At the of the work week, the DoD civilian furlough is over. Seems that the DoD did some stuff and instead of 11 furlough days, it was lowered to 6 days. Tomorrow, I have 5 furlough hours and will take 3 hours of sick leave to get those three hours of pay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next week I have my RDO.............................................so the next pay check in two weeks from this coming Friday will only be missing 5 hours and not 17.
We are going to Honda-Subaru of Lancaster tomorrow/later today to test drive a Honda Civic and a Subaru Impreza. The PT took a dump of the transaxle variety.....................2200 to 3500 to fix................on a car that blue books at about 5800....................................Missus ORPO needs a new set of wheels.
I have applied at Lockheed Martin on the F-35 here at Edwards. With the way things are, I am going to stay a WG-10 for a long time. I can get thirty plus dollars per hour, have to pay union dues(closed shop) and still do better.
I also called the recruiter at my old employer, Herzog Rail Services, Inc. and pretty much begged for my old job back. The 416 CTF/FLTS/AMU is not going to be around for much longer. The F-16 is programmed to be replaced. I would hope it would last till I am 65 but I am not holding my breath.
Showing posts with label Air Force Anal Qualities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Force Anal Qualities. Show all posts
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Friday, May 04, 2012
Systemic Failure or Simply Sand Bagged
This post may cause those of my readers who are or were in the Air Force some discomfort and possibly disgust. Keep in mind that my predominate airplane background is that of twenty years in Naval Aviation Maintenance. The Rating: Aviation Structural Mechanic(H), Hydraulics First Class or AMH1 for short.
I have been both an organizational airframes system mechanic on three different types of Naval Aircraft as well as a Hydraulic/Pneumatic Component Repair Technician and Test Stand Operator. I speak from experience, perhaps not as a Subject Matter Expert but still have the miles and experience to back it up.
So to Buck and others, bear with me. It ain't the Air Force you were in. Not even close............
My day started as usual, morning meeting/muster in the break room. Assignments given. I have had a steady one lately as my jet is in phase. This occurs in the large hangar that is owned by the maintenance group. Take careful note of that term, maintenance group. Group in the AF is one level below Wing. Our Wing is the 412 Test Wing. Starting to get complicated, isn't it!
As part of the 00-whatever instruction the crew chief goes to phase with the jet. I do not work for them. It is what I can only describe as a maintenance controller/logs and record yeoman/storekeeper. Not what one bargains for from the beginning. I am a WG-10. That means according to the HPO concept, I am to be a launch and recovery man. Nothing more. Nothing less.
As we shall see later, that is not the way things run in this world at times.
Under the way business is supposed to be done, all those personnel involved have a meeting usually in the work week prior to the jet entering phase. This is to go over what all needs to be done, obtaining parts for the incorporation of certain items related to hours on the aircraft.
I have not been included in this process, even though my name is on the starboard side of the jet below the canopy. This also occured when the jet was sent in for it's six year landing gear change last October. I showed up at Heavy Maintenance Flight and got yelled at for certain items not being delivered. The individual at HMF learned in no uncertain terms about how things really are at times.
Back to my Pro Super and Expiditor. Both of these individuals are in spots that I would say should have gone to folks who are not just interested in the flyers every day. And for a ten plane AMU we fly the jets a lot. But it is go to your jet in phase and let us know what they are doing and how things are progressing. As I am not around for swing shift, I have to wonder as to the thought process at work here.
As an aside, neither of these individuals was an NCO in the Air Force. One of them did not even finish his enlistment due to an "Air Force Restructure" he was "offered a reserve spot" to fulfill his obligation. This occured at a point in history that as far as my memory is concerned there was no RIF in place at that time. All the Forces are under the same rules when the active force is downsized. It goes across the board. Something is not quite right here. Just sayin' ya know.
Not having the information necessary to do my job from those whose ultimate responsibility it is to do so. There are co workers of mine who wonder why I am trying to get a position at either of the nearby Naval Air Installations, either NAWS China Lake or NAS Lemoore. After one has been sand bagged by your immediate supervisors, they should be able to get the idea.
On to more events of the day shall we?
At the big hangar, when I handed a small bracket to the phase dock chief and was going to let him know what had transpired in finding out some information that went along with it, I was met with we have the structures shop making one. The one you(me) brought will let us finish a certain item and then we will send the new one to your AMU. Our chain of command here has it covered. No one where I normally work was in the loop with this one. Nope. Not one bit. And I am left between all of it.
I filled out a sick leave request and hauled it home. The wife was in bed ill. It works for family members as well.
The symptoms may be a result of Edwards being mostly a civilian operation. I would hope the regular Air Force operates a bit differently. That being said, the maintenance organizations are all structured pretty much the same.
Unwieldy, over thought and over managed. That is where the systemic failure thing comes in. Perhaps not so much systemic failure but simple over doing everything. This place has meetings for the meetings, for crying out loud!
That about sums it up, I think.
I have been both an organizational airframes system mechanic on three different types of Naval Aircraft as well as a Hydraulic/Pneumatic Component Repair Technician and Test Stand Operator. I speak from experience, perhaps not as a Subject Matter Expert but still have the miles and experience to back it up.
So to Buck and others, bear with me. It ain't the Air Force you were in. Not even close............
My day started as usual, morning meeting/muster in the break room. Assignments given. I have had a steady one lately as my jet is in phase. This occurs in the large hangar that is owned by the maintenance group. Take careful note of that term, maintenance group. Group in the AF is one level below Wing. Our Wing is the 412 Test Wing. Starting to get complicated, isn't it!
As part of the 00-whatever instruction the crew chief goes to phase with the jet. I do not work for them. It is what I can only describe as a maintenance controller/logs and record yeoman/storekeeper. Not what one bargains for from the beginning. I am a WG-10. That means according to the HPO concept, I am to be a launch and recovery man. Nothing more. Nothing less.
As we shall see later, that is not the way things run in this world at times.
Under the way business is supposed to be done, all those personnel involved have a meeting usually in the work week prior to the jet entering phase. This is to go over what all needs to be done, obtaining parts for the incorporation of certain items related to hours on the aircraft.
I have not been included in this process, even though my name is on the starboard side of the jet below the canopy. This also occured when the jet was sent in for it's six year landing gear change last October. I showed up at Heavy Maintenance Flight and got yelled at for certain items not being delivered. The individual at HMF learned in no uncertain terms about how things really are at times.
Back to my Pro Super and Expiditor. Both of these individuals are in spots that I would say should have gone to folks who are not just interested in the flyers every day. And for a ten plane AMU we fly the jets a lot. But it is go to your jet in phase and let us know what they are doing and how things are progressing. As I am not around for swing shift, I have to wonder as to the thought process at work here.
As an aside, neither of these individuals was an NCO in the Air Force. One of them did not even finish his enlistment due to an "Air Force Restructure" he was "offered a reserve spot" to fulfill his obligation. This occured at a point in history that as far as my memory is concerned there was no RIF in place at that time. All the Forces are under the same rules when the active force is downsized. It goes across the board. Something is not quite right here. Just sayin' ya know.
Not having the information necessary to do my job from those whose ultimate responsibility it is to do so. There are co workers of mine who wonder why I am trying to get a position at either of the nearby Naval Air Installations, either NAWS China Lake or NAS Lemoore. After one has been sand bagged by your immediate supervisors, they should be able to get the idea.
On to more events of the day shall we?
At the big hangar, when I handed a small bracket to the phase dock chief and was going to let him know what had transpired in finding out some information that went along with it, I was met with we have the structures shop making one. The one you(me) brought will let us finish a certain item and then we will send the new one to your AMU. Our chain of command here has it covered. No one where I normally work was in the loop with this one. Nope. Not one bit. And I am left between all of it.
I filled out a sick leave request and hauled it home. The wife was in bed ill. It works for family members as well.
The symptoms may be a result of Edwards being mostly a civilian operation. I would hope the regular Air Force operates a bit differently. That being said, the maintenance organizations are all structured pretty much the same.
Unwieldy, over thought and over managed. That is where the systemic failure thing comes in. Perhaps not so much systemic failure but simple over doing everything. This place has meetings for the meetings, for crying out loud!
That about sums it up, I think.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Documentation
OK, it sucks. It is disorganized from the git go. And for someone who hasn't touched a tactical aircraft since early 1991, it was like being in the maze at Fountainblue outside of Paris. Or more relevant to the generation I am part of, Lost in the Ozone. The Forms class I attended today was designed for those who have been using the system for quite awhile and experienced in the ways of fixing airplanes in this environment. I have nothing to match up with it. Dear NavAirSysCom, any jobs at China Lake or Point Mugu? Hell, even El Centro would work! Hell, I'd even go to Yuma or Twentynine Stumps!
I pray that my mom doesn't read this as my dad was in the Air Force when they got married and I was conceived. Fact, nothing more or less. But he was in the Black World and not airplane maintenance.
And I would have to also infer that I was in the oldest air arm in the service of the Republic. Next May, US Naval Aviation will be 99 years old. We have been doing it longer. And of historical note, Army Aviation was originally a function of the Signal Corps and was not a separate part of the Army until WW1.
And my deepest apologies to Buck. He retired from the Air Force long before most of the former Air Force, Retired Air Force and always AF civil servants were aware of the Air Force.
I pray that my mom doesn't read this as my dad was in the Air Force when they got married and I was conceived. Fact, nothing more or less. But he was in the Black World and not airplane maintenance.
And I would have to also infer that I was in the oldest air arm in the service of the Republic. Next May, US Naval Aviation will be 99 years old. We have been doing it longer. And of historical note, Army Aviation was originally a function of the Signal Corps and was not a separate part of the Army until WW1.
And my deepest apologies to Buck. He retired from the Air Force long before most of the former Air Force, Retired Air Force and always AF civil servants were aware of the Air Force.
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