Mitch Cronin Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Picture this... You're singin' along at whatever altitude your T-Rex is happy at that day, at a comfortable cruise, beautiful clear sky, visibility forever, the odd crisply defined puffball cloud between you and the bright green patchwork below... You spend some time reflecting on how life is so good. Then a light comes on... (in a bus you'd hear a "ding") ...It means something's not working right. You pull out your book and it tells you to shut something off and maybe watch something else... Now your mind is on your job... it's suddenly become work. That space between you and the bright patchwork quilt below has become a potential hazard... No sweat, .... nothing else happens and you get to where you're going just fine... still, it wasn't the sort of day you'd like to have. You hop in a crew bus and head off to your hotel and bed down for the night.... Next morning, back in your saddle, you read the answer in the logbook, "Kadiddle box reset, boink system tested serviceable".... "Hmmm?" you think.... Blast off, climb and initial cruise, all is well again.... then... again, same light! Same kind of day... something isn't right, and you know if that's not right, and if other things don't go right, things could get really uncomfortable... so you're already uncomfortable... Land in ABC, en route to XYZ, and now the light stays on, and the greasy guy can't let you go, cause the MEL has no relief for that problem... He has to replace the kadiddle box, but he hasn't got one. ABC is a lousy place to be stuck... Some time later, a bright, beautiful teal coloured bird with winglets arrives with a kadiddle box for your ship. (could happen, couldn't it?)... The greasy guy replaces it, tests the boink system, declares it serviceable, and you're finally on your way again.... You reach cruising altitude and you're leery of that flippin' light... it doesn't let you down.... on it comes, again. This time, you're headed for home. You won't be stuck, but you know that airplane has a problem that resetting or replacing that same box hasn't fixed yet... So you want to write an essay in the log book... You try to recall the details of all the other potentially related parameters that existed preceding the appearance of that light, cause it may be relevant and help the next batch of greasy guys to figure it all out.... You're wracking your brain trying to come up with those details, but all you can recall is that nothing seemed amiss... the nitty, gritty, dirt details aren't etched in your head... all you can write is: "Light came on in cruise again". You know one of your pals is going out with that machine again, likely after that kadiddle box is replaced or reset again.... He's not going to have a good day either... Wouldn't it be nice of there was a gizmo on that machine that would have recorded every last little detail of what was happening on that airplane leading up to the light's appearance, each time it happened.... in fact, for every flight leg, that gizmo has been recording everything from the moment you'd lifted the fuel cocks, 'til you'd shut them off again... ?? The Mr. Lupin's and Brett's and Mitch's (the greasy guys) could just pull that gizmo, plug it into a computer and witness for themselves just what it was that led to that boink system failure... Neat huh? In truth, the T-Rex doesn't have the sensors and wiring (nor a kadiddle box and boink system ) to pull that off, but the fancy, fly-by-ones-and zeros-and-electron-flow machines do. So it only seems logical that we should use it to give ourselves all the chance in the world of getting the right fix. And not just after the fact... all that recording of parameters can also give us trends and warnings of potential or upcoming failures... (such as pneumatic temp limits being approached), some of which could be all we'd need to avoid the kinds of failures that could cause air turn-backs... and very uncomfortable pilots. Not to mention angry passengers. Seems like a no-brainer to me... If it can be done, we need to be doing it. Regardless of who pays to collect the data. Now do you follow? Cheers, Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1pawn Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Seems like a no-brainer to me... If it can be done, we need to be doing it. Regardless of who pays to collect the data. Thanks for offering to pay Mitch. That will be a 4% more paycut for you Midnight folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nozel Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Will your mitchkadiddlebox ID an ocsilating whistle on taxi-out with engine bleeds on (no faults indication), only to return departure gate, to disgourge freaked passengers, FA's, FO's (in that order) ? If so, we'll take 50 give or take a few so that we G squared's can fix it before the next flight. Got any spec sheets for said box? RZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrlupin Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Hey!!! Am I imagining things or did someone just call me a greasy guy?? LOL Good explanation Mitch,now maybe you need to run this by one of our high ranking,management type that never seem to make it out to the hangar floor. Of course you would have to give a cost analysis of the whole ordeal.You would have to quantify how much a delay costs,how much cancelling a flight cost(of course in such a cost analysis, you could use an outside base to measure cost to better your chances of being taken seriously...ahh the ploitics of it all) Just get some sort of figure on how many flights are actually cancelled or delayed every year because of mechanicals that could be prevented or fixed right the first time if this program was used. And don't forget to ask them to factor in some training for us folks who will be using this software.... Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 MITCH Wow..."Plane" language and even I can understand that I see your point and I guess what every number cruncher wants is the cost to equip and maintain the gear. Has anyone come up with a number, either per aircraft or for the entire fleet? I do remember there being a big, (expensive) program about installing a GPS system on the T-Rex when it was in CAI. The majority of the pilots said, "What for?? It really isn't going to enhance our promary Ops, Transcon and Cross Border". Many felt that it should only go to the "Northern" Birds. The plan was scrapped and then along came...well you know..... I think it is a good idea as long as it is cost effecive and doesn't start to run away like the Gun Registry. Any numbers available ???? PS... Did we ever get a final fix for the Kadiddle Box ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted May 28, 2004 Author Share Posted May 28, 2004 Any numbers available ???? PS... Did we ever get a final fix for the Kadiddle Box ??? NUmbers?... not from me... As for the final fix... Yep, it turns out there was a short guy in the flight deck that was using pedal extenders that kept bumping into some wiring behind the panel and shorting them out. (I do miss that green toothy grinnin' little guy... I need him for comments like that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 As for the final fix... Yep, it turns out there was a short guy in the flight deck that was using pedal extenders that kept bumping into some wiring behind the panel and shorting them out. I am truly wounded,..a shot to the heart,... standby for a discrimination lawsuit...after I relinquish my position as Past Prsident of the SLAF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted May 29, 2004 Author Share Posted May 29, 2004 Awe shucks Kip... ya know I ditn't mean nuthin by it... ....now ya got me... "SLAF"?... Short Legged Airforce Fella's?... [picture green thoothy guy here] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 ....now ya got me... "SLAF"?... Short Legged Airforce Fella's?... SLAF = Sea Level Air Force Max Giantituse allowed = 65 inches in the vertical mode, (no heels allowed) Very Elite Club...and you're not invited. Don't let yesterday use up too much of today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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