Aircraft Mechanic

Aircraft Mechanic

Fred Robel

27 Years Experience

Au Gres, MI

Male, 49

I'm a licensed Aircraft Mechanic & Inspector with twenty five-plus years in the field. I've had a varied career so far, with time spent in the sheetmetal, mechanic, and inspection specialties. Most of my time is on heavy Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft, of the passenger, cargo, and experimental type. This career isn't for everyone, but I enjoy it.

Please do NOT ask me to troubleshoot problems with your airplane, that is not what this Q&A is for.

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155 Questions

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Last Answer on July 09, 2022

Best Rated

Do you get buddy passes what are they?

Asked by Jacobi almost 5 years ago

I do not, and never have, gotten buddy passes; or had employee flight benefits of any kind. If you want those kinds of things, you would have to work for a passenger airline.

Buddy passes are basically stand-by/space available tickets that an airline employee can give to family or friends. Certain taxes and fees would still need to be paid.

Using those passes, puts you at the lowest priority of stand-by. So there is zero guarantees of you actually getting on a given flight.

Why do so many people have a fear of flying. I mean it’s the safest mode of transportation even more so then a school bus. As well as you can die from anything.

Asked by Summer almost 5 years ago

It’s psychological, of course. There are whole studies based on that question.

Fear of heights + fear of what we don’t fully understand + not having any control + media highlighting every passenger plane crash or incident.

Not really the focus of this Q&A though.

Please help How do I get broken off screw heads on the fuel panel of my Cessna 172?

Asked by Kirk A&P almost 5 years ago

I recommend that you find some local help with your issue. I do not offer technical help in this forum.

What precautions are being taken on airplanes for the COVID-19?

Asked by Merl Haggard Fan almost 5 years ago

Same sort of things that are being done for restaurants and other public spaces.

Lots of cleaning. Health checks for everyone coming in. And extra space for people (when possible)

Another question is what is the most difficult aircraft to work on?

Asked by Daniel over 4 years ago

When you ask me " what is the most difficult aircraft to work on?" I"m taking that as: "What is the most difficult aircraft that I have ever worked on". Because that is a very subjective question.

I guess the aircraft that consistently gave a pretty high difficulty level to us, has been the DC-10's.  They are overbuilt tanks in the sky; with a lot of unusual structure to them we need to work around and with.

I had a friend who said that F-4's were pretty hard to work with.  He did fuel cell work on them in the Air Force.

It's all based pretty much on personal experience.  Ask ten different mechanics that same question, and you may very well get ten different answers.

Have you almost ever made a critical error or even been responsible for a air emergency?

Asked by Jamie almost 5 years ago

Honestly? Most of the things we do are “almost making a critical error”. In that if we judge things wrong, it can be critical.

No. I have never been responsible for an air emergency.

What happened to prop jets and planes? Also, why are large and small passenger aircraft being done away with for more medium sized planes?

Asked by Daniel over 4 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean by "What happened to prop jets and planes"? From where I sit, they are where they've always been: a more economical choice for short and medium length flights than a turbine aircraft. I certainly don't see any less of them around here.

As for the "why are large and small passenger aircraft being done away with for more medium sized planes?"

This is really outside of my wheelhouse, as well as the intention of this Q&A.  I'm not an aviation industry trends expert.

I'll give you the answer I give everyone else when they ask such a question of me:  Money, economics, and customer trends. 

Why does any type of aircraft go "out of fashion"?  It always, always, has to do with money.

If you can't fill your large aircraft up all the way with passengers, then your profit margins are down.  Compound that with not being able to operate them in and out of all the airports in the world due to their size; and there's another reason.  Do four engines burn more fuel than two?  There's another reason.

As far as small passenger aircraft going away for medium size ones..... not as far as I can see.  If it makes economic sense to fly a small passenger plane on a given route, and it makes money for the company, they'll still be using that plane.

Why does Buffalo Air still use DC-3 aircraft for passengers and cargo up in Northern Canada?  Since that would be crazy, right?  Old, radial engined aircraft.

They do it because it makes economic sense for them to do so.  It's all a money game.