Aviation mechanics...

Cal Goat

Cal Goat

Prestige Worldwide™
I've dabbled in many various forms of commercial flying and in the one constant in all of it seems to be that airplane mechanics hate their jobs.

Now, that's not all A&P's. I've met at least 5 or 6 out of hundreds that seem to genuinely enjoy their work, but the overwhelming majority seem to absolutely loathe their jobs. Or maybe pilots?

Sure, as a student pilot, I get it. I was all nervous and overly cautious. It took me half an hour to preflight a 152. Yeah, dealing with all of those concerns could get annoying very quickly.

For the 135 and 121 world, I almost get it. You're doing whatever and then you get interrupted to go address some limp-wristed aviator's stupid write up. But then, the larger question is: If that annoys you, why do you continue going to work?

It was even more annoying in my part 91 commercial flying because those squawks meant new business/additional cash for shops that handled our aircraft.

So WHY do so many mechanics have to put on this display of annoyance/irritation when we call them to the very thing that chose to do for a living?

Anyway... just a thought that occurred to me recently. I concede that I may in fact be overly judgmental and/or sensitive about the situation.
 
As a former aircraft mechanic (F-18 Hornet mechanic in the Navy) I feel semi qualified to chime in. As a pilot, I think most mechanics are idiots. As a mechanic, I think most pilots are idiots. That constant battle really creates tension. Mechanics most of the time are standoffish because of it. Being a mechanic isn't glorious at all. To them, we wear the clean uniform, get all the ladies, fly the cool jets, go to the cool places, and make millions. It is almost the scenario of white collar vs blue collar. Slaving away in the heat as a glorified grease monkey can really suck. I think most do the job because it pays the pills, and they became a mechanic because they are good with their hands. But it is a hard job dealing with management, dealing with pilots, dealing with airplanes, with no glamour associated with it.
 
I've rarely ever thought of any A&P as an idiot. And if I did, I wouldn't let them touch my plane. I try to show respect to them for their knowledge and ability to fix my machine. In spite of that, seems like the reception I get is usually a frosty one.
 
The primary reason so many mechanics are grumpy and apparently "hate their jobs" is because most started out to become pilots, but for one reason or another never made it. The mistake they make (if you can call it a mistake) is getting their A&P in the first place. Once you have your A&P you're almost guaranteed a well-paying job somewhere. In other words, you have a choice: mechanic with a steady job now or, pilot with good job later....maybe. The moral is, if you want to become a pilot, don't get your A&P. This will force you to tough it out during those dues paying years because you have no other alternative.

Where there is no choice, there is no doubt.
 
Inverted said:
As a former aircraft mechanic (F-18 Hornet mechanic in the Navy) I feel semi qualified to chime in. As a pilot, I think most mechanics are idiots. As a mechanic, I think most pilots are idiots. That constant battle really creates tension. Mechanics most of the time are standoffish because of it. Being a mechanic isn't glorious at all. To them, we wear the clean uniform, get all the ladies, fly the cool jets, go to the cool places, and make millions. It is almost the scenario of white collar vs blue collar. Slaving away in the heat as a glorified grease monkey can really suck. I think most do the job because it pays the pills, and they became a mechanic because they are good with their hands. But it is a hard job dealing with management, dealing with pilots, dealing with airplanes, with no glamour associated with it.
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I will say that's true until you accept that flying is a blue-collar job. People seem to forget this.
 
I am going to respectfully disagree with most of your post@ gliderboy. I have been flying airplanes as long as I have been fixing them and for the most part and having that A&P ticket has made me a better pilot in alot of respects. Also, I have a friend that has been flying with Alaska Airlines for the last 25 years who started out as a mechanic so he could pay for his lessons. As a matter of fact, if you come up to the state I presently call home you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a pilot/mechanic combo such as myself. There are alot of part 91 and 135 corporate operators out there that hire pilot/mechanics and some of these people make a decent living at it.
 
gliderboy said:
The primary reason so many mechanics are grumpy and apparently "hate their jobs" is because most started out to become pilots, but for one reason or another never made it. The mistake they make (if you can call it a mistake) is getting their A&P in the first place. Once you have your A&P you're almost guaranteed a well-paying job somewhere. In other words, you have a choice: mechanic with a steady job now or, pilot with good job later....maybe. The moral is, if you want to become a pilot, don't get your A&P. This will force you to tough it out during those dues paying years because you have no other alternative.

Where there is no choice, there is no doubt.
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Sorry but "most" mechanics are not wannabes or shoulda-coulds. I would avoid saying that ever again if I were you.

I like the mechanic side of my job since I get to use my brain and my hands to solve problems. That is very fulfilling. But, I LOVE flying and no amount of wrenching during the week can compare to setting power on the Lear.

I've known some grumpy mechanics in my day but they are a minority for sure. I don't understand the adversarial relationship between pilots and mechanics but generally it's caused by someone who has a chip on their shoulder.

I've met many pilots who use the phrase "just a mechanic" and that burns me up. One of my favorite things to do is bring a bratty pilot back down to earth when they come into my shop and talk down to us. The look on their face when they figure out I've got more flight experience than they do is priceless.
 
Cal Goat said:
I've dabbled in many various forms of commercial flying and in the one constant in all of it seems to be that airplane mechanics hate their jobs.

Now, that's not all A&P's. I've met at least 5 or 6 out of hundreds that seem to genuinely enjoy their work, but the overwhelming majority seem to absolutely loathe their jobs. Or maybe pilots?
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Cal Goat, I'm sorry for your luck with mechanics.
I'm an airframe mechanic and I absolutely love it. I'm very passionate about it. For me, it's an intersection where art and creativity, mechanical aptitude and ability, and being part of a team with other artisans, mechanics and flight crews all meet up together to make every flight as safe and reliable as possible. I love being an airframer so much that I also volunteer my time, experience, and expertise to help build the Champaign Lady in Urbana, Ohio whenever I get enough money to cover my travel, lodging, and food expenses. Usually one weekend per month and maybe a couple of weeks during the summer.
I'm a pilot too, but I don't fly professionally. I would love to some day, and it's a goal, but that's not where I'm at right now.
I hope you have better luck in the future with your mechanics.
 
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bustinminimums said:
I am going to respectfully disagree with most of your post@ gliderboy. I have been flying airplanes as long as I have been fixing them and for the most part and having that A&P ticket has made me a better pilot in alot of respects. Also, I have a friend that has been flying with Alaska Airlines for the last 25 years who started out as a mechanic so he could pay for his lessons. As a matter of fact, if you come up to the state I presently call home you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a pilot/mechanic combo such as myself. There are alot of part 91 and 135 corporate operators out there that hire pilot/mechanics and some of these people make a decent living at it.
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I have GOT to go north to see this!!
 
bustinminimums said:
I am going to respectfully disagree with most of your post@ gliderboy. I have been flying airplanes as long as I have been fixing them and for the most part and having that A&P ticket has made me a better pilot in alot of respects. Also, I have a friend that has been flying with Alaska Airlines for the last 25 years who started out as a mechanic so he could pay for his lessons. As a matter of fact, if you come up to the state I presently call home you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a pilot/mechanic combo such as myself. There are alot of part 91 and 135 corporate operators out there that hire pilot/mechanics and some of these people make a decent living at it.
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Actually, I'm a mechanic myself (motorcycles, boats, etc.) and I firmly believe that mechanics make better pilots than non-mechanic pilots because they understand the machine and operate it accordingly. They also save the companies they fly for a lot of money by not abusing the equipment. I always cringe when I see pilots jumping on the brakes to make a taxiway instead of rolling out to next one and saving the brakes, etc.
Still, I stand by my observation that a great many "grumpy" A&P are so because they ended up spinning wrenches rather than flying for a living.
Personally, if I ran a flight operation I would strive to hire only pilots who were also mechanics.
 
I should definitely clarify one of my statements: I shouldn't have said that they hate their jobs, but it does seem like most mechanics are extremely annoyed when I have to call them for their services.

Also, again, I personally don't see it as adversarial. Like I said, I respect the man who can wrench on any machine. I love wrenching on my own car, and if I had the free time and extra cash (regional FO with wife and child, so, no) I'd love to get my A&P.
 
Usually it's because they're x years into the career and y dollars in debt to the snap-on man and realize they could make more money working on cars or garbage trucks.
Or they're in the middle of a good project (some guys like sheet metal fabrication, I like wiring and electrical installs) and now they're out changing ANOTHER tire which isn't a challenge and they could do in their sleep.
Or they really want to make the airplanes better and have the pilots not come back with squawks but by gum we need that airplane to fly at 1 o clock so just slap another box in there or clean the cannon plug or stop drill it and we'll track it down at the next heavy check/annual (which never happens because guess what, the airplane needs new paint and interior and that thing it does? Well it just does that sometimes and we need it back online ASAP).
Or they are that one good mechanic in a shop full of incompetents who you wouldn't let work on your car unsupervised and/or lazy asses who spend half their shift either drinking coffee or texting and they are so sick and tired of picking up other peoples slack that they hate aviation and everyone in it.
Or they are pilots that through one circumstance or other (usually because they were really good at wrenching too, not because they were bad pilots) got suckered into bending wrenches and twisting safety wire and would really rather be out talking to center on autopilot.
Oh yeah, don't forget the hours-the mandatory overtime, or the weekend call outs, or the night shift, and the permanent understaffing because in most cases mechanics cost a company money while pilots make them money, and besides it's getting hard to find A&Ps.
I guess the gist of it is, yes, you're probably right, for one of a variety of reasons that grouchy A&P probably does hate his job, if not all the time at least right now.
Source:
5 years of aviation maintenance, A&P, IA, 91 FBO, 135 air taxi, ATP, check airman, 135 IFR pilot, etc.
 
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Roger Roger said:
Usually it's because they're x years into the career and y dollars in debt to the snap-on man and realize they could make more money working on cars or garbage trucks.
Or they're in the middle of a good project (some guys like sheet metal fabrication, I like wiring and electrical installs) and now they're out changing ANOTHER tire which isn't a challenge and they could do in their sleep.
Or they really want to make the airplanes better and have the pilots not come back with squawks but by gum we need that airplane to fly at 1 o clock so just slap another box in there or clean the cannon plug or stop drill it and we'll track it down at the next heavy check/annual (which never happens because guess what, the airplane needs new paint and interior and that thing it does? Well it just does that sometimes and we need it back online ASAP).
Or they are that one good mechanic in a shop full of incompetents who you wouldn't let work on your car unsupervised and/or lazy asses who spend half their shift either drinking coffee or texting and they are so sick and tired of picking up other peoples slack that they hate aviation and everyone in it.
Or they are pilots that through one circumstance or other (usually because they were really good at wrenching too, not because they were bad pilots) got suckered into bending wrenches and twisting safety wire and would really rather be out talking to center on autopilot.
Oh yeah, don't forget the hours-the mandatory overtime, or the weekend call outs, or the night shift, and the permanent understaffing because in most cases mechanics cost a company money while pilots make them money, and besides it's getting hard to find A&Ps.
I guess the gist of it is, yes, you're probably right, for one of a variety of reasons that grouchy A&P probably does hate his job, if not all the time at least right now.
Source:
5 years of aviation maintenance, A&P, IA, 91 FBO, 135 air taxi, ATP, check airman, 135 IFR pilot, etc.
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21 years so far. A lot of what you said is true. Personally I would rather work a squawk over routine MX. Wing tank internal inspections might be fun once, but if you never find anything it becomes tedious, although I did find a flashlight once.
 
knot4u said:
21 years so far. A lot of what you said is true. Personally I would rather work a squawk over routine MX. Wing tank internal inspections might be fun once, but if you never find anything it becomes tedious, although I did find a flashlight once.
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I would rather work a squawk as well as long as it's not something nebulous and not-really-broken. But what I really like is doing mods and installs (like panel renovations or the ADSB installs we've got planned this winter).
 
gliderboy said:
Actually, I'm a mechanic myself (motorcycles, boats, etc.) and I firmly believe that mechanics make better pilots than non-mechanic pilots because they understand the machine and operate it accordingly. They also save the companies they fly for a lot of money by not abusing the equipment. I always cringe when I see pilots jumping on the brakes to make a taxiway instead of rolling out to next one and saving the brakes, etc.
Still, I stand by my observation that a great many "grumpy" A&P are so because they ended up spinning wrenches rather than flying for a living.
Personally, if I ran a flight operation I would strive to hire only pilots who were also mechanics.
Click to expand...

And there's the chip.
 
I've worn both hats professionally. In the years of my heavy jet and GA wrenching, I enjoyed it, fixed it right the first time, and did my best to help an on-time departure. Troops were waiting for stuff on this plane, and I took it personal to get it fixed and on the way. 2am, on top of a 65 foot t-tail, in the rain, safety wiring a bolt, was miserable. Get the job done and see your work take flight, that was instant gratification.

But that's about where the gratification comes to a stop. It is extremely rare for a mechanic to be recognized for their efforts. How many times has a Captain, Aircraft Commander, or senior officer come back afterwards to Joe Wrench and thanked him, acknowledged his effort, or wrote a commendation letter to his supervisor. An extremely rare event. Often times, the flight crew is pushy to get the mechanic to sign the paperwork, get off the flight deck, and not get grease smudges on the seats.

And so young chipper Joe Wrench goes through this cycle. Hurry up, do a perfect job, get out of the way. Get pulled from job to job as priority changes. Respond to often vague or un-repeatable write-ups made by pilots who don't fully understand the normal system operation. Get your pension taken away. Have your union dues increase. Buy new tools. Get assigned more extra duties. It doesn't take long before young and chipper can get worn down. Who wouldn't become that way? A highly experienced A&P rarely, rarely receives the social accolades as would a similarly experienced pilot.

As I wear the other hat now, I'm reminded of my beginnings every time a write up goes in the books. I see things from the other side that resonate as they did not before. What gets me the most is the penchant for mechanics to do the minimum. There seems to be the overall tendency to defer to the maximum of the MEL limits, rather than to get something fixed. It often falls on the Captain to outright refuse an airplane in order to get something worked on, often having to battle a mx supervisor about the delay code. It creates hostility, and is poor service to our customers. What gets even more frustrating is when I know something is obviously wrong, come out after maintenance has worked on it, only to find half-assed troubleshooting, could not duplicate, "within limits", and even the almighty pencil whip. Oh, on your walkaround you found a blown strut with black fluid running down the chrome? Wipe it down with dirty rag, a shot of compressed air (not even nitrogen), and you're good to go sir. That stuff floors me, and has happened to me. "You're a pilot, not a mechanic, who are you to say what's good and what's not?" It gets to be a hardball game at that point, a game that just raises tensions.

I expect an A&P to see the bigger picture and keep the metal flying, and also to have the fortitude to stop the show and take the delay hit when it is necessary. If they are making the right call, they should be backed up by their superiors as well as the flight crew. I also expect the guys and gals I share a flight deck with to know the systems well enough to avoid stupid and wasteful write-ups. Perhaps I'm too much of an optimist, but if there is decent respect for the other guys job, the culture between the two is often much better.
 
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