I haven't been around much lately.... how ta hell are you doing?

[Jettech1]

I've been trying to keep up with the new posts.  It appears everyone is being really cool.  That's awesome...This site is amazing....  I hope you all are doing amazing....me I'm just trying to survive 12 hour days 10 of them straight today...day after day....it messes with my brain and body but I'm still surviving...it's the life of a commercial aircraft mechanic.... anyhow I hope you all are doing great.  God Bless you all and here's to more family time for us all.....be well all!!..

[bruceb58]

Didn't you just previously post Sunday?

[diyer2]

I remember working 12's, I think after day 7 your work suffers. 

[Jettech1]

11 hours ago, bruceb58 said:

Didn't you just previously post Sunday?

Maybe, I don't know what day it is...lol...these marathons are not fun at all.

[Jettech1]

4 hours ago, diyer2 said:

I remember working 12's, I think after day 7 your work suffers. 

It's not so much about the work, it's the mental aspect for me.  It wears on me mentally.  I kind of flatline out to where I'm just doing my thing. 

[KARNUT]

In the beginning of our clearing business. Especially before doing ROWs for electrical transmission lines or pipelines ROWs. My father insisted on Dark to Dark days 7 days a week. Days off were rain out days. It wasn’t uncommon to go up to 2 months without enough to rain to rain out. I got the first 4WD tractor. So I was the first to work and the last to quit. Eventually we did pipelines in Oklahoma. So we did 10 day rotation with 2 days off. There wasn’t any rest at home because of things to do. Like yard work. Work in the shop on backup equipment. That was our first 10 years or so. Then we started a companion business selling equipment. That started another industry and extending long days and weeks of no days off. For another 10 years. Finally selling the first business to a competitor that bought equipment from the second business. We were bidding on work for the first business with people we were selling equipment to from our second business. Finally after 20 years or so we started working regularly hours with actual days off semi consistently. Finally when I looked around I was a grandfather and 50 years old. Wondering where the time went. At least I like what I did for the most part.

[Jettech1]

12 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

In the beginning of our clearing business. Especially before doing ROWs for electrical transmission lines or pipelines ROWs. My father insisted on Dark to Dark days 7 days a week. Days off were rain out days. It wasn’t uncommon to go up to 2 months without enough to rain to rain out. I got the first 4WD tractor. So I was the first to work and the last to quit. Eventually we did pipelines in Oklahoma. So we did 10 day rotation with 2 days off. There wasn’t any rest at home because of things to do. Like yard work. Work in the shop on backup equipment. That was our first 10 years or so. Then we started a companion business selling equipment. That started another industry and extending long days and weeks of no days off. For another 10 years. Finally selling the first business to a competitor that bought equipment from the second business. We were bidding on work for the first business with people we were selling equipment to from our second business. Finally after 20 years or so we started working regularly hours with actual days off semi consistently. Finally when I looked around I was a grandfather and 50 years old. Wondering where the time went. At least I like what I did for the most part.

Time will go by quickly working hours like that.  It's always good to hear from you Stan.

[KARNUT]

3 minutes ago, Jettech1 said:

Time will go by quickly working hours like that.  It's always good to hear from you Stan.

Except when I try to get people to see the common sense with our current situation politically. My comments disappear. People actually think we’re ok currently. Ok I get it this isn’t the place for it. Sometimes you just feel like you need to open people’s eyes where you can. Some people try with fancy coding or subliminally. I’m direct and to the point. This will probably disappear too. 

[Jettech1]

59 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

Except when I try to get people to see the common sense with our current situation politically. My comments disappear. People actually think we’re ok currently. Ok I get it this isn’t the place for it. Sometimes you just feel like you need to open people’s eyes where you can. Some people try with fancy coding or subliminally. I’m direct and to the point. This will probably disappear too. 

I have a feeling we are both on the same page.  It's life though, somehow we have to navigate through it to the best of our abilities.  But I do get what you talking about for sure!!  My concerns run very deep.

[customboss]

15 hours ago, Jettech1 said:

I've been trying to keep up with the new posts.  It appears everyone is being really cool.  That's awesome...This site is amazing....  I hope you all are doing amazing....me I'm just trying to survive 12 hour days 10 of them straight today...day after day....it messes with my brain and body but I'm still surviving...it's the life of a commercial aircraft mechanic.... anyhow I hope you all are doing great.  God Bless you all and here's to more family time for us all.....be well all!!..

Few folks understand what it’s like to do work at a high level for a major airline operation. You work for management, Union, and that FAA certificate you worked so hard to earn. If you are worn out use sick time to make sure you are in top form. I never thought I see Boeing get so sloppy out of the factory. Airbus I shunned as a pilot. I used to say if it ain’t Boeing I ain’t going! You can’t afford to make a mistake. Appreciate what you are sharing. Keep the greasy side down! 

[Jettech1]

1 hour ago, customboss said:

Few folks understand what it’s like to do work at a high level for a major airline operation. You work for management, Union, and that FAA certificate you worked so hard to earn. If you are worn out use sick time to make sure you are in top form. I never thought I see Boeing get so sloppy out of the factory. Airbus I shunned as a pilot. I used to say if it ain’t Boeing I ain’t going! You can’t afford to make a mistake. Appreciate what you are sharing. Keep the greasy side down! 

Thank you, I appreciate it!!

[rdonarski]

When I was 21 years old, I was freshly married with a new baby. I was working 44 hours a week as a mechanic at a GMC Diamond REO garage. I also worked parttime pumping gas at a gas station. On top of that I was going to college fulltime. My 'weekend' was between 4:30 Saturday when I got off at the garage and 4:00 pm Sunday when I went to the gas station. That time was spent keeping up on homework. While it was a necessity at the time, I swore I'd never do it again. Now I'm retired....best job ever!

[diyer2]

Best day, retirement day. 

[Black02Silverado]

Welcome back.   Long hours and no time off can wear you down for sure.  I did 12's for a week or so while in the Air Force.  The longest I worked 12's with no time off was during Desert Storm  Basically worked once we landed in Saudi in Jan 91 until April when I came home.  Not like there was much else to do there.  What was interesting is while working it was just that, no head phone use, smoking, tool inventory every shift change to make sure all was accounted for.  Once the actual war kicked off and they needed fuel tanks built and the supply was running low because the pilots where dropping them like crazy instead of coming back with them.  Then all the rules went out the window.  They didn't care how we built the fuel tanks.  We could listen to music, smoke and tool inventory was never done at shift change.

[customboss]

1 hour ago, Black02Silverado said:

Welcome back.   Long hours and no time off can wear you down for sure.  I did 12's for a week or so while in the Air Force.  The longest I worked 12's with no time off was during Desert Storm  Basically worked once we landed in Saudi in Jan 91 until April when I came home.  Not like there was much else to do there.  What was interesting is while working it was just that, no head phone use, smoking, tool inventory every shift change to make sure all was accounted for.  Once the actual war kicked off and they needed fuel tanks built and the supply was running low because the pilots where dropping them like crazy instead of coming back with them.  Then all the rules went out the window.  They didn't care how we built the fuel tanks.  We could listen to music, smoke and tool inventory was never done at shift change.

Nick, thanks for your service to this Nation and our Constitution.