I'm one of the lucky few who have a career, not just a job. Although there isnt any more real 'adventure' in what I do now theres a lot of satisfaction in what I do. Always has been. Let me give you some background information so that I can properly explain what Im doing currently... otherwise you'll become lost. For the last ten years I've been an Aircraft Maintenance Technician working for the airlines. My previous employer was a cargo outfit based out of JFK, I worked there but prior to that facility I was working in Arizona for four of my seven years with them. During that time I was working primarily as a line tech on B-747-100 & -200 as well as DC-9-15 & -30 series aircraft. I was also a Flight Mechanic on the 747s. Presently though I have been working with the Airbus A-320 with my present employer, whom I started out as a line tech as well. Although I still currently work within maintenance (yes, still aircraft) I've been in a support role, working my way up from Lead Technician to Maintenance Controller then Maintenance Control Supervisor and now Duty Manager. You might be scratching your head wondering just what a 'Maintenance Controller' does and thats why I have this page, to describe that. Before jumping into that job description I need to give you some background on 'commercial aircraft' and 'airline operations'. I'm sure by now many of you have been in an aircraft, and while some of you are perfectly fine being a passenger there are some of you that are not. Either way Here's a re-assuring look into the background of commercial airline operations. First off, the aircraft: Any commercial aircraft have to have multiple systems (not just one hydraulics system but three, not just one way to power the hydraulic system but four different ways, not just 2 sensors that detect low pressure but four ..... catch my drift?) These multiple systems lead to a redunancy that if any one part or component should fail there will be relatively no effect on the operation of the aircraft. If there is a fault or failure within any of these things it must be documented in the aircraft log as well as any corrective action. Due to the fact that there are multiple-redundant systems & components and the fact that just one or two will not have an adverse effect on the operation of the aircraft, the FAA allows you to have a certain number of different items be inoperable for a short amount of time until it can be fixed, sometimes 10 days sometimes just one flight leg, it all depends on what part or system that it is, and of course there are many more items that cannot be 'deffered' from maintenance and muct be fixed prior to any further flight. Second, my co-workers: Dispatchers: A Dispatcher is the person who puts the flight plan together for the pilot. This person, like a mechanic, is also certificated by the FAA to do what they do. They look at ALL the factors about the flight, Destination, route of the flight which is based upon weather, traffic, etc.They have to factor in not only where the aircraft is going but also how many people are going and how much fuel it will need. The also have to calculate any performance penalties for the aircraft Systems Operation Manager: This is the one person responsible to ensure we're running an on-time operation, and if we're not coordinates the activity to make sure as many aircraft can depart on time with the passengers it supposed to have and have someone else make arrangements for those unfortuante few who need it. Now that you know a little bit about the theory of commercial aircraft and what my co-workers do I can now tell you that a Maintenance Controller's duties are far reaching.. I'm the one that the Flight Crews call when they have an issue when airborne, I have to use my system knoweldge to advise them of the steps to take to mitigate the 'issue' or advise/concurr with them to land immediately/next available alternate, etc. I'm also the one they call when they have just pushed back from the gate and they have a system fault. If I can get the system to clear up and return to normal (verifiable) they can continue, if not they might have to return to the gate, and no one likes to have to take a delay, but sometimes you have to. I'm also the one the the technicians call when they think they might take a delay on the scheduled departure time. I'll coordinate with the System Operations Manager to see if they have any other aircraft we can swap with or advise them of the delay, if its not something that we can defer. This is the list that I control, the 'deferral list'. This list is based upon a pre-approved FAA document that is originated from the manufacturer of the aircraft and adopted by the company. Since there are 'multiple redundant' systems with-in the aircraft you can have a one intem within that system (maybe) not working. This has to be tracked and repaired within (usually) 10 days and some times as much as 120 days (cosmetic items), and occationally one or two days. I'm also the person who is in charge of aircraft that are broken, and in many cases will make the call about what needs to be done to fix the aircraft. |
| CAREER |