The Spirit of Maintenance Activity

Never changing attitudes of ours are detrimental to the day to day maintenance activities of aircraft. The essence of line maintenance lies in continuous maintenance process and faith in each others completed job rather criticising to undermine one’s capabilities to perform job and malign him subsequently.
Most of the incidents/accidents do occur during the shift change; is known to all of us. This is the most sensitive period where job of relieving of outgoing Engineers/technicians are of critical in nature and to be handled with care. Here it requires an experience and knowledge of our bosses to whom he is asking to relieve. He should also issue a clear instruction to the engineer who is taking charge of an aircraft while going to relieve a person that what he should do and what not.
Lack of clear instructions creates conflict when the relieved engineer failed to deliver his job in shift transition. He must be instructed either to complete the job and then move away or he must brief that what are the items left for the inspection and the same must be accepted by the engineer taking charge of the aircraft without any argument as he has resume the duty.
Working at T-3 brought many changes by default and reporting in time to our shift is one of them unlike Palam. The problem of getting relievers at remote bay at Palam are the story of past, getting the reliever in time is not an issue now but we still reluctant to change our mindset and hesitate to own the responsibility.
For a good maintenance practice in our industry we need to grow up, take a good care of job done by younger or elder, discuss the mistakes that committed will not be repeated in future rather the act of criticising even if the intention is not bad and yes; that is the spirit of maintenance.

After TITANIC

.......AI TANIC

On its 1st journey to the fateful day of April 13, 1912, 2235 passengers never thought by then while a band was playing their famous tune to welcome onboard on the deck of 1st class, no one imagined that they are never going to reach New York instead they were heading for a greatest maritime tragedy in ice -strewn North Atlantic sea .A sexy, starry moonless night was the last night in their life and soon met with their fate at 2240hrs of 13th day of April. Titanic collide with an iceberg in its starboard side which results in breaking all the six water tight compartments of the ship. Once thought of that it will never sink even after breaking of 4 of its water tight compartments but accident broke all the six ,titanic sank in deep sea after 2 hrs and 40 minutes of its collision at the rate of 10 miles per hour .Thereafter what had happened to all on board is known to the world.

713 persons on board (females and children were rescued by safety boat) survived but rest were not that lucky.

On August 1953 when Air India (erstwhile IA) was afloat in air on its 1st flight, employees then never had anticipated that it will likely to meet the fate of Titanic.

99 Years after that fateful day of Titanic another Titanic by the name of AItanic is in waiting. Air India (Erstwhile Indian airlines) collides exactly 4 years back with an iceberg (Merger) like Titanic and all its six compartments (Personal &HR, Finance, Operation Commercial, Marketing and Engineering) collapsed.

Commander of the Titanic (Captain E.J. Smith) on its maiden voyage in welcome address on board said as a pre-voyage boast that “Not even god himself could sink her”. His statement was proved wrong like the saying of “man proposes god disposes.”

Commander of ours is trying his level best by taking many measures and introducing one after another turn around projects to steer away from the iceberg on its way so that we must not meet the fate in the like of Titanic.
We also need to support him morally in steering away from this iceberg by being enthusiastic, supportive and doing our own job with little bit extra effort and care honestly .Our jobs at individual level when performed will avert the much talked tsunami.
We are not here to meet our fate Titanic way. We are determined and do whatever required averting this tragedy, much talked Tsunami. We are honest and committed to work as a family which sacrificed for couple of months to save and support the commander in steering it in safer zone. Though, everyone from Aam aadmi to Khas aadmi is against us, Media not supportive of our survival but we know our goal and know how to convert all these odds into even and emerged as a winner.

We believe in KARMA and God, a philosophy of The Geeta, We are not going to boast like captain smith of Titanic but work hard to save our AITANIC.

Engineer's Rest Room

………Autobiography of Engineer’s Rest Room

Commonly called as AME Rest Room
Gender-Female
Age-Visual-as young as any Bollywood diva Actual- 58 Years (01/08/1953)
Over the period of last six decades I have seen Engineers who maintained DC-3 to Avro HS-748 and then starting of jet age in 1970 with B737-200 and finally a new breed of fly by wire aircrafts in 1990 (Airbus). Three different generations of aircrafts were inducted over these years. I have seen three generation of engineers during all these years.
The old saying of “Diversity is the spice of life” was true to me. I was lucky and dated many engineers all these years. I had been into the relationship with few of them but they were energetic, talented and more caring. It is better not to name them as the young one feel it bad. I dislike those engineers who coming into my lap keep clasping and squeezing me for hours and hours unlike engineers of other trade.
I witnessed many AME trainees elevated to a level of executive who at times had taken rest in my lap, slept after doing maintenance work and then attending departures early in the morning.
I also witnessed hardworking helper to be uplifted as engineer & few of them becoming top bosses of this cadre. In spite of long span of mine in existent, never seen any change in working of Engineering. Sincerity level of Engineers was more those days than present generation Engineers; is the fact to be confessed at this juncture.
Unlike today (They are of –ve mindset) I have seen Engineers busy discussing the problems pertaining to their aircrafts undergoing maintenance work in past. I also grew up during this period as their technical PA. And why should I not? After all my boyfriends are engineers.
I was less equipped with the electronic gadgets then, not like today’s Air conditioners, but had only electric fan & Cooler. I was content and happy.
I always welcome those engineers who came tired after departure in sun, rain and cold; I spread my arms in love and lust. I never differentiated them as long as they did there job and came to me. I offered them all sorts of comfort. I am happy having a living relationship with them as they spent at least for 8hrs everyday with me. Their wives may be envy of me but I enjoy their proximity.
During this period, I had to leave my abode thrice from Ch-4 to Ch-3(Behind SI office at Palam)) and now T-3 world's one of largest airport.
When I was brought to T-3, I applied lot of anti-aging cream, facelifting, manicure & pedicure to present myself looking further young but of no use. Young looking engineers look tired. They just come to me, letdown and fall asleep. I hate such attitudes. I am worried about there future. Their energy levels are very low. I am not satisfied by there act. This attitude shows something gone wrong somewhere. This is a matter of concern. They never care for my upkeep & cleanliness. After all I also need some space.
I was happy to know that my boyfriends are being handed over SUDEXO coupons at T-3.I started day dreaming of going into Barista, Mcdonalds etc for snacks and outings to upstairs café into world class terminal building. These guys(Engineers) will never change, coupons are being used and exchanged for purchasing their households and I was not relieved of serving tea and snacks. On the contrary, they brought all my old belongings and forcefully making tea & coffee. Though there is no provision for kitchen, Tea & snacks are still being prepared & served. I am sick of being treated as housewife.
I wanted to look like modern days companion of an executive; like a tomboy but my BFs(Engineers) are still happy being treated as workers. In the last six decades they fail to elevate their career from worker to a level of executive. I am really tired of taking care of these old fashioned friends. At times I feel they don’t deserve to be smart and modern (given all these modern facilities) PA as they still live and happy in dirt and dust. They enjoy staying amid garbage. I was thinking of my modern look but they made me (rest room) even worse than what I used to be at Palam.
I am sorry ,BF is to be read as Boy friend. Please do care me. I also deserve to be clean and modern as my relatives (Rest rooms of other airlines) who have their boyfriends of Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indigo and Spice. I feel ashamed when they (Engineers from other airlines) visit me. They curse you for not taking a good care of me. I feel hurt.
I do argue with them for your talent, wisdom, honesty and so on but fail to answer when they say I agree but your boy friends (BF) are conservative, they resist change ,a diversity which is the spice of life, A basic mantra for the universe.
I request my friends please change your attitude, do not wait for others to do it. Do what you say. That is what needed to capture a big Pie. Attaining number 1 position is not a big deal then.
Forever yours.

Engineer's(AME) House

...........A Healing centre to a Jail

Impact of transfer establishment order is not less than a bomb explosion in ones life. The very 1st question in my mind comes after my transfer was how & where to stay? The obvious answer was offcourse our AME House. A home away home, and Why should it not be? I had been to that house on many NR stations earlier too on our 15 days postings. 

On arrival at outstation into our AME house one cannot deny being nostalgic of that house. 

Many of these residences are being maintained before we joined our Airlines.

The concept of AME House at outstation introduced years back was the one idea which really deserves an appreciation.

This is the place where one can see a wonderful coordination amongst engineers. May be it is because whenever you are there your rest other colleges are virtually available in our register placed there & used to maintain our balance sheets.

In spite of many differences surfaced amongst us on various issues in past, AME house never appeared to be the matter of discussion or any controversies. 

Kitchen of our AME house exhibits a true regional color of India and reminds our olden college hostel days. Engineers from different part of our country, having theirs different taste make use of this kitchen. Its various types, size & shape of utensils suited as per their regional choice is a common scene in the kitchen. One can find a leftover (after departure of relieving engineer) mustered oil to sunflower, Peanuts to coconut oil and spices ranging from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, many variety of rice and pulses lying in many small jars..

Maintenance of our AME's houses is done individually by one who is on posting. This was of great help for those who transferred for one year. It was a place where we rest with right during our exile. It is the place which gives us shelters during our bad days of our professional life. 

The absences of AME House on few stations was real hardship to those who was posted on such locations. Though no company policy for our accommodation in line with the Air India Engineers whereby they get fully furnished lease accommodation, it is still a very costly affair to stay in our AME House.

Engineers on posting have to maintain his home alongside AME House at reduced HRA(15%) with a monthly net loss of Rs 12000/=pm.

Outstation posting allowances would have been a great help to us morally and financially in near future as it is there for Air India Engineers. Jet Airways, and Kingfisher make a handsome payments of Rs.25000/= to Rs.32000/=pm (as per grade) as outstation posting allowances. 

Earlier it was fun staying for 15 days there (after getting bore on 2/2/2 pattern) but now it is burden.

It was like recharging our battery getting exhausted for months on working in this pattern and then doing departures of one or two flights and then a complete rest.

AME House, once a HEALING CENTRE seems a JAIL now for 90 days.

A Farewell

It was 11^th of June 2010 when I landed last year with a fear and confusion to spend my 1 year posting. It is very difficult for engineers to handle aircraft out of main base all alone. It was true to me too.

FLIGHT DUTY

..........After my Exile

After a considerable gap of 18months and on my arrival after exile, I was asked to do a flight duty to Muscut(Ironically MCT became my pre and post exile flight duty). 

This was a surprise to me that still we have few sectors where we fly out of Delhi.

This reminded me of our olden days of IA where everyday many of us either fly to Singapore, Bangkok, Kualalumpur, Dubai Doha, Behrain and Sarjah or doing 15 days postings. 

Lot of activities were there at the backdrop of this, Many man hours were wasted for maintaining the records of engineers who and when one has done flights and postings, heated arguments were seen in our rest room. The first thing everyone love to do is that one used to give a glance on the board in front of our SI where name of AMEs on flights were listed. It used to be the 1st topics of discussion of the day. Those who were not on flight keep criticising others whose name appeared on the white board. Next day the same person was seen going on international postings. Ames on flight when joined other day for his usual shift kept avoiding his colleagues as he was guilty of doing flight duty. All such activities come to stand still.  

Earlier we were busy talking about carrefour of Dubai, nightlife of Bangkok ,its famous PATAYA beaches and various types of massages offered there at cheaper price and so on. No more marketing in these Malls, no Rambutan or guava (fruits of Bangkok), no hot spices, dry fruits, & 24 carat gold from Dubai and Sarjah famous souk etc. 

Life has changed a lot since then, this reminds of olden days when we purchase chocolates from our local shops. There was a time when our kitchen shelves were full of foreign made chocolates. Now forced to buy Munch, Amul and other Indian made cadbury chocolates from our local market equating its taste to of those once purchased in foreign Malls.  

Everything has changed since last 365 days. Ergonomics of today’s work place are of international standard compare to those where we struggled for years to rectify the leakage of toilet water adjacent to our SI room which keep on spilling to AME rest room giving a stinking smell. Later on we became used to of this smell which is missing at T-3 though we are trying to leave no stones unturned to make T-3 like our Palam hangar. No potable water nearby, waiting in sun to be dropped at distant bay which often causes delay of our flights due our late arrival to the remote bays in the absences of conveyance.

Our rest room to central theme of our discussion’s topics too changed. Topics of share market's loose and gains, registration of new plots, flats etc has taken a back seat where we just keeping nerves on changing dates of payments of our salaries. People silently being seen logged in theirs mailings site for any news, no more discussions, and no heated arguments were seen at rest room but we still need to be changed.

Flight duties were real threat of our integrity. We never think beyond this in past. This is the time to or introspection. Better concentrate and focus on faults what we did in past. This is the time to reset & re rack our computers to clear all the warnings if it has stick to MCDU, Scan all our system pages, review PFR for our failure messages, discuss,& refer our TSM transparently .In the process of rectification if it require to replace Master computer,  replace it until the system test is satisfactory.Own some extra responsibility and do something expeditiously to regain our lost glory before it is too late.

Let us start afresh with zero-zero hours to bounce back for sure.