The best thing about the helicopter industry...

[cap]

Question to all:

During an audit or inspection from MOT (Business & Commercial) has anyone experienced am Inspector climbing in the aircraft, turning on the "Master' and commenting on the accuracy of the various instruments? How say you on this, be it within their 'right to do so' or not? Comments from CTD greatly appreciated. From experience, I note that the Engineering fraternity gets greatly more upset about this than their pilot bretheren. Engineers feel that they or a pilot should be present and that they or the pilot should be activating any switches that the Inspector might require. I'm curious as to why engineers would feel this way and not most of the pilots also. How say you on this item also?

 

[Bullet Remington]

Cap:

I've had that happen only once. But I was there when it happened. My question to the Inspector that did this , "What instruments is it that you are checking?" On the machines that I've worked on, there has been but a limited number of electrically operated instruments, the DG comes to mind. So, what exactly is the purpose in turning on the master, without firing up the machine? It serves no purpose other than to satisfy the curiosity of the inspector.

Some inspectors that I have and am familiar with have never worked on Fling Wing. I can probably list about 8. Unless they maintain currency, as a line pilot, with the company, I really don't want anybody playing with the switches on my machine. Heck, I don't even want the drivers playing with them! (Dang can't get the smilies working)

Further, you have probably noted, that with respect to AWDs, regardless of the applicability (Ops side or maint side) they are all the Engineer's responsibility. ( Unless TC has embodied a change to the CARs that I'm not aware of.) Therefore, if they want to play with my machine, then I wish to be present.

Having stated that, my experience has been that the MMI inspectors are more likely to play around with the machine than the Ops side. Personally, I have never experienced any grief from the Ops side of TC.

Sure wish I could say the same about the Maint end.

BR

 

[Bullet Remington]

OT:

Good post!

To address your points: I believe I was diplomatic. I had listed the snags, validated them with the CArs reference, and photos. I also advised the pilot that I was contacting the Regional Office and was advising him the aircraft was not airworthy.

As for a commercial machine, personally I find that most commercial machines that I have been in contact with, both workwise, and on the ramp, are maintained fairly well. Were I to actually come up a commercial machine that had airworthiness snags on it, AND I was aware of it, the only way my actions would differ is that I would ensure the driver called the company. That is, I would inform, and point out to the driver the item in question. I would then recommend that he notify his company. If he refused I'd call them. If they told me to perform self gratification on myself, then I would call TC. It's called "due diligence".

If I am aware that there is an airworthiness issue and I do nothing about it, I'm as guilty of a crime as the person who let it go. I don't think I could sleep very well at nite if I was aware of an airworthiness issue, did nothing about it and a machine was lost...or worst.

Lookit, guys, Transport has set the parameters of airworthiness. I do believe that as such, they have as much responsibility as the rest of the industry to maintain that. I believe they should be the example that we all should emulate.

In reality it is not (Not at this time anyway,but they are trying), it is a do as I say, not as I do. Their aircraft should be used as an example to the industry of what is expected.

If it isn't then I shall point it out to them. Of course, I shall be diplomatic about it. I would want people to be that way with me, why should I not grant them the same priviledge?

As for your question about discussing a commercial operator's situation publicly., to be honest with you, there is an issue of liability, slander, etc, etc. If you are asking me if I would inform the industry, generally, of the situation. Well, that would depend upon several issues. If the operator's airworthiness issue/s were recurring, and they were not doing anything about it, ceratinly! I have too many friends that make their livin flogging these bunches of metal fatiques around. I have a strong disdain for injuries that can easily be prevented. I have seen and experienced the devastation on families and myself.

I don't want to go through it again. Whether I know the individual personally or not. I would rather stand face to face and dicker a point with him/her, than to stand in line giving the family my condolences.

Laws are NOT made to be broken, they are to be adhered to, by both us (The Industry) and Transport as well.

Should people be offended by my stance, that is really too bad (Not being sarcastic here). It really is. My whole interest in the business is maintaining it and watching (seeing??) it grow.

Sitting back and waiting for it to happen will not help it. If we continue to lose machines (or worse) we are not helping the business. We are contributing to its demise. However, if we all accept responsibility for the safety of this business, and everybody involved in it, we can look forward to its increased success.


But, hey, then again, ..... Maybe its just me!
(Can't get those danged similies to work!!!)

 

[Over-Talk]

Bullet, as per your old self, very well said.
(don't worry about hiding behind those dang smilies, your words are doing fine without them).
Yours, OT

 

[Bullet Remington]

O.T:

I thank you, Sir.

Keep posting, t'is nice to see new people and to hear their opinions.

Be careful out there!

BR is Eastbound, will be checking in from time to time, probably in a week or so.

Everybody feel free to agree to disagree. But lets all stay alive!

 

[CTD]

Hmmm. It looks to me, upon a more careful reading of earlier posts, that the Rt. Hon. Downwash may have thought that Bullet R was a TC inspector. Is that the case, Mr. Wash? That may explain some of the acrimony.

Cap - Re: Your question on TC inspectors

The Delegation of Authority gives the inspector certain rights (enter, inspect, seize, etc), depending on the group he/she works for. Legal right notwithstanding, I would NEVER so much as open a door on an aircraft without the permission of the person responsible for it - out of airmanship and courtesy.

Example: Yesterday, I visited a guy who lives up the road from me who just bought a small piston-engine machine with his partner. They are both new pilots, and very excited about their new toy. I went and introduced myself, offered them any help I could, and left my numbers so they could contact me if they needed anything. I wanted to use the a/c floor as a table to write some info on a sheet of paper, and asked if I could open the door before touching it. Bottom line, don't touch somebody else's aircraft without their permission.


Having said that, if I felt there was a violation that could result in an accident, and nobody was around, I'd open any bloody door I deemed necessary.

[SIZE= 12pt]As OverTalk said, we all 'ramp' everyone else's aircraft to some degree. I don't have a problem with pointing out a discrepancy to anyone, but one has to do so with a certain degree of 'charm'

[/SIZE]

 

[downwash]

BR

Abject apologies! NOT being acquainted with you (as far as I know) I read your post as coming from a TC Inspector (upon rereading, I see a clue or two that I should have picked up on). From that perspective, I trust you will see where I was coming from.

 

[407 Driver]

Downwash, you're back from holidays !
Your wrenches treated me like staff on the Syncline Fire yesterday. Thanks ! We have a Short-Ranger of yours in our hangar down here, so we're trying to repay that favor....

It's how the industry works

 

[412driver]

407, gave one of your comrades a lift out of a field the other day. he had one of those funny lights one doesn't like seeing..........

 

[Bullet Remington]

DeeDuba:

Not necessary to apologize, Sir. I acepted and understood you statement and stance, after re-reading my own original post.

But thanks, I appreciate your opinons and posts. Please continue being a frank as possible.

BR's in Oh! Ta wooo! Be in Trois Rivers tomorrow.

Be safe all!!

 

[407 Driver]

Thanks 412, I hope that we can repay the favor...oops, I mean, I hope it never happens to you, but if it does, I hope that my buddies or I will be close and help you out too....

 

[cap]

CTD ---- We feel the same then. I don't even have a problem with an Inspector opening a door to 'my office'. He can sit at my desk also, if he wishes. He may touch anything he wants or turn on any swtiches he so desires. If I'm there....fine and if not, then he has a slight problem. IF, any of his actions should cause me grief during the next flight, he'd best hope I died. Ergo, if nothing is 'out of whack' on the inspection, why get the 'natives' upset. Just tell someone what you would like and have them get it or show you, etc. I find that so much of this is a personality thing.

 

[Charles W.]

Hi Gang:

Now that I am back and just rolling in USD hundreds, I will rejoin this illustrious group.

With regard to the noting of safety issues with any aircraft it is our duty to point out any issue that we believe to endanger life or property.

Not to point out such issues to the Pilot / owner/ operator is morally wrong.

The secret is the manner in which we approach the individual with our concern.

I will co-operate fully with anyone TC or not if the individual is pleasant and professional, however attitude is the key. If the person is officious arrogant or just plain acting like an as.hole then of course I will react accordingly.

To ignore safety issues makes the person who found it an enabler, by allowing the issue to go unchecked.

Now to some of the wonderful things about our industry.

Sitting out on the ramp at the High Level fire base on red alert, eating ham & cheese sandwiches washed down with warm coolaid while the ground crew eat meat and potatoes in the cook house.

The Reverend Chas W.

 

[Winnie]

What is so great about this industry?
To fly over places you have never been to, and would never go if you didn't have this job, to fly 8 hours of sightseing tours to show people what a place looks like from above, to sit in a bar and shoot the breeze with fellow airmen/women and wrenches while having a laugh over previous stupid behavior, to meet and see people you would otherwise have never known, to see and feel the great joy, when someone you have trained finaaly stands there with the license in hand, ready to go looking for that first job, or even better, to see that person get their first job.

Not so great, hearing or reading about some fellow aviators demise, known or unknown, and also in my case, seeing your own students go ahead of you (not bad for them, rather for my own egotistical self) to that better job.
but when push comes to show, all the good outweighs the bad by far, and my start up the ladder is not too far into the future! [;o]

 

[gannet]

Hi all,

Back from vacation back in BC. The boys out that way must be busier than Lucien Bouchard at an a$$-kicking contest. Saw a large herd of Bell mediums between Sicamous and Vernon before the big fires by Kamloops flared up, and a Sky Crane flogging around Banff on the return. Keep up the good work guys, but I'm sure you're too busy to be checking the web for congratulations.