JetDoc

The airplanes are older now.

JetDoc

That's not how any of this works. Airlines no longer keep parts lying around on a shelf somewhere "just in case". "Just in time delivery" started in this industry back before most of you were born. That being said, bleed valve is a relatively simple part, a butterfly valve and a couple of diaphragms and that's about it. They shouldn't be failing at the rate they are but they are. In this particular case it's up to the valve manufacturer to come up with a fix. For all we know, a better valve may exist but TSH is too cheap to buy it.

JetDoc

I have changed flow control valves and bleed valves on the gate. A pack FCV shouldn't take more than an hour. Bleed valves perhaps a little longer depending on location. The exception would be the engine PRSOV on a 737. That one is a PITA. A complete A/C pack would be different. That would take about two guys one shift but we aren't talking packs here.

veewan

I don't think people are blaming MX. They are saying that management has not provided them with the proper resources (staff/time) to be as effective as they can be.

The aircraft may be getting older but that's a pretty poor excuse when you have seen a FedEx 727 with 0 deferred items. Even if all of their fleet was built in 1984 and not the 1960s that tells you what can be done when you're willing to spend the money.

If Compass added mechanics, they could accomplish more when the plane is on the ground. Yes there's a cost to pay another guy, but if you're looking to improve your reliability that's a price worth paying.

WingedCelt

Well aware of how it works.

Obviously the MTBF numbers are being skewed. As you said PRSOV valves are easy to change , I imagine there’s some sort of run up require to ensure bleed air functionality etc, if at all. Whole PAC? Maybe different story...

Do we have people in trends and monitoring that are watching this? (tBH I’m not familiar with our tracking software or how EMb interfaces)

That said, why aren’t we getting things in place pre emptively? Have fly away kits delivered? Something staged in place with common parts etc to minimize delays?

N914FJ

The issue isn't really the number of mechanics we have,although that's part of the issue. It's more the lack of downtime and spare airplanes to run the schedule so we can get planes in for MX. We generally only have 1 AA and DL spare at a time so if there are multiple planes AOS those planes get called into action to keep the airline running. We don't have the luxury of SkyWest's or Endeavor's to have multiple spare aircraft sitting around on a daily basis.

JetDoc

I don't think you are. A bleed valve is a MR unit (monitored removal) meaning that the time is noted when the part goes on the airplane and noted again at which point it comes off the airplane so yes it is being tracked. A fly away kit with a bleed valve in it? As I explained, airlines just don't keep these things on a shelf anymore and they are certainly not going to have a several thousand dollar part knocking around in an ATA case in the aft pit only to be off loaded by some DGS ramper at an out station never to be seen again. Even more so if the item can be placed on MEL. It's just too much overhead, especially for a regional owned by a cheapskate like Hulas Kanodia. The fact of the mater is that we probably can't get any valves in a timely manner from the vendor at the rate that they are currently failing anyway so we have to live with it. So live with it.

BobbyLeeSwagger

I hear ya fellas. I once worked line maintenance for a flight school... for about 3 weeks, but that was 10 years ago.

Anyway, wasn't for me, it was during the winter in norcal and I didn't like my hands getting cold in the hangar, especially changing fuel strainers... earned me the nickname "silky" because "I had the softest hands in aviation" according to the other line techs. Since I couldn't wrench, and I wasn't good at reading and math, I decided to become a pilot... worst mistake I ever made.

Anyway, I think there's more to the story when it comes to compass mx. But that's just me.

BobbyLeeSwagger

Here's my take on compass maintenance...

https://youtu.be/s9FUgzAJun4

Fpmx772

18 CAs gone for Jan. Sure hope AT doesn’t drop upgrades down to 4 a month


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