigned
individual tail numbers. Today, almost all jet tail numbers have a crew chief, and
assistant.
They own the whole jet, and are responsible for the 781 forms that say it is ready for
flight.

[Pechs1]

Charles-<< How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic
assigned to a plane or to
a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234, or to
"left
wing hydraulics"? >><BR><BR>

In the USN, belong to a divison, then a branch, organized according to aircraft
systems..Aircraft division, that has powerplants(engines-ADs by rate),
airframes(Aviation metalsmiths, metal benders and hydraulics guys), Ejection
seat guys(AME), etc...each branch has guys rated in that specialty..

Also have plane captains, belonging to the Line division, but these are
generally non-rates that prep the aircraft, don't do a lot of genuine
maintenance, mostly cleaning and such..
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

[Longtailedlizard]

>How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic assigned to a
>plane or to
>a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234, or
>to "left
>wing hydraulics"?
>
>-Thanks

First and foremost, are you looking at maintenance in the Air Force, Army,
or the Navy/Marine Corps.
A brief rundown on the Navy/Marine Corps.
Navy has plane captains, crewchiefs are usually a position assigned to a
flight crew member. I.e. an E-4 maybe flying as a crewchief today while a E-6
may fly as a second crewman that day, opposite the next.
You cannot join the Navy to be a plane captain. Wither you join to be a
avionics technician or a structual mechanic, both will go to the line become
qualified plane captains, (refuel, daily, turnaround inspections, etc, etc.)
After awhile, you will report to your particular shop specialty. But it
doesn't stop their, "cross training" begins.
To give you an idea about how fanatical the Navy is on cross training, look
at there NEC's (Naval Enlisted Classification) or MOS in other sevices.
http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/bup_updt/508/nec/ASMP.htm

I was an AT (avionics) 8380, (UH-1N organizational maint. tech), but as you
can see AD's (jet mechs), AM's (structure mechs) and AE's (electricians) are
all also 8380's.
On many occassions all different rates we add muscle power to an engine
change, blade track, pulling panels, changing boxes, etc, etc.
With all that said, you maybe assigned to "I" level (intermmdiate)
maintenance. Thats where you would work on a specific box or engine. With this
you are usually assigned to a NAS or ships company.
As with everything in the military, this is not written in stone, some
squadrons/ships may operate differently do to the type aircraft they operate.
There are always exceptions to the rule.

J

[begme]

Cdr:
What you describe is the squadron structure. I believe the initial question
was about the 'maintenance' system.

"Pechs1" > wrote in message
...
> Charles-<< How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic
> assigned to a plane or to
> a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234,
or to
> "left
> wing hydraulics"? >><BR><BR>
>
> In the USN, belong to a divison, then a branch, organized according to
aircraft
> systems..Aircraft division, that has powerplants(engines-ADs by rate),
> airframes(Aviation metalsmiths, metal benders and hydraulics guys),
Ejection
> seat guys(AME), etc...each branch has guys rated in that specialty..
>
> Also have plane captains, belonging to the Line division, but these are
> generally non-rates that prep the aircraft, don't do a lot of genuine
> maintenance, mostly cleaning and such..
> P. C. Chisholm
> CDR, USN(ret.)
> Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye
Phlyer

[begme]

You aren't describing the navy system.
Airforce perhaps?

"S. Sampson" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Charles Talleyrand" > wrote
> > How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic assigned
to a plane or
> to
> > a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane
#1234, or to "left
> > wing hydraulics"?
>
> Back when I was in (70's and 80's) we started out with the time-tested
crew chiefs
> and specialists. Using this system, the crew chiefs busted their ass on
their plane, and
> the specialists mostly operated the BBQ and stood around smoking.
Somewhere in
> the 80's they came up with the "everyone is a crew chief" concept, and
specialists now
> had to rig their own jets to work on their subsystems. Before, a crew
chief hooked up
> all the AGE and put it in a state where the specialists could begin work.
Later, the
> specialists met with the crew chief and the crew chief ordered all the
AGE, and when
> it arrived, the specialists hooked it up, and ran it. The crew chief then
went off to do
> his own work, or assist other specialists. On big planes, you have
several crew chiefs
> and probably five jobs being worked by various specialists. When
everything's all
> fixed, the crew chief owns the jet and they clean it up for the next
flight and complete
> the paperwork (most times today, the flight crew is in-place waiting for
the crew chief
> to release the jet, as they are almost never ready for flight at the
crew-show time).
>
> Where this tends to fail, is when you have an electronic specialist (for
example) given
> the task of putting air in the tire. I think we've all seen the picture
of the A1C
> blown-up
> on the ramp, with his nice regulation haircut being the only thing left of
his head, when
> he decided to air up the nose wheel with the hi-pressure cart. Speaking of
BBQ meat...
>
> Back in Thailand, many crew chiefs deployed to central shops, instead of
being assigned
> individual tail numbers. Today, almost all jet tail numbers have a crew
chief, and
> assistant.
> They own the whole jet, and are responsible for the 781 forms that say it
is ready for
> flight.
>
>

[Larry]

> How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic assigned
to a plane or to
> a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234,
or to "left
> wing hydraulics"?
All right, I'll bite. I think the Cdr came the closest. The rest of you all
"tap danced" around the original question.

In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234, or to "left
> wing hydraulics"?
Yes, the basic idea is that each aircraft is divided into "subsystems" or
areas of responsibility. Using your example: each mechanic (assigned to the
mech shop) would perform preventive and corrective maintenance on those
areas of the aircraft that relate to the engine and fuel systems as directed
by the shop supervisor. Other workcenters take care of other systems in the
aircraft.

This is the basic idea. More details are in the 4790 (a book about 3 inches
thick).


Larry
AECS (AW/SW/MTS)
Disabled Combat Veteran
USN Retired

20 years of Navy in my rear view mirror
and getting further away every day ;-)





"Charles Talleyrand" > wrote in message
...
> How is aircraft maintenance organized? Is you average mechanic assigned
to a plane or to
> a subsystem? In other words, is the mechanic assigned to Airplane #1234,
or to "left
> wing hydraulics"?
>
> -Thanks
>
>