Our members have become accustomed to change, and we have certainly experienced our fair share of it in the past few years. One of the biggest changes is that companies are trying to operate status quo in a leaner environment. As technicians we are expected not only to do more with less, but we also have major changes in current practices to include paperwork, policies, and procedures. All of which, if not done correctly, can lead to a Letter of Investigation (LOI) or a possible safety issue on the aircraft itself that could result in an air return or worse.
To protect our craft, our individual licenses, and the flying public, we must take care that we are aware of and follow our current regulations, procedure manuals, and maintenance manuals. Some management individuals have said that, “we will keep adding on the work until you cry uncle.” We must understand that to do the job properly, we need the proper documentation, references, tools, and must have enough time to do the job properly. Be aware of your environment and ensure that you remain in compliance with safety protocols to protect yourself, your licenses, and public safety.
It has been stated that poor planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part. Make sure you manage your time effectively and dot the i’s and cross the t’s. We all appreciate where we work and want nothing negative to happen because of our oversight, or because we were in a hurry to push an aircraft without completing everything required. We live in a different world today than we did ten years ago, and our job and skill is even more important. Keep up the good work, and remember to think safety always.