Chip_pilot
Pre-Flight
I would like to introduce you to my aircraft maintenance mentor. His name is Bob Pickens. Sometimes everyone gets stumped and he was always there to help. When I first bought big orange he looked her over and said, "nice bird". Bob has owned many aircraft. He has always worked on his own planes and two years ago we helped him get his A&P license. That was a first. Forty years of experience capped by the license instead of the other way around. When I invited him in to my hangar one day I was troubled by how my 0-300 was acting. His decades of experience told him in two minutes. I was behind the curve. But he was very hesitant to tell a 20 year airline mechanic what he thought for fear of overstepping. I glanced at Bob after I told him my woes and he had that ever present twinkle in his eye and smirk at the corners of his mouth. I said "well tell me!" He said, "I don't think I can tell a mechanic of your experience much". I said maybe on a TF-30 or a CF-6, but on a 0-300, teach away! And so it started. My 4 year course of all I did not know of small plane maintenance. I had no issue being taught. He taught me inside knowledge, and I taught him avionics. But he taught me a lot more than I did for him. He was a Bell Telephone Engineer. He did not talk down to anyone and I never, ever saw him angry. When he was not happy he would just tamp down his pipe tabacco a little firmer.
I will remember our lunch flights together. He never wanted to fly my plane. he would just hold his pipe and gaze at the sky. I know, not the ground but the sky. Our little airport gang at M71 always meets on Saturdays and at noon we pile in to cars and go to our favorite lunch spot. We have airline captains, airline mechanics and aircraft test engineers from McDonnell Douglas and so on. The chatter is fast and loud. But when Bob would speak most mouths would silence and head and eyes would turn. Bob always was insightful and always had something good to say in the story. Saturdays at the aerodrome are not going to be the same. Blue Skies my Friend.
I will remember our lunch flights together. He never wanted to fly my plane. he would just hold his pipe and gaze at the sky. I know, not the ground but the sky. Our little airport gang at M71 always meets on Saturdays and at noon we pile in to cars and go to our favorite lunch spot. We have airline captains, airline mechanics and aircraft test engineers from McDonnell Douglas and so on. The chatter is fast and loud. But when Bob would speak most mouths would silence and head and eyes would turn. Bob always was insightful and always had something good to say in the story. Saturdays at the aerodrome are not going to be the same. Blue Skies my Friend.
