The smart people at Craftsman are at it again, this time adding a light to the popular style of pliers. Seeing these for the first time made me think, “why didn’t I think of that!?” Perfect for installing cotter pins, any aircraft mechanic would want these in his/her tool collection. These unique pliers are designed for rough conditions. The batteries are even sealed behind an o-ring protected compartment. Speaking of the power source, the light runs off of three #392 watch batteries.  The LED module is also oil proof and chemical proof.  I wouldn’t recommend dipping them in any Skydrol however. The light has a push button to turn it on/off and features an auto off function to save batteries.

Greensboro -

Timco Aviation Services may be expanding in the Greensboro area which could add 400 jobs to the local area.  They are looking at expanding into two new hangars, one of which would be a paint shop. The company is still considering other options as well.  Timco will likely get tax incentives from the city and state for such an expansion at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.

The expansion would allow Timco to overhaul more wide bodies like the 767, triple 7s and 787s as well.

Just when you thought you had all the acronyms figured out, here comes another one. The FCC license called GROL, or General Radio Operators License.  Well actually this license didnt just show up, it has been here for awhile, something like the 1950s.

What is the GROL FCC License?

In general terms, the general radio operators license allows you to operate a radio station with a wattage of more than 1500 total watts. Ok, I know what your thinking,  what does this have to do with aircraft maintenance? The GROL FCC license also allows you to perform maintenance on various radios, this includes aviation radios. The license also allows you to supervise unlicensed avionic technicians make repairs to the radios and communication equipment.

Setting Your Self Apart

In today’s highly competitive job market, aircraft mechanics need to set themselves apart from the crowd. While striving to be better than the next guy is most peoples’ goal, it can at times be challenging. Striving to become better will help you advance in this career.

There are a number of ways to be better than the average aircraft mechanic. Already, you are ahead of the game because chances are, the mechanics you are competing against are not reading this. So step one, pat yourself on the back because you have already realized that you need to set yourself apart to either get hired or get promoted.

The Free A&P License – You Get What You Pay For

Recently I’ve been getting asked a lot about obtaining free A&P licenses for aircraft mechanics. It seems like there are lots of people now who are interested in becoming an aircraft mechanic yet do not have the funding for the typical approach of attending a Part 147 aviation mechanic school.

While there is some cheaper ways of getting the A&P certificates, getting the totally “free” endorsements from the FAA can be quite tricky however.  Most “free” ways come with strings attached.

You Can’t Inspect What You Can’t See

I recently picked up a new flashlight to add to my collection. I dropped my Surefire U2 Ultra one to many times off the aircraft and now it doesn’t work.  I rely on that light a lot so I needed a replacement fast. I needed a flashlight that was super bright  (the surefire really spoiled me) because most of my time using it is during the day. Looking under cowlings and into  tight areas of the aircraft can be difficult with lots of ambient light or even worse, sun glaring into your eyes.  Its nearly impossible to see the transmission oil level in the helicopter I work on during the day because of the shadows and my eyes being adjusted for the bright sunlight. Plus I wanted a light that uses the CR-123 batteries since I already have the rechargeable versions.

Viva Las Vegas!

Me and my wife recently took a trip out to Las Vegas for a well deserved vacation. My mom came and watched our kids for the 4 days at our home in Michigan.  It was a nice break but we definitely missed out kids! 4 days was just about perfect.

While we were out in Vegas, we took the opportunity to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. I highly suggest this method of seeing the Canyon instead of driving because of the time savings alone. Not to mention flying in a helicopter is much more fun.  We flew over other points of interest as well like the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.  The pilots are all well versed in the history of things without boring you with dry information. They keep it light and fun.

Military Aircraft Mechanic Jobs

The aircraft that the National Guard flies, both Army  and Air Guard, are maintained in most states by a group of people called full time technicians. During normal business hours, these aircraft mechanics are state employees and not military. Although, in most cases they do still wear the military uniforms. Also, their management system is not of the military type either. Rank is not used as a determining factor as such. During drill weekends of annual training, these aircraft technicians are then under military orders just like everyone else in the guard.  While on military orders (drill or annual training ect.) they are called M-day soldiers. M-day just means you are under military orders and not working as a state employee even though essentially they work you are doing is the same, maintaining aircraft.

A New Way of Looking at Resumes..

My good friend Rena Smith (find her on Linkedin) shared  this new way of writing resumes. If properly followed, your resume can set you apart among the hordes of other aircraft mechanics applying for the same job.

I have long been an advocate for custom tailoring your resume for a specific job. Sending out 100s of resumes all general in nature won’t do much for making yourself stand out. Using the same keywords from the job posting in your resume is nothing short of brilliant, and I betcha most people are not doing this.

is the Aviation Industry Really Dead?

There is lots in the news recently about American Airlines bankruptcy. If you are attending one of many aviation mechanic schools located throughout the country, you may be somewhat nervous. The airline industry has been under economic pressure for quite some time. The end result in many cases has been farming out maintenance inspections to foreign entities. This is not only good for aircraft maintenance technicians in the United States, but the question of safety also comes up.  How close is the oversight in these overseas operations?