Reader Feedback

Indespensible

Your article, The Indespensible (see Aviation Maintenance, January 2009, page 4), was on the money. Unfortunately, there are those who can only find fault. Why do we elect them? In my experience from 1966 through 1978 as a manufacturing manager for Amoco Chemical Corp., I was responsible for building and managing five manufacturing plants in the U.S. (Ohio-Georgia-Arkansas-Texas and Colorado).

I owned my own airplane and after satisfying the company with sufficient insurance protection, they approved my flights with my staff to the plants on a minimum of once per month. Three of the plant locations had airports that were not served by the airlines. My aircraft started out as a Cessna single engine and in a few years became a twin-engine Cessna 310.

Our manufacturing operations were profitable as a result of the improved communications and coordination with the plant operating personnel. As you mentioned: Legitimate use of an aircraft is an asset! NBAA developed the software for their members to determine the selection when planning a trip between:

• Using the company aircraft (same day round trip)

• Chartering the flight (same day round trip)

• Traveling by commercial airlines, which may also require a rental car and perhaps an overnight stay because of schedule.

The best economics wins. That also means that your company or charter airplane does not leave until you arrive at the airport. When negotiations are being conducted, the schedule is not fixed. I am also disappointed that business owners with aircraft have not come forward to support general aviation aircraft for business. Thank you for supporting general aviation.

Al Beckwith

Beckwith Enterprises

Love What You Do

I read your editorial "Is There a Mechanic in the House?" (see Aviation Maintenance, December 2008, page 4). One of my favorite portrayals of an aircraft mechanic was Carl Fox played by Martin Sheen in the movie "Wall Street." He was portrayed as hard working, intelligent and saw through Gordon Gekko. Below is a quote from a scene in the movie when all the union representatives met with Gordon Gekko to discuss his takeover of [fictional airline] "Bluestar":

Carl Fox: "I came into Egypt a Pharoah who did not know."

Gordon Gekko: I beg your pardon, is that a proverb.

Carl Fox: No, a prophecy. The rich have been doing it to the poor since the beginning of time. The only difference between the pyramids and the Empire State Building is the Egyptians didn’t allow unions. I know what this guy is all about, greed. He don’t give a damn about Bluestar or the unions. He’s in and out for the buck and he don’t take prisoners.

I do agree that we are usually depicted as uneducated slobs who only have the basic skills to turn a wrench. Never was that true in aviation maintenance and it is certainly getting farther away from that with today’s aircraft. Yet when people talk about aircraft they talk about the "miles of wiring" and people are fascinated with the engines and overall size of these aircraft. Who do they think keeps these machines safe and in the air? If any of these media outlets ever actually researched aviation maintenance, they would be impressed by the people in this field. They would also be appalled by the outsourcing of major maintenance to non-FAA regulated repair stations. That would never happen with the FDA! I am proud to be in this profession, to hold an FAA A&P license, and I love what I do! Thanks for the great editorial!

Jason Bell

A&P Philadelphia, PA