AMU June July12 PDF

Proud Supporters of PAMA & Canadian AME Associations
Transport Canada Approved for R/T
10th Anniversary Issue !
2012
Recurrent Training
Exam
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and Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to
Alpha Publishing Group Inc. Volume 11/Issue 1
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Departments
AMU is Ten 4 Upcoming Events
Y
ep, were survivors, and we are cel- 4 Advertisers Index
ebrating our 10th birthday. Ive writ-
6 STCs & New Products
ten more about this momentous
occasion on page 10. This is also our annual 10 Industry Forum
recurrent training exam issue. Youll find the
exam inserted in this magazine. Canadian 22 AME Association
readers complete it, send it back to our office and PAMA News
for marking, and if you pass, (theres no rea- 39 Classified
30
son not to; its an open book exam) you will
be credited with time toward your recurrent 42 AMU Chronicles
training requirement. By Sam Longo
This is also the beginning of the busy
summer season for many in the aviation in-
dustry. It can mean long hours of work, crazy
Features
shifts, and sleep deficit. This can be a recipe
for mistakes so keep your wits about you, Our 10th Anniversary Issue 10
slow down for a minute and have a second
look, and remember all you have learned Clarifying More Regs 12
AMU is viewable online: subscribe and download at www.amumagazine.com

about human factors connected with this. By Norm Chalmers
Meanwhile, lets take this opportunity to
pat ourselves on the back once again. Too The Mighty Martin Mars, Part 3 18
seldom in this industry are maintenance By Mike Broderick
people given their due and we are often
viewed as a necessary evil. As I write the first 2012 Recurrent Training Exam Pull-Out Section
draft of this while sitting on a park bench
overlooking Vancouver Harbour, a deHavil-
land Beaver has splashed down in front
Turbine Engine Parts: Cleaning Deep 26
By Rob Kornfeld
of me. These things are going all day every
day between here and Vancouver Island and
many of them are 60 years old and have been Microwave Landing Systems Explained 30
operating in a hostile saltwater environment By Gordon Walker
for decades with rarely a hiccup. Try to tell
me that maintenance technicians dont work Making the Connection 34
miracles. By Stuart McAulay
Now theres a helicopter approaching
on its scheduled flight from Victoria. Once AirMaintenance Update Published by Alpha Publishing Group Inc.
again this goes on all day every day and never Suite 2203 4360 Agar Drive Publication Mail Agreement Number 0041039024
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difficult, jobs well. email: amu.magazine@telus.net website: www.amumagazine.com

Whenever there is an incident involving
managing editor: Ian Cook Subscription Rates: 1 Year: $35 2 Years: $55
an aircraft, any sort of incident at all, it is all AirMaintenance Update is published 6X annually.
art director: Gregory Kero
over the media. Yet we seldom hear about publisher: Bill Carter
AirMaintenance Update may not be reproduced in
whole or in part in any form without the express written
incidents because they seldom happen. How sales manager: Kasi Snow permission of Alpha Publishing Group Inc.
unlikely is it that we can speed through the Advertising inquiries: (604) 214-9824
Copyright 2012 Printed in Canada
sky at all, never mind safely, yet we, as teams Corporate Member of:
of professionals, have pulled this off. Con- production manager: Chrissie Harvey
gratulations to all concerned! circulation: Anne Gervin Helicopter
Association
contributors: Mike Broderick, International
Norm Chalmers, Sam Longo, This publication neither endorses nor confirms the information
Ian Cook, Editor contained within. The appropriate authorities should be
Stuart McAulay, Brian McNair, Gordon Walker contacted prior to commencing work on any aircraft or
aircraft part or procedure.
Publications Mail Registration No. 0007198278 ISSN 1703-2318
AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE 3
Upcoming Events
CANADA UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL
Alberta International Airshow EAA Airventure Oshkosh Aviation Expo Europe

July 21 22, 2012 July 23 29, 2012 June 22 24, 2012
Lethbridge, AB Wittman Regional Airport Bitburg Airport
www.albertaairshow.ca Oshkosh, WI Germany
www.airventure.org www.expo.aero/europe/
50th Abbotsford Airshow
August 10 12, 2012 56th Annual ACPC Air Carriers Irish Business Aviation Convention
Abbotsford Airport, BC Purchasing Conference June 27 28, 2012
www.abbotsfordairshow.com August 18 21, 2012 Shannon, Ireland
Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino http://www.miuevents.com/ibac
Atlantic Canada International Airshow Las Vegas, NV
August 25 26, 2012 www.acpc.com Farnborough International Airshow
Summerside Airport, PEI July 9 15, 2012
www.airshowatlantic.ca AOPA Aviation Summit Farnborough
October 11 13, 2012 UK
Canadian International Airshow Palm Springs Convention Center http://www.farnborough.com/air-
September 1 3, 2012 Palm Springs, CA show-2012
Exhibition Park www.aopa.org/summit
Toronto, ON www.cias.org Shanghai International
NBAA 65th Annual Meeting General Aviation Show
Ontario AME Symposium and Conventioin August 28 30, 2012
October 17 19, 2012 October 30 November 1, 2012 Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and
Delta Meadowvale Resort Orange County Convention Center, Conventioin Center
and Conference Centre Orlando Executive Airport Shanghai
Mississauga, ON Orlando, FL China
www.ame-ont.com http://www.nbaa.org/events/amc/2012/ www.sh-aero.com/en/
Advertisers Index
APS Brakes / Aero Incorporated ............ 9 Eagle Fuel Cells Inc ................................ 8 Rapco Inc .............................................. 2
Aeroneuf Instruments Ltd ...................... 27 Gregorash Aviation ............................... 17 SIL Industries ........................................ 19
Aerosmith Heli Service .......................... 14 Hartwig Aircraft Fuel Cell Repair ........... 32 Schweiss Bi-fold Doors ......................... 15
Aviall ...................................................... 43 Hope Aero .............................................. 5 Superior Oil Coolers ............................. 16
Canadian Aero Accessories Ltd ............ 7 MARSS ................................................. 33 Thunder Bay Aviation............................ 29
Canadian Airframe Solutions Inc ........... 15 NAASCO ............................................... 13 U.S. Air Tool Company ......................... 28
Canadian Propeller Ltd .......................... 27 Okanagan Aero Engine Ltd ................... 13 Universal Aero Engines Ltd .................. 33
Casp Aerospace Inc .............................. 36 Perimeter Aviation ................................. 32 Vector Aerospace ................................. 44
Concorde Battery .................................. 35 ProAero Engines Inc. ............................ 37 Western Propeller Company Ltd .......... 14
Condor Aircraft Accessories ................. 16 Progressive Air ...................................... 31
4 AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE
STCs & new products
Concorde announces Augusta AW139 as a AeroLEDs receives PMA Certification

replacement for Nickel Cadmium batteries for Landing Light
Concorde Battery is pleased to announce AeroLEDs Sunspot 36HX landing light
AW139 FAA, Transport Canada, and has received PMA certification. Powered
Brazil ANAC approval to replace standard by new LED technology, the Sunspot
nickel cadmium batteries with Concordes will last 50,000 hours, allowing pilots
sealed lead acid recombinant gas (RG), to fly with the light on at all times for
absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. The enhanced visibility. The light also comes
27AH nickel cadmium auxiliary battery is with wig-wag or pulsing capability and
replaced with a 27AH sealed lead acid is so bright that it can be seen at great
battery, and the option to convert the distances in daylight when the aircraft
44AH nickel cadmium starting battery with Concordes RG-380E/44L or the is not visible. Sunspot landing lights have been used for years in experimental
higher capacity RG-380E/60L. The higher capacity RG-380E/60L is constructed and LSA aircraft and tower personnel have reported that their wig-wagging
with additional plates and is designed to increase cranking power, faster starts, can be seen much further away than with incandescent bulbs.
and less engine wear. For more information visit www.concordebattery.com For more information visit www.AeroLEDs.com
Enstrom 480B Agricultural Spray System Larson announces Updated

certified in China Explosion-Proof Fluorescent Light Cart
Enstrom Helicopter Larson Electronics Magnalight.com has
Corporation and Isolair Inc. announced the release of an updated
recently received Chinese version of their popular wheeled cart-
certification for the Innovator mounted explosion-proof fluorescent
II 3900-480 spray system. paint spray booth light.
The lightweight system fits The EPLCD-48-2L-100 paint spray
all Enstrom 480 and 480B booth cart light is designed to provide a
models, and can be quickly full-powered yet mobile light source that
installed or removed for can be easily maneuvered about the
ease of use. The launch work area. Larson Electronics has up-
customer in China for the dated this fluorescent paint booth light
Isolair spray system was with a new cart design that adds even
long time Enstrom customer Wuhan Helicopters, who recently purchased a new better mobility and protection as well as
480B helicopter specifically for agricultural spraying. increased functionality.
For more information visit www.enstromhelicopter.com For more information visit www.magnalight.com
DART announces Auxiliary Fuel Tank FAA Grants Vision 1000 STC
for AS350 and EC 130 for AgustaWestland Helicopters
DART Helicopter Services has MSP Aero has announced that the
announced FAA approval of its newly FAA has granted a Supplemental
improved auxiliary fuel tank for the Type Certificate for the Appareo
AS350 series of aircraft and the EC Vision 1000 Flight Data Monitoring
130 B4. This tank provides additional (FDM) device on AgustaWestland
fuel capacity that can be transferred AW109/119 series rotorcraft. The Vision
to the main tank in order to extend 1000 is a part of Appareo Systems
the aircrafts operational range. After ALERTS family of FDM products.
initial installation, the tank is easily ALERTS - Aircraft Logging and Event
removed and re-installed. Additional Recording for Training and Safety - is a
provisions kits may be installed in other aircraft to allow the tank to be quickly comprehensive FDM system designed
transferred. Additionally, access panels have been added for improved ease for light and legacy aircraft. For more information visit www.mspaero.com
of maintenance. For more information visit www.darthelicopterservices.com
To announce your STC or new product, email a JPG photo and a product description to
amu.editor@gmail.com or amu.magazine@telus.net
Industry Forum
ROLLS-ROYCE ACHIEVES NEW optimize a new advanced turbine case sional Australian airline and air charter
cooling system to improve efficiency. business based in Cairns, Queensland.
TRENT 1000 MILESTONE Rolls-Royce will deliver production StandardAero was selected to maintain
MONTREAL QC, May 8, 2012 standard Trent 1000 Package C engines the engines on their fleet of Bombar-
Rolls-Royce, the global power systems to Boeing from 2013 to support its 787-9 dier Q300 DHC-8s. The work will be
company, has successfully completed the flight test program. performed at StandardAeros Winnipeg,
first run of an upgraded version of the Trent 1000 Package C has been op- Canada and Tilburg, The Netherlands,
Trent 1000 that will be the launch engine timized to deliver a fuel burn improve- turboprop engine facilities.
for the latest member of the Boeing 787 ment of one percent over the Package B For more information visit www.
Dreamliner family, the 787-9. engine standard. The Trent 1000 pow- standardaero.com.
The Trent 1000 Package C program ered the Boeing 787 Dreamliners entry
will provide 74,000 lbs. of thrust for the into service with All Nippon Airways in
Peerless Announces Six
787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which is due October 2011 and has now completed
to enter service with Air New Zealand in more than 7,000 flying hours with a 99.9
New VERTICAL MARKET
2014. Trent 1000 Package C engines will percent dispatch reliability a record for eCommerce Stores
also begin powering 787-8 aircraft that a widebody engine. For more informa- BETHPAGE, NY, March 27, 2012
enter service in 2014. The engine began tion visit www.Rolls-Royce.com. Peerless Electronics, Inc., a major fac-
running on a test bed in Derby in April tory authorized, stocking distributor
and completed an extensive test proof electromechanical and interconnect
StandardAero signs
gram over a period of eight weeks. products for aerospace and avionics,
Two Trent 1000 Package C engines are
Agreement with Skytrans has launched its new online eCommerce
now being built for initial flight testing TEMPE, AZ, May 21, 2012 S Stan- Vertical Market. Peerless customers will
on the Rolls-Royce 747-200 flying test dardAero announced today that it has save time, view at-a-glance status and
bed, with a three-month program sched- signed an exclusive long-term service find it easier to shop online from prod-
uled to begin in the summer, which will agreement with Skytrans, a profes- uct catalogs tailored to their specific
industry from Peerless large inventory CRS Jet Spares Celebrates provide the best service and quality
of electro-mechanical and interconnect spares for the business aviation commu-
30th Anniversary
components. nity. For more information visit www.
Each online product includes specs, FORT LAUDERDALE FL, April 25, crsjetspares.com.
technical descriptions, manufacturer 2012 CRS Jet Spares, a leading busi-
hyperlinks, photos (many with zoom-in ness aviation aftermarket parts supplier,
capabilities) and drawings/PDFs to as- is celebrating their 30th year in the busi-
Seneca Signs Agreement
sist customers in selecting the right parts ness aviation industry. Started in 1982 by Over Jazz Cadet Program
for their application. founder and C.E.O. Armando Leighton, TORONTO ON, April 18, 2012
Peerless stores offer widely sought Jr., the company quickly grew from its Third-year Seneca Bachelor of Aviation
and hard to find products such as beginnings in the Leightons garage to a Technology students will be eligible for
switches, relays, circuit breakers, con- 43,000 square foot facility in Ft. Lauder- the Jazz cadet program that includes di-
tactors, connectors, terminal blocks, dale, FL. Today CRS stands as one of the rect entry into the airlines hiring pool.
splices, heat shrink tubing and indica- leading after-market spare parts support All qualified third-year students will
tor lights and fuses. Their lines include facilities in the world and has earned be offered an interview with Jazz, and
Honeywell Sensing and Control, Sensata its reputation by giving corporate flight successful candidates will become Jazz/
Technologies, and Dialight. To see the departments, both large and small, a Seneca cadets in their fourth year. As
online store, go to www.peerlesselec- high level of personalized service, reli- they maintain the required academic
tronics.com able products and by offering over $60 and flight line achievement throughout
million of fully traceable new and over- their fourth year, upon graduation and
hauled components. successful completion of Jazz Aviation
GALMENA and execujet
As a leader in the industry in the LPs tests and evaluations, they will be
middle east Sign service United States and Canada, CRS over entered into the Jazz hiring pool.
agreement the past few years has begun an aggres- Senecas Bachelor of Aviation Tech-
GENEVA, May 15, 2012 GALMENA sive global expansion initiative that has nology program is unique in Canada,
WLL, a joint venture formed between included increased support of Europe, providing a curriculum and the applica-
GAL Aviation Inc., a member of the Asia and South America. As CRS grows tion of theory to aviation. Find out more
GAL Group of companies in Canada, in age and scope, their goal remains to at www.senecacollege.ca. n
and MENA Aerospace Enterprises WLL
of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has signed
a new service agreement with ExecuJet
Middle East, an authorized service facili-
ty for four major business aircraft manu-
facturers. The two companies will deliv-
er an all-inclusive cabin interiors service
to major OEMs and their existing client
bases. GALMENA and ExecuJet Middle
East will market work packages for in-
teriors and major components through
the refurbishment center in Bahrain and
will conduct on-field activity at Execu-
Jets facilities at Dubai airport.
Specifically, GALMENA will develop
and administer an aviation interior fab-
rication and refurbishment centre for
business and VIP aircraft interiors in
the Kingdom of Bahrain, and will op-
erate a refurbishment and installation
workshop for business and VIP aircraft
interiors in Dubai, United Arab Emir-
ates. ExecuJet Middle East will provide
workshop space in its hangar at Dubai
International Airport for a regional sat-
ellite centre for the GALMENAs prod-
ucts & services.
For more information visit www.ga-
laviation.ca or www.mena.aero
Feature
AMU is 10 Years Old !
Thats right. Were celebrating our 10th birthday with this issue.
Deciding which issue should be our 10th anniversary was a bit inform and educate those in the aviation maintenance field.
arbitrary, as the very first issue of AirMaintenance Update And if along the way we do a bit of entertaining, well, thats a
Volume 1, Issue 1 was published in March 2002. Publication bonus, but not our primary purpose.
was a bit sporadic in the early days as we attracted writers An important aspect of the magazine, right from the
and advertisers, and our general direction had not yet fully beginning, was to publish an annual exam based on the
been established. The reason we chose the June/July issue, articles from the previous year and to have this exam ap-
though, will be explained soon. proved for recurrent training. The first of these exams
Now, on the cover of Volume 1, Issue 1 is a collage of avia- was in the March/April 2003 issue. We were on our way.
tion-related photographs. In a square at the very centre of this It wasnt until a year later, though, that publishing AMU
collage, though, are the words, Inform, Communicate, Edu- bi-monthly became fully established, and also that the
cate. Although weve gone through a number of changes, these exam became an established part of the June/July issue.
things still represent the basic mandate of this magazine. Our This is the reason weve called this June/July issue our 10th
primary role is still, through our expert contributors, to help anniversary one. It also means that the exam is in this issue.
The Contributors the industry as presented on these pages nature of some regulations leaves room
keeps you up to date on aspects of the for bullies to interpret them as they see
Of course a magazine could not ex- aircraft maintenance field, which keeps fit and simply harass operators over
ist without contributors. Someone has you coming back to read more, if all goes things that were perfectly acceptable a
to create the material that makes up its according to plan. short time ago. Wed like to hear about
pages. I could take up this whole col- these instances. Let me know about spe-
umn listing the people who have shared Where are We Going? cifics, and we can put it in print. If others
their knowledge and expertise over the are having the same sorts of problems,
years, so I wont do that. All our con- Well, as far as providing relevant, up- they may not feel so alone. With any luck
tributors over the years are very much to-date, educational material, we are we can get a dialogue going that includes
appreciated. I will mention some of our staying the course. But wed like to do Transport Canada or the FAA if Ameri-
long-term, regular providers of edito- more, particularly in the area of provid- can readers choose to take part in this.
rial material though. Sam Longo began ing a forum for the exchange of ideas Once again, we are a journal for and
his AMU Chronicles column in the and information. For example, in Norm by the aviation maintenance profession-
June/July 2003 issue and has been with Chalmers article in this issue, he speaks al and if, in our journalistic capacity, we
us ever since. Sam draws on his many of the disconnect between the Transport can dig into some of these issues, well,
years of experience to create a last page Canada headquarters in Ottawa and the wed love to. There is now a place where
column to entertain us. Mike Broderick regions, and also about the nebulous you can air your issues and maybe, just
first appeared in the February/March is- nature of some regulations. They are maybe, we can help make some changes.
sue of 2004 and has been in pretty much open to interpretation by individual in- So, thank you again for your support
every copy since then. Mikes ability to spectors. Now, most Transport Canada of this publication, whether by reading
turn potentially dry material into hu- inspectors are simply doing a job that it, advertising in it, or contributing to it.
morous easy reading while keeping it must be done. The general public would Heres to the next 10 years!
educational is much appreciated. Stuart accept nothing less. However, the vague Ian Cook, Editor
McAulays diverse experience has al-
lowed him to provide numerous articles
on a wide variety of subjects, and Gord
Walkers easy-going approach to his fea-
tures on aircraft systems is always a great
addition to the magazine. A recent and
very popular addition to the magazine
is Norm Chalmers. Norms many years
of experience in the field, followed by a
career with Transport Canada, has given
him an overview of the operator-regula-
tor relationship second to none.
The Advertisers
The advertisers make it all possible.

Without them the funds would not be
available for anything else. As this is a
publication by and for aviation mainte-
nance professionals, advertisers know
the focus of it and can direct the adver-
tising to these people. Of course, this
also means, for the reader, that ads are
an appropriate venue to promote your
business, and businesses can connect
with each other by seeing what other
companies provide in terms of products
ands services.
The Readers (last but not least)
It would all be pointless if no one read

the magazine. Your interest in following
The Regs
Clarifying More
BY NORM CHALMERS
Pacific Airworthiness Consulting
Back in December of 2011, Harald

Leukefeld, owner/manager of Orca Airways located
at Vancouver Airport (YVR) South and a director
of PAMEA, sent us an e-mail regarding the gen-
eral apathy in the industry, but encouraged me to
continue writing to the silent majority. Thanks for
that, Harald. In his letter, Harald identifies numer-
ous topics of interest. In this issue Ill address one
of his issues which is, as he put it, Aviation trades
apprenticeship programs particularly the lack of
follow-up training such as is common practice in
the automotive, diesel, and carpentry trades.
It seems that things are gradually getting better
in this area. In British Columbia, the government available at the TransCDA web site. Search the internet
has moved forward in this with the guidance of the with the words transcda and aviation and then fol-
good people at Transportation Career Development low the links.
Association (TransCDA). This was done despite the Regarding follow-up training that Harald men-
general lack of support from industry. There is now tioned, the requirements for this are found in CAR
a proper apprenticeship program being imple- 573.06(2) and in Standard 573.06(2). CAR 573.06(2)
mented like the ones other industries have. Now it is states that the program shall include initial training,
up to aviation training institutes to adapt and modu- updating and other training necessary,..., to ensure
larize their programs to meet industry needs. You, continued qualification that is appropriate to the func-
including every employer and apprentice in BC, tion to be performed or supervised. Standard 573.06
ought to become familiar with how this program provides the detailed standard specified in the CAR as
works and how you can save money. The details are follows:
(2)The training program shall include:
(b) update training to ensure that personnel remain com-
petent and are made aware of any change to their area of re-
sponsibility;
(c) additional training where it is shown to be necessary
by a finding made under the quality assurance program or re-
quired due to changes in the regulations, applicable standards,
or company procedures; and
(5) Until such time as it is revised through an assessment
made in respect of the quality assurance program required by
section 573.09 of the CARs, the initial cycle for update train-
ing shall not exceed three years.
Other than the three years requirement, this does not
provide any measurable benchmark or standard to assist the
approved maintenance organization (AMO) to set up a recur-
rent training program. I stated in one of my previous columns
that I would not quote the regs here, but at times it will be nec-
essary to do so, as in this case, to help point out the nebulous
nature of the Transport Canada (TC) Regulation By Objec-
tive approach to writing the CARs.
The intent is that organizations be allowed to devise cre-
ative, practicable, appropriate, workable ways of meeting the
requirements. I equate this to replacing speed limit signs to
the words DRIVE SAFE and leaving it up to police constables
to enforce it. The actual result of this approach is that we have
Regulation By Directive at the local TC Office level. Often, a
helpful Civil Aviation Safety Inspector (CASI) specifies what
you will write in your Maintenance Policy Manual (MPM).
Although this is contrary to national policy, it means that you
do whatever makes TC happy and gets your MPM approved.
Airworthiness Notice AN C012 states TC reviews AMO pol-
icy to ensure that each aircraft type or aeronautical product
being maintained is supported by a program that addresses
both initial and up-date technical training. Unfortunately,
this does not recognize that TC actually approves your MPMs,
and herein lies the hook.
The Transport Canada pre-approved Small Operator
Maintenance Control Manual (MCM) specifies a minimum of
12 hours update training for each three-year period. That time
is evenly divided into three areas: Operators Procedures with
four hours, CARs with four hours, and Each Aircraft Type
with four hours. This MCM is only for commercial operators
with three or fewer small piston-engined aircraft, but the 12-
hour requirement might be extrapolated to reach reasonable
amounts for larger operators. For AMOs, this is not any help.
In the Transport Canada Pacific Region, many MPMs
have been approved prescribing that AMEs receive a mini-
mum of 24 hours of recurrent training every year. Using the
three-year period prescribed in CAR 573.06(5), that would be
72 hours in a three-year period. An accepted method of meet-
ing this is through an in-house self-study approach using vari-
ous authoritative and applicable aviation publications. Good
sources for this include regulatory stuff such as changes to the
CARs and the voluminous update and advisory materials pro-
duced by various aviation regulatory authorities.
Other sources include manufacturers maintenance pub-
lications, such as manual revisions and service bulletins. Still
more sources that must be mentioned in this are the general
technical publications epitomized by Air Maintenance Update
(AMU) which has been accepted by Transport Canada as fill-
ing a niche.
That 24 hours per year works out to two hours per month,
or about six minutes per day. Many aviation maintenance
professionals already exceed this. To rally this potential as a
positive contribution to your training program records, first
you must select the source documents that are relevant. Take
each document morsel and attach a paper signature sheet to it,
identifying the subject document and the amount of accredit-
ed time that will be recorded as being recurrent/update train-
ing. This means that management needs to read the material
first to arrive at an appropriate time credit. Each employee
then signs this record as having read and comprehended the
subject content. To further benefit from this, you can organize
it by having everybody read the document at the same time,
then discuss it until everybody is clear on the subject material.
This can fulfil the regulatory requirement and the need to be
aware of current and future changes in our industry.
Harald gave me a list of other topics that I will hold onto
and address in the future if I live long enough, given the vol-
ume and extent of his list.
The next topic is regarding the various responsibilities
that managers in TC approved organizations take. I address
my comments primarily to accountable executives but
other managers and employees ought to be aware of these
weighty responsibilities.
During the last couple of decades of the the certificate and accountable on their
20th century, management responsibil- behalf for meeting the requirements of
ity came to the front as an issue due to these regulations. The regulation goes
investigations into accidents in various on to require that No person shall be
industries. The petro-chemical industry appointed . . . unless they have control
had some major accidents causing huge of the financial and human resources
damage. There were numerous leaks, that are necessary for the activities and
explosions, and well blowouts that re- operations authorized under the certifi-
sulted in deaths, injuries, and massive cate. That means that the accountable
environmental and economic problems. executive is responsible for everything,
Those disasters led to extensive govern- including the responsibilities of the cer-
mental investigations into the causes. tificate holder.
Often, the chain of contributing factors As one of my clients succinctly put
led to a CEO. The study of organizations it, the accountable executive is the one
and human factors in industrial settings who goes to jail. Although this has not
became the topic of choice of numerous been put to the test of a justice system
expert reductionists around the world. to my knowledge, it does paint a graphic
This dissection and reduction of ev- picture of the possibilities.
ery facet of those management systems Under both CAR 573.03 and CAR
resulted in numerous theories as to the 706.03, the holder of the certificate
causes of accidents as well as profitable (meaning the accountable executive)
careers for numerous degreed theoreti- must perform a series of tasks: appoint
cal reductionists. It has also resulted in a PRM, ensure that this person performs
the emergence of Safety Management all of the PRMs required duties, provide
Systems. A significant part of SMS is the the financial and human resources nec-
concept of the accountable executive essary to meet requirements, ensure that
at the top of a management system to be audit findings are corrected and review
responsible for the compliant function- the SMS program.
ing of the system. As the title suggests,
this person can be held accountable for
the actions of the organization.
In aviation, ICAO became enam-
oured with SMS and implemented rec-
ommendations that every nation enact
SMS requirements. In 2005, Transport
Canada plunged into this with a signifi-
cant expenditure of energy that put most
other TC programs into limbo-land. In
2005, CAR 1 Subpart 6 (106) was en-
acted. Until then the only people to hold
responsible were those identified in the
approval for portions of the organiza-
tion, such as the Operations Manager,
Chief Pilot and Person Responsible for
Maintenance (PRM). This made it dif-
ficult if not impossible to hold an indi-
vidual responsible for the lack of admin-
istrative and financial support to those
subservient identified persons. The
Certificate Holder is often mentioned
in the CARs, but often that turned out to
be a corporate entity and not a person.
CAR 106.02, implemented in May
2005, requires the Certificate Holder
to appoint an individual as account-
able executive to be responsible for op-
erations or activities authorized under
That is a mouthful of requirements, and I advise all account-
able executives to have a good read of the applicable CARs
and standards, noting use of the word shall. Establish your
management systems to ensure that all requirements are met
and documented. Ensure that the PRM is providing the re-
quired information to you.
In addition to accountable executives, the following is ad-
dressed to the attention of the rest of the managers in your
organizations:
If, during a persons working career in aviation, one devel-
ops an aviation record that, in the view of Transport Canada,
identifies one as a miscreant or rogue (my wording) then ban-
ishment from being a principal in any aviation organization
in Canada or holding any aviation document is a possibility.
The Aeronautics Act in sections 6.71 and 7.1, when combined
with CAR 103.12 regarding principals, allows the minister to
refuse to issue, to suspend or to cancel any certificate if the
minister considers it to be in the public interest. This is a seri-
ously heavy hammer and could only be used in the most seri-
ous of cases of disregard for rules and safety. Even at that, the
possibility is no fun to think about.
To digress, in this column, I occasionally slam the Min-
ister of Transport for actions or inactions. My comments are
aimed at the monolithic TC entity and not at individuals.
Most TC employees are hard-working, public-spirited indi-
viduals struggling within the system.
With that in mind, TC Headquarters manifest lack of
awareness of regional activities and problems is apparent in
almost every subject area. The results of that are unfortunate
for the aviation industry and for the CASI working in the re-
gions. The upside of that dilemma is that it provides me with
fodder for this column, so I thank the minister for keeping
those barriers to communication high and strong.
On that uplifting note, I bid you goodbye until next time.
Be good.
NOTE TO READERS:
Please be aware that I am not a lawyer or legal expert. What I
write in my column is not legal advice nor legal opinion. If you
face a legal issue, you must get specific legal advice from a law-
yer and preferably one with experience in the aviation matters
in your own country.
NORM CHALMERS worked with Transport Canada as an

Airworthiness Inspector for 25 years. Before this, from 1967 to
1983, he worked in the aircraft maintenance industry in and
around Western Canada and in the Arctic. His industry experi-
ence includes the operational maintenance of normal and com-
muter category aircraft and smaller transport category aircraft
in the corporate sector as well as several years working in major
repairs in the helicopter sector. As an Airworthiness Inspector,
he has been responsible for most duties related to the position,
including the approval of all aspects of maintenance, manufac-
turing, training, and responsibilities related to distribution or-
ganizations. Norm now operates Pacific Airworthiness Consult-
ing; www.pacificairworthiness.ca. n
Feature
The XPB2M-1/-1R aka

the Martin Mars
Par t 3
BY MIKE BRODERICK, Helicopter Engine Repair Overhaul Services
Welcome back. I appreciate you showin two remaining Mars from heading to a museum,
up again. So, whadaya say we continue our discus- which is what the other 24 prospective buyers had
sion on the Mighty Martin Mars, OK? OK. intended. Coulson knew that these aircraft were not
Today we are going to find out what life in the only unique, but that they also had lots of life left
21st century has been for our two 20th-century air- as effective aerial assault fire fighters. We will see
planes, highlighting some major changes to them, how Coulson has proven that this twin sister act is
which began in 2007. This is when Forest Industries not just a pair of energetic senior citizens grasping
Flying Tankers Ltd. (later called Timber West), for media attention. By way of calculated modifica-
decided to leave the firefighting business and put tions to the aircrafts avionics instituted by Coulson,
the two ladies on the market. The Coulson Group Hawaii and Philippine are performing, even flour-
of Companies was the successful bidder and be- ishing at the highest level (no pun intended) in their
came the new owner. With their bid, they kept the altered profession as airborne fire fighters. We will
learn that Coulson didnt stop with improvements to the air-
craft; they studied and applied the science of aerial application
of fire retardants. And in taking this course of action, Coulson
has proven with empirical data a fact they always knew: that
the Martin Mars can handle a forest fire like a mother handles
a recalcitrant child with strong discipline delivered with a
temperate yet powerful approach.
So go fill the coffee cup and we will begin Part 3, which
concerns the influence that Coulson Flying Tankers has had
on the lives of the Sisters Mars Hawaii and Philippine.
And, what better way to begin our discussion than with
some cocktail knowledge (CK)? Now, unless you were a part
of the British Columbia lumber industry or the Canadian
aerial fire-fighting community, it was not well known that the
Mars sisters were more than a couple of World War II aircraft
struggling to stay in the game. Nothing could be further from
the truth. In their 50-year history of fighting fires for the BC
forest industry, they had flown over 4,000 missions. In over
2,400 of these missions they extinguished the fire on the first
day. In over 800 flights, it took them two days to do the job.
Based on historical data, each plane can make a drop every 15
minutes. Working in tandem, this equates to 7,200 US gallons
(27,276 liters) every seven minutes, and each drop can cover
an area of up to 4 acres (1.6 hectares). The aircraft can also
carry up to 600 US gallons (2,270 liters) of foam concentrate.
Not bad for a couple of World War II converted cargo air craft
struggling to stay relevant.
How They Do It
The most frequently asked question regarding the Mars is

How do they pick up their water? Well, remember we saw
last time that the fabricated scoops located on the bottom of
the fuselage are mechanically articulated by the captain from
their retracted position within the fuselage down into the
water. But what takes place in the cockpit to make sure they
get the scoops into the water to maximize their proficiency at
picking up the water is perhaps the most demanding task in
terms of teamwork among the crew. The captain executes a
normal landing, keeps the aircraft on the step, and allows the
speed to decrease to 70 knots. He then passes engine power
to the flight engineer and selects the scoops to the down posi-
tion. The ram pressure for injecting the water into the tanks
is such that the aircraft is taking on water at a rate in excess of
a ton per second. To account for this added weight, the flight
engineer must advance the throttles to maintain a skimming
speed of 60-70 knots to ensure the aircraft remains on the
step. Pick-up time is, on average, 25 seconds. When the tanks
are full, the captain will raise the scoops, call for takeoff power
from the flight engineer and carry out a normal loaded take-
off. Once airborne, the foam concentrate is injected into the
water load (normally, 30 US gallons of concentrate into the
7,200 US gallon water load) where it is dispersed and remains
inert until the load is dropped. Once dropped, the tumbling
action of the escaping foam causes expansion, which converts
the water load into a foam load.
(Continued on page 37)
Western AME Association
Presidents Message We are already working on Maintenance Symposium 2013 and will
strive to make it successful and informative. Any positive suggestions
Rod Fisher as to what you feel would be beneficial to next years symposium, or
WESTERN AME
President 2012 what we may have overlooked are always appreciated.

The association is also working on getting the air maintenance
First let me introduce myself to those of you who dont know me. I technician recognized as a Red Seal program recognized by the
started my aviation career in Sioux Lookout in 1971 and followed the provinces, as well as possibly recognizing parts persons and flight co-
norm of moving and dragging my family along to various provinces. ordinators as part of the aircraft maintenance field of associated pro-
However, most of the time was spent in La Ronge, and I am presently fessionals. These two entities, while seeming unrelated to maintenance
employed at Air Tindi a division of Discovery Air in Yellowknife. in general, are closely integrated and have a large impact on how effec-
I will be taking over from Peter Jenkins as president, to whom we all tive we are as maintenance professionals.
owe a profound thanks and also to his previous executive for their Summer float season is fast approaching, which brings many ad-
diligent and hard volunteer hours in the past. The new board that was ditional challenges where maintenance is concerned. Under the um-
elected to term at the AGM in Edmonton in conjunction with the sym- brella of aviation safety being implemented by the safety management
posium and we had our first meeting on May 10, 2012. The minutes systems of our companies, it is sometimes difficult to realize that the
are posted on the WAMEA web site. same rules imposed in the hanger apply on the docks and in the field.
A number of topics were discussed and the enthusiasm of the Regulations are imposed for our, and the flying publics safety, but
new board of directors showed. There seemed to be a general feeling perhaps need some tweaking to make them workable. Regulations are
that we could be more effective by joining forces with the other re- not going away and we need to be of the mindset that they can work if
gional associations to form a national association with representatives properly tuned to individual circumstance.
from all provinces. This would give more power to lobby government I look forward to serving the industry over the next term and
and advise on industry regulatory requirements. look forward to helping promote the needs of the air maintenance en-
Opinions were expressed as to how we can attract more interest gineer. This is your association and we would like you to use it to its
in young people to choose aviation as a career, how we can rebuild full potential. I would like to encourage all members to surf our web-
membership, as well as how we can continue to make our website site, find a director you feel you can contact with your concerns, and
more user friendly. There was also discussion on how to provide more to try to persuade fellow engineers to realize that there are benefits to
services to the AME and better ways to keep membership updated on belonging to this fine organization.
changes in regulations and events going on in our region. Create a safe day.
Atlantic AME Association

ATLANTIC AME
Presidents Notes The Technical Program included the following: Aircraft Battery Main-
by Ben McCarty tenance, Propeller Familiarization, CAR 521 and SDR Reporting, Vi-
bration Analysis, Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action, Engine
The 34th ARAMC was a huge success with a record number of dis- Ignition Systems, The Basis of Oil Analysis.
players and delegates. If you missed this conference you missed an
excellent event. Even the weather was cooperating at 27 degrees all Awards Banquet
during the conference. The organizing committee was co-chaired by
Anneke Urquhart and Jim Power who worked with Jason Crowell, Always a big attraction, the awards banquet was very well attended,
Natalie Duschenes, Brenda Huber, Gerald Mallon, Butch McKay and with 250 people who enjoyed a great meal and good entertainment
Pat Smith. They are all to be congratulated on preparing and delivering by Bill Reid. Allen Chaulk acted as master of ceremonies during
a perfect show from start to finish. The opening of the conference had the awards presentation in his even inimitable way. The winner of
a new addition of Product Promotion where several displayers were the Aviall Canada award for outstanding AME was presented to Pat
given five minutes to promote their products and services. This was Greene of Plaza Corp. in Fredericton. Pat has had a very impressive
very well received and gave the exhibitors and the delegates network- career in aviation maintenance and is well respected by his employees
ing opportunities. Also new this year was a Silent Auction that con- and his peers. The Roger Richard Memorial Award, which is given to
tinued through the conference until the closing on Friday afternoon. a retired AME who has had a distinguished career, was awarded to
Bob Caresfield recently retired from NS Lands Forests. Bob had a long modate members and increase attendance.
and eventful career and is very deserving of this award. A new set of officers was elected by acclimation for 2012-2013;
The Nfld Govt Air Services Memorial Award is given to an indi- Vice President: Eli Huber, Treasurer: Jason Crowell, Director: Bob
vidual or corporation who has shown outstanding support to the avia- Parody, Director: Dave Hall. The Second team 2013 are: President:
tion industry and the AME Association. Everyone was very pleased to Ben McCarty, Secretary: Dan Lacombe, Director: Mel Crewe, Direc-
see Anneke Urquhart be presented with this prestigious award. Her tor: Jacques Richard
career has been devoted to aviation with PAL and Sobeys Ltd., not to
mention the wonderful contributions she has made to the AME Asso- The 2012 ARAMC Committee would like to thank the following sup-
ciation over the years. Her leadership and attention to detail has been porters of the 2012 Aircraft Maintenance Conference: 3-Points Avia-
recognized by all of her peers and the members and director of the tion GasTOPS, Action Aero Inc., Hope Aero, Aerotee Engines Ltd.,
AME Association (Atlantic). Our sincere congratulations go to each of I.M.P. Aerospace, Air Dynamics Co. Ltd. Interfast Inc., Atlantic Avi-
the 2012 award recipients, and also a sincere thank you to Bob Pardy onics Inc., Jazz Aviation LP, Atlantic Hardchrome, Kadex Aero Sup-
who was the Award & Chairperson this year. ply, Aviall Canada Ltd., Leggat Aviation, Aviation Solutions Inc., Ly-
Each year the AME association presents a $1,000 bursary to a coming Engines, Aviation Unlimited Inc., Mint Turbines LLC, AvTec
student in the maintenance program at a regional college who has Aero, NDT Products Ltd, Maintenance Peck Aero, Barry Controls/
demonstrated excellence during his or her last year. This year the Permanon Aircraft, Hutchinson Aerospace Supershine, Boomer Tech-
bursary was awarded to Eric Arnold of the College of the North nical PPG, Aerospace Resources Ltd., Precision Aero Components,
Atlantic. Congratulations, Eric, and good luck. Canadian Institute for Precision Design, NDE (CINDE) Engineering
Solutions, CanJet Quality NDE Ltd., CASP Aerospace Inc., Rideout
HPIAM Tool & Champion Aerospace Machine Inc, Concorde Battery, Corp
Satair USA Inc., DSS Aviation Ltd., Sobeys Aviation, Emergency Parts,
On the Wednesday prior to the conference, the AME association pre- Trikon Technologies, Logistics Tronair Inc., Execaire Division, Tulmar
sented a one-day HPIAM refresher course prepared by Norbert Bel- Safety Systems of IMP Group, Universal Helicopters, Exploits Valley
liveau and delivered by Lorne Amos in Gander; 23 students attended Air Vector Aerospace, Services Ltd., Western AvionicsAvmax, Fine
the course. Lorne and Norbert plan on presenting ithe course again in Line Silkscreening Group Inc. Ltd., Wright Instruments.
Moncton in 2013 just prior to the 2013 ARAMC.
RASC
2012 Membership
Regional Aviation Safety Council meetings are held twice a year in
There was a modest increase in membership this year from 93 to over St. Johns and Halifax in the spring and fall. We have asked TC to
100. We expect a few more renewals still to come. include a number of aircraft maintenance subjects on the agenda; this
will open an avenue for a better dialogue on maintenance concerns
TC/AME Association Meeting between industry and TC. I encourage you to attend these meetings
and to participate, and to contact us with proposed agenda items.
On March 22nd the AME Association Board of Directors met with
Keith Whalen, Associate Director Operations Atlantic Region, and 2013 ARAMC
Dave Alston and Charlie Warren, Technical Team Leaders from Trans-
port Canada. The meeting was arranged to discuss the apparent lack The 2013 ARAMC will be held at the Beausejour Hotel in Moncton,
of communications between TC and the aviation industry in recent N.B., on Thursday and Friday, April 18th and 19th. Jacques Richard
months. An agreement was reached to try to improve communication will chair or co-chair the conference. He is very interested in hearing
and to hold information sessions and/or meetings to establish a bet- from anyone who would like to volunteer to work on his 2013 Orga-
ter working relationship between the two parties. This would include nizing Committee. Good luck, Jacques, and we look forward to seeing
collectively informing industry of TCs expectations, the PVI System everyone in Moncton in 2013.
of auditing and the CAP process and follow-up. The RASC (Regional
Aviation Safety Council) meetings could be used as a forum for main- TC Paperless Distribution
tenance meetings between industry and TC.
TC indicated that they will use a risk-based surveillance program Register on line at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news to get the following by e-mail:
to determine frequency of PVIs. They also indicated that typical find- News releases, Aviation Safety Publications, Feedback, Canadian ADs,
ings in the regions were related mainly to QA activities, maintenance AIM TP14371, Aviation Safety Letter TP185, Advisory Circulars
schedules not being current, and indefinite processes and records. TC
does not see any further SMS activity until at least 2015. 2012 Golf Tournament
AGM The 18th Annual AME Association (Atlantic) Golf Tournament will
be held at the Magnetic Hill Golf Club on August 20th at 1 p.m. The
Minutes of the AGM have been sent to the members by email. There registration forum is in the online newsletter. All green fees and cart
was some disappointment in the number of attendees at the AGM, so rentals are to be paid when registering. Note: This is a two-person
in the future, we may arrange a meeting time that will better accom- team best ball tournament.
AME Association of Ontario
2283 Anson Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5S 1G6
tel: 1-905-673-5681 fax: 1-905-673-6328
email: association@ame-ont.com website: www.ame-ont.com
Dear Members: License Combining

Heres just an example of whats in store for us in 2012:
Industry Canada issued new corporate governance rules for not The AME Association of Ontario would like to thank the member-
ONTARIO AME
for profit organizations. That means well have to do a gap analysis ship for their feedback regarding the combining of the M1/M2 AME
of our current bylaws so that we can be in compliance for the 2014 license. The premise for replacing the M1 and M2 categories with a
deadline. Luckily weve been doing our homework and this will not be single M license is to give the AME a broader scope of qualifications
such a daunting task. and to permit greater transportability during his/her career. Keep in
The Canadian Federation of AME Associations is moving for- mind that the AME would still have to demonstrate the training and
ward with the concept of one national AME association across Cana- knowledge requirements before exercising the appropriate privileges
da. Their annual general meeting will be held in Toronto in October. of the license. There would be no loss in privileges for current AME li-
Now thats an opportunity to get involved. cense holders. This topic is still only in the discussion stage as there has
Theres talk of combining the current M1 and M2 licences into been no formalized agreement to proceed further at this point. If this
one category. The jungle drums tell us a lot of debate is taking place on is a topic that you would like to comment upon then please forward
this topic. If you have an opinion, do let us know. your thoughts or concerns with the association.
And even with all the change thats going on, we had accomplish-
ments from 2011 to be proud of: Golf Tournament
1. the 37th annual Ontario AME Symposium and Workshop in Octo-
ber. This years is looking to be even better The Northwestern Ontario Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Commit-
2. The Northwestern Ontario AME Workshop held in Thunder Bay tee will be hosting its 12th annual golf tournament at the Dragon Hills
3. 3 human factors courses. Most notably with Air Georgian golf club in Thunder Bay on July 13, 2012, and everyone is welcome to
4. Ryan Gomes won the bronze metal in aircraft maintenance at the attend. The trade show in Thunder Bay will be held November 15 and
World Skills Competition held in London, England. Ryan is a frequent 16, 2012. For more information, please contact your Northern Direc-
volunteer for the association tor, Marty Gibson at mgibson@thunderair.com or 1-807-474-4559.
5. John Longo won the Gordon Rayner award. Wilson Boynton was
honoured with the Robert McCombie award. And Jeff Runciman went Bravatech
home with the Clare Leavens award
The AME Association of Ontario has engagerd the services of Bravat-
We invite you to become actively involved. And be part of positive ech Ltd. for the maintenance of our website (ame-ont.com). Our goal
change. is to provide timely and current information as well as member blogs,
communication with the associations Board of Directors, etc. Please
Sincerely let us know what you would like to see on our website, and check us
Board of Directors out once in a while for our progress.
PAMA SOCAL
PAMA SoCal Chapter
March 2012 Meeting Wrap assorted types of masks, cap leak periods and squibs, new ATA ship-
Thank you Brian Omahen ping requirements and overhaul procedures; safety briefing cards
(make sure they are specific to the aircraft); life vest types, color cod-
Few were spared from sharing the spotlight with dinner host and ing and donning including a live inflation demo. Brian ran through
technical presenter Mr. Brian Omahen, EVP of HRD Aero Systems some great tips for lifesaving carry-on items and travel attire, situ-
at the March 13th SoCal Chapter meeting at the 94th Aero Squad- ational awareness of cabin surroundings, and sobering facts on im-
ron Restaurant in Van Nuys. Brian kept the audience thoroughly on proving survivability in the event of ditching. Brians presentation
their toes and entertained with product demo participation and cool was warmly received, and he invited all to visit HRDS website and to
prizes for pop quizzes on the Use, Management, and Maintenance of contact HRD directly with questions or to set up demonstrations and
Safety Survival Equipment. Brian reviewed, in part: fire extinguisher training at their Valencia facility. Many thanks to Brian and all at HRD
data tag information and proper installation and shipping (remem- for the time and expense put forth for a great dinner, presentation and
ber to shunt the caps); oxygen bottles including how to don and ship scholarship raffle prize donations. Visit www.hrdaerosystems.com
Chapter President Greg Potter presided over the general meeting, l ALEA W. Regional Conference: Sept. 46, San Diego, CA;
covering news, events, guest introductions, the 2012 scholarship ALEA.net
applications posting, and the 2012 Chapter Board of Directors elec- l AEA W. Regional Conference: Sept. 1113, Reno, NV AEA.net
tions. Many thanks to Board Assistant Luisa Benin for coordinating all l Reno Air Races: Sept. 1216, Reno, NV; Airrace.org
ticket sales for the evenings scholarship raffle drawing. l AOPA Aviation Summit: Oct. 1113, Palm Springs, CA; AOPA.org
l IA Training Rotorcraft Support: TBA, Burbank, CA; 8189977667
l NBAA Annual Convention: Oct. 30Nov. 1, Orlando, FL; NBAA.org

$265 for the March 2012 SoCal PAMA Scholarship Fund
l Western Museum of Flight: Monthly, Torrance, CA; WMOF.com
Raffle Drawing
Thank you chapter supporters: AeroNasch/Jet Brella, Aviall Van SoCal PAMA Board of Directors
Nuys, Business Aerotech, Consolidated Aircraft, Corporate Air, Gulf-
stream, HRD Aero, Kansas Aviation, SoCal Jets, Rotorcraft Support, l Greg Potter, President; greglpotter@verizon.net
Triumph Instruments. All proceeds from raffle ticket sales benefit the l Bill Johnston, Vice President; wdjohnston@raytheon.com
SoCal PAMA Scholarship Awards Program. l Dan Ramos, Treasurer/Website/Broadcasts;
danwramos@verizon.net
l Gail Erwin, Secretary/Newsletter/Website; gailjerwin@verizon.net
Looking For That Special Talent?
l Glenn Beckley, Sgt. At Arms; coptrmd@aol.com
Send postings to DanWRamos@verizon.net. Include company name, l Chris Cancelosi, Meeting Coordinator;
logo, position title, location of position, and contact information The chris@rotorcraftsupport.com
SoCal chapter offers employment and educational opportunity post- l Warren Horton, Meeting Coordinator; wchorton@hotmail.com
ings free of charge to the aviation maintenance community worldwide.

Welcome Board Assistants:
Website Sgt. At Arms Tina Campos, Clay Lacy Aviation; Raffle Ticket Sales
Luisa Benin, Clay Lacy Aviation; Website Admin/SoCal PAMA News:
Advertise your company and support SoCal PAMA: $50 for 12 months. Nikki King, ExtraordNAir; Phil Samuelian, Samco
Contact Gail Erwin or Nikki King via email: gailjerwin@verizon.net
or nikki@extraordnair.com PAMA Mission Statement:
To promote continuous improvement in professionalism and recog-
Industry Events 2012 nition of the Aviation Maintenance Technician through communica-
tion, education, representation and support.
l ALEA Convention: July 1114, Reno, NV; ALEA.org
Central Ohio PAMA
CENTRAL OHIO
Ohio Aviation Association Featured at May Meeting and our next regular meeting will be October 9th. Were looking for
sponsors and/or presenters for our October and November meetings.
Our May meeting was held at Lane Aviation and featured a presenta- If youre interested, send us an email to mail@copama.org. Check back
tion by Alan Harding about the Ohio Aviation Association. Founded for the start of registration for COAGO 2012! Hope to see you there.
in 1965 as the Ohio Airport Managers Association, the OAA is a non-
profit corporation committed to airport development and safety in PAMA Climbs Higher After 40 Years
Ohio. They support Ohios aviation community through education,
communication, advocacy and partnerships. PAMA unveiled its new 40 Years and Climbing logo which celebrates
We also had a special guest, Author Richard Barrett, who has just the organizations four decades of representing aviation maintenance
published the book Aviation in Columbus. Richard signed copies of technicians. COPAMA joins in the celebration as we complete our first
his book that were available for purchase at the meeting. decade of operation this fall. Stay strong, AMTs, and keep climbing.
The social gathering started at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m.
and Alans presentation began immediately after. We want to thank April Meeting Featured Tim Sokol FAASTeam
Alan (who is from Central Ohio and has long been an advocate for our
aviation community) for his presentation and the organizations efforts Our April meeting featured Tim Sokol, our FAASTeam Program
promoting aviation in Ohio. Manager, as the chef of some fine barbequed brisket. The dinner was
This was the last meeting before our summer break. Our next topped off with a special cake to commemorate Cliff Kelling receiving
event will be the Central Ohio Aviation Golf Outing, September 7th, the Charles Taylor Award at last months symposium.
The evenings events started with the social gathering at 5:30 p.m. and nology presents in aviation maintenance, from the early experiments
dinner at 6 p.m. Gene Sprang started the meeting after dinner and re- of the Wright Brothers to the composite structures and electronic con-
viewed the symposium and upcoming events, which include the 70th trols of today. We want to thank Tim for his huge personal contribu-
Anniversary Gathering of the Doolittle Raiders and Alan Harding tion to the evenings events, both by his presentation and the food.
who will be next months speaker on the Ohio Aviation Association. Those who signed up will receive a certificate good for one hour for
Tim started his program by giving Cliff the more than 30 letters Wings Program or IA renewal credit. Our prize raffle brought the
of recommendation and a Blue Ribbon copy of all this FAA historical meeting to a close.
records. After Cliff received a round of applause from the meeting at-
tendees, Tim continued with his presentation, Aviation Maintenance: Please check our website as more information is received for posting.
Past, Present and Future. He gave examples of the challenges that tech- Photos are available to view at the Photo Gallery page.
PAMA Cincinnati
Important Miscellaneous
PAMA CINCINNATI
his satisfaction. (you didnt expect me to let that go did you?) Con-
gratulations gentlemen.
Cincinnati States Ed Weichold brought out his class. Way to go, Ed.
Thanks for bringing them and letting us get to know and meet them. Membership Dues
Your class couldnt have been introduced to a finer group of people.
Ideas are needed for the October IA Seminar, or maybe you Membership dues for 2012 are $10 for Regular Membership, $5 for
have wishes on information you would like to get. Weve had a riveting Student Membership and are payable at this months meeting. Don
hands-on experience in 2010 with rivets, and a fascinating experience will be more than happy to take your money and mark your name off
handling fasteners in 2011. What type of experience would you like the list. Also remember the $3 for supper, and a couple bucks for the
to see this year? Where do you feel you are lacking knowledge or a re- mystery prize and for 50/50.
minder/refresher? Dont forget the heated talk about hot air balloons.
Company Members
Web
We appreciate the support from our company members:
OATS is once again back up and running on the web. The address is Aero Battery, Inc; J.R. Ries & Associates; Aviall; The Kroger Company;
https://oatsline.com. Thanks to Don Streitenberger and James Daw- Cintas Omnicare Inc.; Chemed/Jet Resources; Proctor & Gamble Co;
son. Way to go, gentlemen. Thanks for your hard work. Executive Jet Management Tool Testing Lab, Inc; Great American
Hey, check out the Maintenance Skills Competition pictures. This Insurance.
competition took place in Las Vegas (no, it was a maintenance compe-
tition). If you dont believe me just look at the pictures. Contact Information
Prize Winners If you need to contact the OATS officers, email Gary Goodpaster at
gary.goodpaster@kroger.com, Don Streitenberger at don.streitenberg-
Februarys prize? Well, for the door prize of a Kroger gift certificate, er@kroger.com.
Garry Meyer can now purchase his groceries for the week. Jim Riece Do you have something you would like to include in the Monthly
was our Mysterious Prize winner. Not only was the sweet tradition newsletter? E-mail me at aluken@ejmjets.com or Karin Hartman at
continued with marshmallow eggs (I think they had chocolate all over khartman@ejmjets.com.
them) but he also got a screwdriver and a measuring tape to measure Remember: Dont be afraid, volunteering can become exciting.
HARTFORD-SPRINGFIELD
PAMA Hartford-Springfield
CT Aero Tech Students Attend Pratt & Whitney Mechanics Creed

Customer Training
UPON MY HONOR, I swear that I shall hold in sacred trust the rights
On April 25th, 11 Powerplant students from Connecticut Aero Tech and privileges conferred upon me as a certified mechanic. Knowing
accompanied by their instructor Charles Hilton completed an eight- full well that the safety and lives of others are dependent upon my skill
day training course on the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 94 high-bypass and judgment, I shall never knowingly subject others to risks which
turbofan engine. Many thanks go out to the courteous staff at the Pratt I would not be willing to assume for myself, or for those dear to me.
& Whitney East Hartford Customer Training Center. As one of the
individuals privileged to attend this training, I join my peers in ex- IN DISCHARGING this trust, I pledge myself never to undertake
tending a special thank you to both Julio Leroux and Jerry Howell for work or approve work which I feel to be beyond the limits of my
providing such valuable hands-on training in a clean, knowledge rich knowledge nor shall I allow any non-certified superior to persuade
and professional environment. me to approve aircraft or equipment as airworthy against my better
judgment, nor shall I permit my judgment to be influenced by money
June Chapter Meeting or other personal gain, nor shall I pass as airworthy aircraft or equip-
ment about which I am in doubt either as a result of direct inspection
June 12, 2012 at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Embraer Executive Jet Service, or uncertainty regarding the ability of others who have worked on it to
Perimeter Rd, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 accomplish their work satisfactorily.
Chapter Meeting by the Pool I REALIZE the grave responsibility which is mine as a certified air-
man, to exercise my judgment on the airworthiness of aircraft and
September 11, 2012 at noon, Daves House, 1765 New London Turn- equipment. I, therefore, pledge unyielding adherence to these precepts
pike, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Date and time subject to change. for the advancement of aviation and for the dignity vocation
A IRMAINTENANCE UPDATE is Transport Canada-
approved for recurrent training. This is our 10th exam,
published annually in our June-July anniversary issue, in
The exam must be postmarked no later than October 31,
2012. We will mark your test and return it along with docu-
mentation supporting your submission. We will keep a copy
accordance with our agreement with Transport Canada. of your written test and results on file for future reference, and
The exam consists of questions based on articles appearing a copy will be forwarded to Transport Canada. Once again,
in all six issues from the past year: June-July 2011, Aug.- good luck to all participants!
Sept. 2011, Oct.-Nov. 2011, Dec.-Jan. 2012, Feb.-March 2012,
and April-May 2012. You will require all six issues in order to Your Contact Information
write the exam. If you are missing any issues, call us at (604)
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mail them to you at a cost of $6.95 per magazine postpaid. answers, please fill in the following information (print clearly)
A 75% pass rate is required in order to qualify for your
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in order of their appearance in AirMaintenance Update
according to issue and individual article. The exam can also Address ............................................................................................
be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file via our web-
site: www.amumagazine.com. Answers should be printed ............................................................................................................
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the text of the articles in order to be considered correct. All ............................................................................................................
questions requiring a longer answer than the space allowed
must be typewritten on a separate sheet of paper. Completed Phone ...............................................................................................
exams should be submitted to: AirMaintenance Update,
Suite 2 203, 4360 Agar Drive, Richmond, BC, V7B 1A3. Email ................................................................................................
June July 2011 (Volume 10/Issue 1) The APU Explained

2) What are auxiliary power units?
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
........................................................................................
The Dog Days of Summer ........................................................................................
1) Name five signs of heat-associated problems a person
might see/feel. 3) When are APUs most extensively?
1. ............................................................................................. ........................................................................................
2. ................................................................................ .............
................................................................................ ............. 4) If an APU equipped aircraft has self-contained airstairs is
3. ............................................................................................. ground support required for its operation?
................................................................................ ............. ........................................................................................
4. .............................................................................................
................................................................................ ............. 5) Is a constant speed drive required on an APU to maintain
................................................................................ ............. a steady 400 Hz electrical output?
5. ............................................................................................. ........................................................................................
AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE i
6) Name two disadvantages to using a main engine to pro- 3) Name two materials that hard lines may be made of.
vide electrical power during ground operations. 1. .............................................................................................
1. ............................................................................................. ................................................................................ .............
................................................................................ ............. 2. ................................................................................ .............
2. ................................................................................ ............. ................................................................................ .............
................................................................................ .............
4) Are flexible lines life limited?
7) Why, in some cases, can an APU be used to power an ........................................................................................
aircrafts entire electrical system on the ground but only a ........................................................................................
portion of it in flight?
.............................................................................................. 5) Why do flexible lines require a more detailed inspection
.................................................................................................. than rigid lines?
...................................................................................... ..............................................................................................
...................................................................................... ..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
Aug. Sept. 2011 (Volume 10/Issue 2) 6) Who determines line life limits?
........................................................................................
7) Name five maintenance procedures that are critical to

ensuring reliability and durability of hose assemblies.
1. .............................................................................................
2. ................................................................................ .............
Got a Good Line? 3. .............................................................................................
1) Name two types of aircraft lines. 4. .............................................................................................
1. ............................................................................................. 5. .............................................................................................
................................................................................ .............
2. ................................................................................ ............. 8) Name two sources of maintenance data for hoses if the
................................................................................ ............. manufacturers data cannot be found.
1. .............................................................................................
2) Name three things that determine the type of line that ..............................................................................................
will be used in a particular aircraft system. ..............................................................................................
1. ............................................................................................. 2. ................................................................................ .............
.............................................................................................. ................................................................................ .............
.............................................................................................. ................................................................................ .............
................................................................................ .............
2. ................................................................................ ............. 9) Name 11 inspection points for a flexible hose.
................................................................................ ............. 1. .............................................................................................
................................................................................ ............. 2. ................................................................................ .............
................................................................................ ............. 3. .............................................................................................
3. ............................................................................................. 4. .............................................................................................
................................................................................ ............. 5. .............................................................................................
................................................................................ ............. 5. .............................................................................................
ii AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE
7. ................................................................................ ............. 17) Which mechanical instrument is used as a stable source
8. ............................................................................................. of heading indication?
9. ............................................................................................. ........................................................................................
10. ............................................................................................. ........................................................................................
11. .............................................................................................
18) The addition of what device turns a compass system into
10) If the manufacturers recommendations are not available, a slaved compass system?
how often must flammable fluid carrying hoses in and ....................................................................................................
engine compartment be replaced? ........................................................................................
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
........................................................................................
........................................................................................ 19) What type of gyro is used in an attitude indicator?
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
........................................................................................
11) How often must the above hoses be replaced if they are ........................................................................................
installed in an airframe?
........................................................................................ 20) What type of gyro does a turn and bank instrument use?
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
Cockpit Flight Instruments Explained 21) If the ILS needles are deviated UP and to the LEFT, where
12) What is used to measure the air pressures outside of an is the aircraft?
aircraft? ........................................................................................
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
13) What term is used for the pressure of the still, ambient The Dope on Fabric
pressure outside an aircraft? 22) State the advantages of Ceconite fabric over earlier cotton
........................................................................................ and linen fabrics.
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
........................................................................................
14) What term is used for the dynamic, ram air pressure?
........................................................................................ 23) What is the typical life of cotton aircraft covering?
........................................................................................ ........................................................................................
15) What two basic instruments use only static pressure? 24) What is used to shrink Ceconite fabric?
.............................................................................................. ........................................................................................
..................................................................................................
.................................................................................................. 25) When covering an older aircraft with a newer synthetic
fabric, what legal document is required?
16) Which basic instrument uses both pitot and static ..............................................................................................
pressure? ..................................................................................................
........................................................................................ ..................................................................................................
AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE iii

26) How can the system which is presently installed on an 5) Who determines which chemicals can be used to wash a
aircraft be determined? compressor?
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.................................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
27) What tool should be used to shrink Ceconite fabric? ..............................................................................................
........................................................................................
........................................................................................ 6) Does the approved list of these chemicals vary from
manufacturer to manufacturer?
28) What device is used to determine the strength of a fabric ..............................................................................................
covering?
........................................................................................ 7) Should tap water be used for compressor washes?
........................................................................................ ..............................................................................................
........................................................................................
8) What are the three steps of a typical compressor wash?
..............................................................................................
Oct. Nov. 2011 (Volume 10/Issue 3) ..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
9) When should a compressor wash be performed?

Turbine Engine Hygiene ..............................................................................................
1) State two reasons why compressor/engine washes are ..............................................................................................
necessary.
1. ............................................................................................. 10) Name the two types of cleaning maneuvers.
2. ................................................................................ ............. ..............................................................................................
2) State the difference between an engine wash and a rinse. ..................................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
Tool and Equipment Management
3) What is the effect of the accumulation of airborne con- 11) State two things a tool left in an aircraft can interfere with.
taminants on turbine engine components? 1. .............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. 2. ................................................................................ .............
..................................................................................................
12) Name a good starting point for managing your tools..
4) What can be the effect of this contamination in high salt ..............................................................................................
operating environments? ..................................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
iv AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE
Dec. Jan. 2012 (Volume 10/Issue 4) 4) If a French airframe is coupled with an US engine, which
countrys ADs must be complied with?
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
Superheterodyne Receivers Explained

5) What does the term modulate mean?
..............................................................................................
Clarifying Some Regs
..............................................................................................
1) What is Transport Canadas normal approach to foreign
..................................................................................................
ADs?
..............................................................................................
6) Name three common types of modulation used when
..................................................................................................
dealing with radio transmissions.
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
7) Which type of modulation is used by the superhetero-
..............................................................................................
dyne receiver?
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
2) What ADs must be complied with on aircraft and other
..................................................................................................
products that are from Canada?
..............................................................................................
8) What is the first stage of any radio receiver?
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
9) Is a bigger antenna necessarily better?

3) How does the above situation change if the Canadian air-
..............................................................................................
craft has an STC or PMA part that is subject to an AD
..............................................................................................
issued by the FAA?
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
10) What is the length of a receivers antenna closely tied to?
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
11) What is the the ideal length for an antenna?
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE v
12) What does automatic gain control (ACG) allow? Feb. March 2012 (Volume 10/Issue 5)
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
Air/Ground Sensing Explained
..................................................................................................
1) If a snag reported by flight crew cannot be duplicated on
the ground, what should be checked if the snag could
Many Hands, One Signature
involve wiring or duct work?
13) Does a maintenance release release an entire aircraft in
..............................................................................................
terms or the pledge of airworthiness?
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
2) How is most air-ground sensing done?
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
14) What are the two main elements of a maintenance
..................................................................................................
release?
..............................................................................................
3) State two names of air/ground sensing switches.
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
15) What is a conditional maintenance release?
..............................................................................................
4) What is the effect of pulling the landing gear lights circuit
..............................................................................................
breaker on an old Boeing?
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
16) In the above situation, what phrase must be entered as an
extension or the maintenance release statement?
5) Could the amount of heat applied to anti-ice systems
..............................................................................................
cause damage if applied on the ground?
..............................................................................................
17) When is an independent or dual inspection required?
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..................................................................................................
..............................................................................................
vi AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE
6) Aircraft damage can occur when the aircraft is tricked 4) The rotor of a gyro is mounted on pivoting rings. What
into flight mode but what can this also pose risk to? are these rings called?
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. 5) What moves, in relation to the horizon, when an artificial
.................................................................................................. horizon indicates a change of pitch?
..............................................................................................
7) If an aircraft with fly-by-wire technology is tricked into ..............................................................................................
flight mode while the engines are running, what might
happen? 6) What cockpit instrument uses a gyro with a horizontal
.............................................................................................. spin axis?
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
7) How must a DG be periodically reset or corrected if an
aircraft has a free compass system?
April May 2012 (Volume 10/Issue 6) ..............................................................................................
8) How is a DG reset if it is a slaved compass system?

..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
The Importance of Accurate Record-keeping
1) Will Transport Canada ever consider a job to be done if it 9) Name two ways a gyro may be driven.
is not recorded in an aircraft logbook? 1. .............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. 2. ................................................................................ .............
.................................................................................................. ................................................................................ .............
........................................................................................
10) On what type of platform are the accelerometers of an
Gyroscopic Applications Explained inertial navigation system (INS) mounted?
2) What, bascially, is a gyro? ..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. 11) What new technology is beginning to replace traditional
.............................................................................................. gyro technology?
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
3) What type of gyro is an artificial horizon? ..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................
AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE vii

AMU
viii AIRMAINTENANCE UPDATE

Feature
Cleaning Deepppp
into cracks for superior brazing preparation
of jet engine turbine parts
By ROB KORNFELD
President
Hi-Tech Furnace Systems, Inc
(Co) based superalloys that usually

contain aluminum (Al) and titanium
(Ti) to improve strength. The presence
of these elements causes the resulting
scale to contain complex spinels that
are extremely difficult to remove.
At the narrow tip of a crack, scale
forms during service. The scale oc-
cupies a larger volume than the metal
from which it formed. This results in
the narrow spaces at the tips of cracks
being totally packed with scale and you
cannot fill the crack with braze alloy if
it is already filled with oxide scale.
Traditionally, fluoride ion clean-
ing has been performed at atmo-
spheric pressure to remove oxidants
from components, but metallurgical
studies have shown it only works well
In the turbine airfoil refurbishment when cleaning wide cracks. Plus, it can add extra steps
to the oxide cleaning process that result from chro-
business, brazing cracks in investment cast parts made of expensive
mium fluoride or chromium carbide build-up during
alloys is routinely required, as hot section jet engine components are
the process. More recently, however, an innovative
damaged due to oxidation, sulphidation, hot corrosion, fatigue, or
dynamic fluoride ion cleaning (DFIC) process has
foreign object damage. However, proper brazing requires that all oxi-
offered turbine refurbishment professionals the abil-
dation first be thoroughly removed from airfoil component surfaces,
ity to clean deep, narrow cracks of oxides by cycling
cooling passages and cracks, which can be very narrow and deep.
between negative, atmospheric and positive pressure
for more ideal surface preparation prior to brazing.
Oxide Scale in Airfoil Cracks
Beyond DFIC
While a jet engine is in service, oxide scale forms on the mating faces
of cracks that occur in the airfoils. These cracks become packed full The DFIC process, also known as hydrogen fluoride
of scale, all the way to the tips. It is the goal of the service shop to re- (HF) ion cleaning, involves the reaction of fluorine
pair the airfoils by filling the cracks with a braze alloy, but braze alloy with various oxides. HF gas can be toxic if it escapes
cannot flow into cracks that are full of oxide scale. To complicate mat- into the atmosphere; however, improvements in gas
ters, the alloys used to make turbine airfoils are nickel (Ni) and cobalt monitoring sensors and digital electronics, resulting
from its widespread use in the semiconductor industry, have
made it safe and reliable for parts cleaning.
At temperatures greater than 1,750 F (950 C), the fluo-
ride ion reacts with oxides that have formed on the crack faces
in turbine airfoils, converting them to gaseous metal fluo-
rides. This allows them to be easily removed and they depart
through the off-gas stream of the reactor.
There are significant drawbacks to the early fluoride ion
cleaning processes developed in the 1970s, which utilize fluo-
ride compounds in powdered form and perform the work at
normal atmospheric pressure. Besides having difficulty pen-
etrating into deep, narrow cracks, the early processes were less
flexible and not continuous. They relied on a single charge of
powder to produce their HF gas. This often resulted in parts
having to be processed through more than one cleaning cycle.
Dynamic FIC
Fortunately, the dynamic FIC process has been proven to be

more effective, flexible, and repeatable. What separates the
dynamic FIC process from first generation fluoride ion clean-
ing equipment is that the reaction temperature, fluorine con-
centration, pressure level, and duration are all independently
controlled variables. The sophisticated digital control systems
that come with todays equipment can be programmed with
hundreds of recipes for cleaning specific alloy types, widths
of cracks, and levels of scale and oxidation. During the clean-
ing process, HF and H2 gas are introduced into the system
Now in
Your solution for

Avionics Maintenance
Votre solution en
Maintenance dAvioniques
Ground Equipment
Equipment au sol
600, 3e Avenue, Laval, Quebec, H7R 4J4

Tel: (514) 631-2173 Fax: (450) 627-2199
www.aeroneuf.com info@aeroneuf.com
through precision metering, so time and system pulses HF in and out of cooling This results in a buffer. During furnace
gas concentrations can be precisely con- channels, deep cracks and small holes to brazing, residual oxygen in the vacuum
trolled. For example, a typical cleaning more effectively clean oxidized, hard- chamber can re-oxidize a clean part. The
cycle may begin as 94 to 96% hydrogen. to-reach areas. The dynamic FIC works denuded zone gives time to get the braze
But within that cycle, it may be changed equally well on a variety of alloys, and al- filler to flow and wick into the cracks
to a 92:8 or 86:14 H2 to HF ratio, de- lows the operator to cycle between posi- before re-oxidation occurs. As an added
pending on the substrate material. tive and negative pressure to get compo- benefit, the use of HF at sub-atmospher-
Some dynamic FIC systems are de- nent surfaces as well as deep cracks and ic pressure often eliminates extra steps in
signed to perform the cleaning process crevices extremely clean. By performing the brazing preparation process.
at sub-atmospheric pressures from 100 the process under vacuum, in addition Cobalt-based alloys, used to make
to 650 Torr (133 to 867 Millibar) while to the removal of surface oxidation, jet engine turbine airfoils, contain a
at processing temperature. By varying aluminum and titanium are depleted significant amount of chromium. This
the pressure between positive, negative from the substrate, creating a denuded can react with fluorine during the pro-
and atmospheric levels, the dynamic FIC zone approximately 0.0005 inches deep. cess to create a chromium fluoride film
on the surface of the parts. Chromium
fluoride is the most refractory (tempera-
ture resistant) compound of all the metal
fluorides. As a result, it does not volatize
at the usual temperatures used in FIC.
Without the vacuum capability in the
cleaning process, the part must then be
moved to a vacuum furnace where it is
subjected to the higher temperature and
lower pressure required until the chrome
fluoride volatilizes.
However, the resulting fluorides can
contaminate the brazing furnace or the
vacuum pump, which should be kept
very clean and are designed to handle
acidic gases.
At pressures of about 150 Torr ab-
solute, chrome fluoride will remain gas-
eous, so areas can be cleaned without
depositing a residue on the joint. If any
chrome fluoride is created during the
process, the control system can be set to
subject the part to the higher tempera-
ture and appropriate pressure to remove
it. Another benefit of the dual vacuum
process is that it uses significantly less
HF, because oxides are volatilized at a
lower temp and concentration of HF
when performed sub-atmospherically.
Using less HF also reduces the risk of
inter granular attack (IGA), which could
otherwise chemically alter the micro-
structure of the metal being cleaned.
ROB KORNFELD is President of Hi-

Tech Furnace Systems, Inc. of Shelby
Township, MI, a provider of Dynamic
Fluoride Ion Cleaning equipment. Cus-
tomers include Pratt & Whitney, Snecma
Services, and Lufthansa Technik. For
more information, visit www.hi-techfur-
nace.com or call 586-566-0600; e-mail
info@hi-techfurnace.com. n
Feature
((( Microwave)))
Landing Systems
explained
BY GORDON WALKER, AME E,

Professor of Avionics
Centennial College
One of the most impressive feats the centreline of the runway. This provides the pilot,
performed by the magic of avionics is, in my opinion, and the autopilot with the lateral (left/right) steering
the landing of a massive passenger jet in conditions information required to line up the approaching air-
of zero visibility: Zero forward visibility, zero ver- craft with the centre of the runway.
tical visibility, and yet that monstrous metal tube The glideslope transmits a radio signal that pro-
with four hundred souls on board, can be safely vides the vertical (up/down) steering information
returned to earth from a height of tens of thousands required to set up a nice approach angel (about 3
of feet. It should be noted that this type of category degrees) and have the aircraft touch down about one-
III landing can ONLY be conducted by the avioinics/ third of the way down the runway.
autoland systems; human pilots are not allowed to The localizer and glideslope signals are each
attempt such an undertaking (appropriate choice of modulated by 90 Hz and 150 Hz audio tones which
words, should they try). will be balanced when the aircraft is on the correct ap-
Clearly then, the electronic approach aids used proach course. This system has been highly effective
to enable these zero visibility landings are worthy of for decades and indeed allows for zero-zero visibility
some examination. While most of us are familiar with landings. However, there are shortcomings associated
the standard instrument landing systems (ILS) localiz- with ILS, and new technologies have been developed
er and glideslope, there are some alternative technolo- in an attempt to improve upon these shortcomings.
gies available. Lets have a look at Microwave Landing One such technology is the Microwave Landing Sys-
Systems: Explained. tem (MLS).
By way of a quick review, recall that the localizer Those of you who are now growing a little long
is the approach aid that transmits a radio signal along in the tooth may think Microwave Landing Systems
sound vaguely familiar, with good rea-
son. Microwave landing technology ap-
peared on the scene in North America
in the early 1980s, heralded as a likely
replacement for the aging ILS installa-
tions. There was enthusiastic participa-
tion in the development of MLS technol-
ogy, with buy-in from the FAA, NASA,
and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Indeed, it was intended that MLS be
the preferred approach aid for NASAs
Space Shuttle program. Torontos Island
Airport (now Billy Bishop Airport) was
equipped with two MLS installations
due to the proximity of the runways to
the lakeshore, and the suitability of MLS
for both high density commuter traffic,
and short take-off and landing (STOL)
aircraft.
MLS works on the principle of
transmitting radio beams in the giga-
hertz range, which scan first in one di-
rection, then back in the other direction.
Imagine these beams being transmitted
from the right side of the runway toward
the left, and referred to as TO scans.
Then the scan reverses direction, going
from left to right, and is referred to as
the FROM scan. The airborne MLS re-
ceiver times the interval between when
it receives the TO scan and when it
receives the FROM scan, in order to
determine the position of the aircraft,
relative to the runway. (See illustrations
at right.)
The vertical component on the MLS
works in exactly the same way, with an
UP scan and a DOWN scan.
Timing the interval between when it receives the two scans
enables the MLS receiver to determine the aircrafts vertical
position relative to the runway.
Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) information is
added to complete the positional fix.
Unlike the ILS, which necessitates all aircraft following
the same straight in approach path, MLS allows aircraft to
approach the runway from any angle (up to a typical max-
imum of +/- 40 degrees to the left and right of the runway
centreline) and at various vertical approach angles. This is
particularly well suited for municipal airports with a high vol-
ume of mixed commuter traffic. It means that the Cessna 172
does not have to follow the same approach path as the Air-
bus 380, and aircraft approaching from different angles can be
merged onto the runway, allowing more efficient handling
of high volume traffic.
The fact that Microwave Landing Systems operate in the
gigahertz range means that the problem of interference from
commercial FM broadcasts is not a problem as it is with cur-
rent Localizer frequencies.
This also facilitates a greater number of channels being
available, reducing problems of overlap in areas which have
a high density of instrument approach runways. The higher
frequency also means smaller antennas, both on the ground
transmitter side, and the airborne installation.
With all of these advantages, one would expect MLS
to have superseded ILS by now. However, for those of us in
North America, it is nowhere to be found. The question is
What happened? The answer is GPS happened.
At the same time as MLS was being developed, the U.S.
Department of Defense was also beginning to utilize the
newly developed Global Positioning System (GPS) for naviga-
tion and guidance purposes. Initially developed as a purely
military tool, GPS was unavailable for civilian use. When it
eventually did become available for non-military use, its accu-
racy was intentionally degraded for fear of its being misused
by unfriendly forces.
This made GPS unsuitable for precision approaches, and
thus MLS still seemed like a good bet to replace ILS. Eventu-
ally however, this accuracy offset was removed, and enhance-
ments such as wide area/local area augmentation systems
(WAAS and LAAS) were developed, which enabled precision
approaches by civilian aircraft.
With the availability of accurate, relatively inexpensive
GPS receivers, and the fact that airports did not need to install
and maintain any ground based equipment, GPS suddenly
became far more attractive than MLS. North American users
and airports embraced the GPS technology, and MLS instal-
lations were mothballed in favour of the satellite based GPS.
MLS has now all but disappeared from the North American
landscape.
But our story doesnt end there. Not all nations are en-
tirely comfortable with having their navigation and approach
aids controlled by the United States military. Although access
to GPS satellite signals is currently free, there is no guarantee
that those signals wont one day become encrypted and a fee
charged for their use.
Political alliances shift with the times, continue to thrive in many other parts of tennial College in 1980. His career with
and not all nations are certain to main- the world. Nordair, Air Canada, CP Air, PWA, and
tain friendly relations with the U.S. Will we ever see a return of MLS ultimately Canadian Airlines took him to
military to the point that they feel com- here in Canada? Lets wait and see what many remote corners of Canada. Since
fortable with having to rely on its co- the cost of de-coding pay-per-use GPS leaving the flight line to pursue a career as
operation in providing accurate GPS signals might be. a college professor, Walker has continued
navigation. These are just some of the to involve himself in the aviation/avionics
reasons why MLS continues to thrive in Q: What are two advantages realized by industry, by serving on several CARAC
other parts of the world. MLS over ILS due to the higher frequen- Committees concerning the training and
British Airways, which operates cy of operation? licensing of AMEs, being nominated to
most of its flights in and out of foggy old the CAMC Board of Directors, and being
London town, have installed MLS on a GORDON WALKER entered the avion- elected President of the National Training
large percentage of their fleet. This has ics industry after graduation from Cen- Association. (NTA). n
resulted in a marked increase in the low
visibility landing rate at Heathrow Air-
port.
The small footprint and portabili-
ty of the ground based MLS transmitters
make it a very attractive system for mili-
tary applications. MLS transmitters can
be easily transported to remote military
sites, such as deserts, frozen lakes etc.,
assembled and made operational within
a matter of hours by as few as three ser-
vice personnel. MLS is also well suited to
aircraft carrier operations.
While GPS rules the skies of North
America, Microwave Landing Systems
Feature
making the
Connection
BY STUART McAULAY
N
ational studies have determined that about 500,000 ships must be done on the same sort of level as any technical
Canadians are absent from work every day due to or soft skill if we are to be as productive as we can be in the
some form of mental illness, making this the lead- aviation industry. This will be an uneasy transition until we
ing cause of workplace disability in Canada. This sobering fact have established a comfortable starting point in understand-
should raise the concern that many of our workers who do ing those who struggle with some form of mental illness.
not already fit into this category may be quietly heading there. The starting point for any initiative is the awareness that
This applies to the aviation industry as much as any other. an issue exists and then gets an informed response if positive
Absenteeism in the workplace due to known disabilities re- change is to happen. We are acutely aware that absenteeism is
quires study to determine how companies can invest in the a problem for those who work in the hangars, on the ramps,
wellbeing of their people and reverse this discouraging trend. and within the operational sector of our dynamic industry.
The ability of managers to really understand the reasons We deal with covering shifts for each other just like anywhere
for absenteeism is essential to knowing how to deal with these else; however our approach to productivity must involve our
complex issues. Reversing the trend of absenteeism due to essential human factor elements as well as an attentive ear
mental illness will undoubtedly require a small venture into toward our people. Each person exercises a unique response
uncomfortable territory, but the return on that investment to his or her working conditions regardless of corporate poli-
should prove to be more favorable than continuing to settle cies and procedures and therefore harbors certain barriers
for the unspoken norm. The connection between acknowl- to performing as expected. Our most common response for
edging these facts and then ultimately working with them struggling workers is to grant them the necessary time off to
rests primarily with the connection between the employer sort themselves out or allow for medication to work its magic.
and the employee. This is only a short-term, quasi solution to a long-term social
Companies that are willing to accept the realities of men- concern. Our concern should be to understand why human
tal illness within their ranks will come to realize the relation- productivity is getting worse and not better amidst an indus-
ship between the positive tenets of trust and encouragement try built upon training and safety management principles.
and a positive employer-employee relationship. The tempta- Another less obvious contributor to the mental discon-
tion for each of us to focus only on self-preserving actions nect from work is the ongoing act of showing up for work
to get us through the day is often counter-productive to the but not being productive. It is common among those who are
potential of individuals working together with other people. suffering with some degree of mental illness yet choose not
Minding your own interests is not the best use of the skills, pa- to disclose their struggle out of fear or embarrassment. I de-
tience or personality that are essential to those who need en- scribe the condition as your body being present and account-
couragement as well as for those who are capable of providing ed for in the workplace yet your mind is somewhere else and
it. Working together has always had its share of conflict and seemingly out of your control, resulting in safety risks. You
looming dysfunction for most of us, starting in the school- are faced with the everyday stresses as part of the job while
yard and continuing into the workplace. I believe that there is not feeling like your normal self and not able to function as
room for us to invest in the wellbeing of each person within you normally would with routine tasks. The added stress of
our spheres of influence. This investment in human relation- troubleshooting or sorting through complex technical issues
that you have been trained to do become thanks becomes the expected response. projects, being easily overwhelmed or
secondary to those daily survival in- My ongoing interest in general aviation discouraged, and even a fear of initiat-
stincts. Temporary solutions are possible and desire to increase my knowledge ing or returning business related phone
through work accommodation strate- of maintenance led me to do more in calls. While others may relate to some of
gies, yet many of us will not even initiate the administration area rather than in these feelings, each person will experi-
that discussion with a superior for fear direct technical roles. This approach is ence their own unique combination of
of appearing to be cheating the system, probably the only reason I remained in issues based upon their own past history
or we may smooth-talk ourselves into an general aviation as the accommodation and influencing environments. Personal
easier set of tasks. This is where manage- strategies toward mental illness are just thought patterns may range from feel-
ment needs to take the lead in recogniz- beginning to gain momentum. I eventu- ings of inadequacy to frequent sadness
ing some of the signs of mental illness ally got to a point in my battle with men- for no apparent reason, to even contem-
and develop meaningful training with tal illness where I decided that learn- plating suicide. I still wrestle with some
all staff in an effort to remove the unnec- ing more about it would actually help of my personal barriers from time to
essary barrier of social stigma related to to manage the disability and ultimately time, but the outlook is much better with
mental illness. lead toward further recovery. I have ex- the gradual selection of specific lifestyle
The term accommodation, in this perienced mental illness in the form of changes, the willingness to talk more
case, refers to a change in procedures to prolonged depression, anxiety, and a de- openly about those changes, and ulti-
make it possible for a person with spe- gree of obsessive-compulsive disorder. mately, using my influence as a writer to
cial needs to do a job. It is an accepted The process of identifying its causes and encourage others experiencing mental
workplace action used to ensure the eq- effects, however, were not as easy as as- illness to take steps toward recovery.
uitable treatment of people with physi- sembling these thoughts after weather- It has also been insightful to take a
cal or mental disabilities. The Canadian ing the storm. It has taken a lot of per- step back from the need to support each
Human Rights Act explicitly prohibits sonal reflection, cognitive therapy and other and determine why many of us
discrimination in employment on the perseverance to get to the point where have become depressed in the first place.
basis of any disability. With that said, I could examine the issue with greater Being depressed is nothing new, but the
we have always had difficulty defining clarity and objectivity. Some of my per- public response has long been to label
mental health issues because the very sonal barriers have included regular loss people with a mental illness as being in-
nature of them is complex and is not as of focus, procrastinating with tasks or ferior and therefore incapable of being
obvious as physical disabilities. It can be
difficult to determine how much an em-
ployee should be accommodated based
upon their own expression of how they
feel. Mental illness symptoms may also
be cyclical for many as they go through
depressive episodes that may or may not
be brought under control within a spe-
cific time frame. Also, the side effects of
certain medications can impair focus or
cause prolonged fatigue. These factors
must be considered when assigning tasks
to an employee. Other effects of depres-
sion in the workplace can include poor
memory, reduced psychomotor speed,
lack of motivation, poor decision-mak-
ing, and possible conflict with others.
These unwanted traits are frustrating for
the employer as well as the employee.
The only responsible answer is to expand
our thinking and become part of the so-
lution as traditional attitudes are forced
to change with a changing workforce.
Our industry demands a high level
of productivity, and anything less will
often not make the grade. It is also clear
that many decision-makers have not
been equipped to even interpret such
a personal disclosure. Thanks but no
productive, either in the workplace or regulations. This cycle of overextending stress as both a positive and a negative
within the community. Medical scien- our human efforts seems to have blindly byproduct in our daily routines. Stress is
tists, in studying the human brain and evolved into our present-day predica- an accepted part of what keeps us mov-
its response to our environment, have ment of an increasingly apathetic work ing and dealing with the circumstances
come up with some promising theories, force. Unfortunately, we have become of the day. Positive stress is a good mo-
although even some of these are in con- so focused on staying the course that we tivator of character and sustenance in
flict with each other. However, there are have failed to recognize the missed op- the routine of performing inspections,
some common physiological threads portunities to nurture the wellbeing of troubleshooting and making good deci-
that point us toward some of the nega- our work force before things got out of sions. It causes us to perform our best in
tive stressors that can make us attempt control. Our society often relies upon service to the company and ultimately
more than we can effectively handle. reactive solutions simply because the the customer whose satisfaction results
This is where corporate responsibility focus on productivity over people has in our means of income. The problem
must extend beyond the comfort and been grossly overdone. Our increased occurs when too much stress either at
routine of doing things the way they retreat into mental isolation erodes the work, or combined with other areas of
have always been done. very community that we depend on to our lives, turns negative and quickly de-
In the increasingly competitive be the foundation for quality and pro- grades into the type of stress that is the
marketplace of aviation, we have been ductivity. There are proven management enemy of our happiness.
pushing the limits of capabilities in or- principles and work accommodation re- Once we can no longer physically
der to gain that slight advantage over our sources available to us now, such as con- or mentally manage this overwhelming
competitors. We are open longer hours, trol theory management, where willing strain in our lives, we succumb to its
we utilize less staff to do more work, and organizations purposefully consider the detrimental effects, including a lack of
they in turn are rewarded with overtime potential of their employees to enhance sleep or relaxation, improper nourish-
premiums and professional advance- both individual and corporate success. ment, and missing the good company
ment as the gateway to earning a good Several companies are already leading in of friends and family. In other words,
living. It is these very pressures that this area and are making a difference for we get too busy to look after ourselves.
have backed us into the corner of fa- their people. Our brain then takes over and responds
tigue management and the only way out Any study in mental wellbeing to this perpetual state of overload in the
seems to be through more programs and must also include a look at the effect of form of depression simply because we
are not able to satisfactorily meet our
unrealistic expectations day after day.
Remember that recognizing some of
these effects in our own world should
trigger a response that makes things
better.
I hope to have at least initiated some
discussion within the industry with this
introduction to the need for awareness
and workplace accommodation of men-
tal illness. We have learned through hu-
man factors training that, although we
cannot change the human condition, we
can change the conditions in which hu-
mans work. This is applicable to all facets
of maintenance activity, including those
conditions which permit those suffering
with mental illness to feel like they still
belong. Our working life is an experi-
ence that remains adaptable and there-
fore demands that we change with the
times. Our business strategies, our use of
technology, our improved safety record,
and our working relationships must all
mature based on our past experience.
The final part of this series will
cover continued strategies for employers
and employees as they navigate through
the accommodation process. n
The Mighty Martin Mars, Part 3 are maintained to the highest standards place of aerial fire fighters. It was shortly
(Continued from page 19) and undergo intensive repair and over- after the purchase and several meetings
haul each year. It should suffice to say with the British Columbia Forest Service
And here is some more CK: Flying Tank- that the people who maintain them also that they came to the aforementioned
ers completed a test and evaluation of fly in them an added incentive to do conclusion. Coulson Flying Tankers
Class A foam in 1986 and began using their work well. were awarded a one-year renewable 90-
it with the Mars as a matter of routine in Attention, more CK to follow: So day contract for the 2007 fire season.
1987. It has been estimated that the foam how can you tell the difference between This contract really only recovered a
capability of the aircraft increases the ef- these two aircraft when they breeze by pittance of the cost of operation. It soon
ficiency of the Mars by at least 30 per- you? Well, the Philippine Mars, S/N became obvious that at least one other
cent. The ability of the aircraft to drop 76820, has a white tail, a side drop sys- customer with either a busier or longer
massive amounts of foam lends itself tem, and Canadian registration C-FLYK fire season was going to be needed. So
particularly well to the suppression of while the Hawaii Mars, S/N 76823, has a they took their story south of the bor-
urban/rural interface fires and the Mars red tail, a bottom drop system and Cana- der way south, all the way to San Di-
have excelled in this regard. dian registration C-FLYL. There you go, ego. They picked San Diego because it
Now, this just-described cockpit/ some more CK to help gain you notori- was a large city with several thousand
crew procedure is repeated for each ety in any adult establishment. fire-vulnerable acres and very little air
drop. In other words, this vital team- tanker support. Once again, the Coulson
work is carried out, on average, every Working for the New Guys team had to sell the benefits that only the
15 minutes per aircraft. For a gel drop, Mars team could provide. Five weeks af-
the concentrate is injected during the As Coulson soon discovered, taking ter the sales call on the San Diego Fire
scooping process to allow even mixing. these ladies out on a fire is not a cheap Department, a large firestorm broke out
Now, that is some impressive flying by date. Each aircraft requires a 53-foot in San Diego County. The entire opera-
the crew. I would bet that for 25 seconds, NASCAR type trailer with a workshop, tion lasted 18 days, with the Mars flying
that has got to be one busy but extremely welders, and parts. To feed the thirsty 10 missions, (30 hours) and dropping 60
efficient cockpit crew. The Mars carries a Wright R3350-24 engines requires an loads. This was a learning experience for
crew of four: Captain, First Officer and 8,000-gallon tanker on site. They use Coulson and the Mars girls. They con-
two Flight Engineers, all of whom work a 45 foot bus which serves as both the ceded that there was a need to prove why
together as a team to get the job done operational command center and as day the Mars were serious contenders. Espe-
efficiently and safely. Ever since the loss quarters for the crew. Rounding out this cially where homes and the uninhabited
of the Marianas, the first Mars water rolling caravan are two utility trucks, a areas interfaced, which is commonplace
bomber in 1961, the Mars operation has boat, and another tanker of ThermoGel. in California.
been accident-free, both for those flying Coulson bought the Mars with the pur-
the machines and also for those working pose of expanding existing contracts, but Selling the Sizzle with the Steak
on the ground. The adherence to a set of knew that to keep this business finan-
exacting flight procedures ensures that cially solvent they were going to have to Coulson needed to get a better under-
this enviable record continues. The Mars pursue new opportunities in the market- standing of the technical aspects of the
Mars performance and be able to sell it really good stuff is in this 27-page report. aging aircraft in the fire-fighting busi-
in a technical and measurable manner. In June of 2008, Coulson began ness. The results? Well, my faithful stu-
In the restaurant business, this is sell- their second season with the BC Forest dents, we will discuss the results next
ing the sizzle along with the steak. So, Service. The month of June was quiet time. That is when I will get a first-hand
in April of 2008 they asked the United in BC while the Lake Shasta area in look at our two ladies up close and per-
States Forest Service and FPInnovations Northern California was getting hit with sonal. Hopefully there is a ride in my
(FERIC), a Canadian scientific research severe lightning storms. Now all the re- immediate future, so be sure to return
firm located in Vancouver, BC, to come search work was about to pay off. USFS next time for our final look at the sisters
to Port Alberni airport. Together, Coul- asked if the Mars would like to take a Mars.
son, the USFS and FERIC constructed trip south, and the BC Forest Service Class is now dismissed; thanks for
eight small structures in a grid, and put agreed to release Hawaii for a limited listening and now go forth and use the
sensors on the roofs and walls to mea- time to help out their southern neigh- new CK to your best advantage.
sure the force as well as the coverage of bors. Well, when they arrived on scene,
the water dropped from Hawaii Mars. the wild fire was surrounding the lake. MIKE BRODERICK is Vice President of
This test was to make sure that the Mars Over the next nine weeks Hawaii moved Business Development at Helicopter En-
would be able to safely cover the homes effortlessly and efficiently, extinguish- gine Repair Overhaul Services (HEROS).
with gel and protect them from a wild ing one fire after another. Even though Over the past 35 years, he has served as
fire and to scientifically show the exact the USFS was favorably impressed with a shop technician, engine shop supervi-
coverage of a Mars delivery. operational availability, effectiveness, sor, Engine Program Director, Director
Over the course of a four-day peri- and the costs per gallons delivered, there of Maintenance, Director of Operations,
od, the Mars made 13 drops and the re- was still an attitude that the Mars were and owner of a Rolls-Royce engine over-
sults were exceptional. They proved that too old to fight fires. After all, how long haul and MD Helicopter component
the Hawaii Mars delivered a 2,600-gal- could these 60 + year-old aircraft safely overhaul shop. He is a certified A&P, and
lon flow rate from the tank and a 3.5- keep up with their younger fixed and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Avi-
acre coverage level. This test allowed, rotor-winged workmates? ation Administration. As well, Mike has
for the first time, a comparison of water Once again, Coulson needed em- been appointed as an FAA representative
drop patterns of their coworkers fixed pirical, scientific data. This time they for the FAA Safety Team (FAAST) and is
wing aircraft as well as helicopters. Be- contacted NASA, which was already a member of the HAI Tech Committee.
cause of the flow rate and the 7,200-gal- working with the USFS on a guide for Mike is a regular contributor to Air Main-
lon load capacity, the coverage level was a continuing airworthiness program for tenance Update. n
superior. Along with this information
was the proof that the Mars can make
water drops on homes and other struc-
tures without damaging them.
The key factor is that when the
Mars dropped her load at 300 feet above
ground level (AGL) and the forward or
terminal velocity ended, the flow was
very gentle, creating a heavy rain on
the structures on the grid. This type of
structure protection is exclusive to the
Mars and gives Coulson one more item
in their list of reasons why the Mars are
a vital piece of fire-fighting equipment.
As we discussed earlier, Coulson
had just proved that the Martin Mars
can handle a forest fire like a mother
handles a recalcitrant child with strong
discipline delivered with a temperate,
powerful approach. After the grid test-
ing, Coulson received interim approval
to work on the USFS lands for the re-
mainder of 2008.
For extra credit and a whole bunch
of cool CK, I would suggest you read the
report prepared by Wally McCulloch
and Colleen Mooney from FERIC. Some
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AMU Chronicles
BY SAM LONGO
The Periodic Plebeian Pilot

When queried about my career as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer in casual conversations,
people regularly ask if I am also a pilot. My negative response usually surprises and disap-
points them as the sparkle of flight fades from their eyes . . .
I
n the public eye, airplanes are fascinating machines, so by minimal skills at coordinating turns and flying a specific
association, the people that get to fly them seem exciting and course and heading. Despite my periodic wannabe pilot sta-
glamorous. The poor sods that merely repair them are rel- tus, I was beginning to enjoy the time spent aloft and consid-
egated to a sort of necessary evil purgatory on the fringes of all ered myself fortunate to have the opportunity to be a freeload-
that adventurous airborne excitement. ing fringe flyer.
As a young lad, my passion for aviation was intense. I read My most recent chance to be a reluctant copilot was in
everything I could get my hands on about aircraft and flying. a superbly built Seawind amphibian aircraft. Its owner and
I doodled dogfights on my notebook covers as my eyes glazed pilot (another ex-Air Canada technician) had expertly fabri-
over in French class and often rode long distances on my cated its composite construction. The performance and climb
bicycle, just to hang out at airports. Unfortunately, my dream rate out of Buttonville Airport was truly impressive. The demo
of becoming a pilot was dashed by my lazy right eye. Undaunt- flight took us down to the Toronto Island Airport as I took
ed, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my Uncle John and the controls for a short stretch while casually following the
do the next best thing: become the guy that fixes them. That clogged traffic stream on the Don Valley Parkway below. With
career choice was a good one for me and I have no regrets. It permission from the Island traffic controller, and now under
also provided a few fortuitous opportunities to take the con- the masterful command of the real pilot, we did a tight cir-
trols of various aircraft as a rather ungifted periodic pilot. cuit around the CN Tower. I could almost read the menu in
My first offer to take the controls of an aircraft in flight the towers revolving restaurant. We then got permission for
was as a young apprentice mechanic at Nordair. An older a touch and go water landing in the inner harbour. All things
AME/pilot took myself and a few other mechanics up in a considered, it was a truly pleasant experience with a little more
rented Cessna Cardinal RG. He graciously let me take the yoke time for me before we touched down back at Buttonville.
controls as we followed the gentle bends of the Ottawa River, So, as you can see, the title of this column accurately pro-
with me struggling to coordinate smooth rudder and aileron claims my personal reality in terms of piloting aircraft. I am
control while keeping altitude and airspeed in check. Fifteen below low in the social status of true pilots, and my skill in
tense minutes later, I was more than happy to resume my that arena is best described as unrefined the absolute defini-
sightseeing-passenger status. tion of plebeian. Despite my on-again off-again thoughts of
My next chance to play pilot was in a Piper Cub on floats pursuing my private pilots license, now that I have the time to
in the northern Quebec mining town of Chibougamau. As do so, Im just not convinced it would be worthwhile. Despite
detailed in a previous column (Chibougamau, I Do) my good the disappointment generated in the public view of me as only
friends father-in-law took me for a flight and insisted I take a lowly, knuckle-dragging mechanic, in the grand scheme of
the controls to appreciate how beautifully his refurbished Cub things, being a periodic plebeian pilot is just right for me. The
handled aloft. Being polite, I obliged and the plane flew along cost to do it for real is prohibitive and it would certainly cur-
splendidly, especially when I left it to its own well-trimmed tail cash flow for all my other ongoing hobbies.
devices. The beauty of high wing aircraft is their inherent I say, let the true pilots have all the glory. God knows they
stability. They really fly quite nicely if you just leave the control deserve it. I have always been proud to be the quiet guy toiling
stick and rudder pedals alone. away on the hangar floor fixing all the stuff they break. I sup-
A few years later, while working at Air Canada, another pose I will always be more comfortable with a wrench in my
fellow mechanic had his own Cessna 172, and consequently hand rather than a control yoke. Still, life is a funny thing and
I once again had a few more chances to try my hand at pilot- you just never know what the future holds
ing. Nothing as exciting or dangerous as take-offs or landings, For more published writing by Sam Longo, please visit
but more time to flail around the sky attempting to hone my www.samlongo.com n

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