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Comments: 1183 • Responses: 39  • Date: 

kuffara289 karma

What's the most terrifying story you can tell us?

Mickyd4190466 karma

Probably every boeing plane you've ever been on was built by alcoholics and hardcore drug addicts.

dixmitty244 karma

Which one were you?

Mickyd4190457 karma

The pothead.

Spyder81028 karma

Wouldn't a mechanic be the person repairing them, not building them?

KamikazeGrandma80 karma

Nope. Mechanics will be the guys who actually have to get all of that sheet metal in to the skin of an aircraft and make sure every single rivet goes in properly.

Mickyd419040 karma

This is true.

uphill-bothways162 karma

Suggestion: have the mods list you as verified and/or remove more identifying info from that 1099. A comment like that, however true, could expose you to retaliation from Boeing on the basis of libel/defamation.

Mickyd419064 karma

Just did it,Thanks.

derphurr102 karma

No, edit the original post and remove that .jpg you fool. they will fire your ass with that ID number on it.

Mickyd419050 karma

Done.

MarkBC271 karma

How does this happen? http://i.imgur.com/DYASJmK.jpg

Mickyd4190233 karma

Honestly from shitty work on that subpanel, mistakes (bad drilling) can easily be covered up simply by over flattening a rivet butt.

Klathmon58 karma

Are there any checks in place to make sure this stuff doesn't happen, or is it left up to the person doing the work?

Mickyd419074 karma

Yes there are checks in place, every mechanic is given a stamp with their employee number on it. But if the job doesn't come out right its all too easy to go and use someone else s stamp. And there alot of ways to cover up mistakes so that the inspection can't see it.

Plane_Makin178 karma

Not anymore as I work at the Renton Boeing and its all computerized, there is no possible way to stamp with anyone else's stamp anymore.

Mickyd419085 karma

This is good to know.

RedmondTheRobot96 karma

So let's address this comment, and do tell:

Being a boeing airframe mechanic for 7 years this doesn't surprise me. The stories i could tell but wont because most of you will never want to fly again, i don't.

Mickyd4190107 karma

I was actually thinking of the subpanels we were getting from Utah, every single jog on a panel was a mess and had to be repaired. I'm talking about like a 25x25 square foot panel that should of been scrapped but wasn't because it cost a couple hundred thousand dollars. It would be "repaired" and slapped on a plane. at that point in time we were kicking out 248 planes a year on the MD-80 line.

Mickyd419075 karma

They actually did send a lot of us to Utah for a year to show the people over there how to do good work. The problem was that most of the workers there were Navajo indians and these guys made us look like boy scouts, they were always drinking and taking payote.

nvrnicknvr33 karma

Uhm. It's Navajo.

Mickyd419036 karma

Fixed, thanks.

veritropism44 karma

It's also peyote.

Mickyd4190166 karma

Oh screw it..

Klathmon28 karma

Were these repairs sanctioned by Boeing or where they just done by the workers (or lower management) in order to save costs and decrease the amount of work they end up doing?

Mickyd419033 karma

Not sure, They just said fix em as best as you can.

lexussss59 karma

What story could you tell us that would make us never want to fly again?

Mickyd419086 karma

The skin between you and death is only as thick as about three soda can skins.

confederacy53 karma

What is a mildly interesting instance of cost cutting that you know of / have experienced with regards to anything you know about airplanes? And what is a highly interesting instance?

Mickyd419053 karma

There was absolutely no cost cutting going on anywhere, you got to remember the more that they can show the customer that it costs to make an airplane the more that they can charge. They would have us go in on Sundays and all we would do is play cards and drink.

callddit10 karma

You delivered! I just saw the thread where you said you'd do this. Thanks.

My question is, what are the most crooked/corrupt dealings you've seen go on?

Also, with the easing in of the new Boeing airplanes an the whole lithium ion battery controversy, what worried you the most about how the planes are made/how well they're made?

EDIT: Spelling.

Mickyd419035 karma

Most corrupt thing is just how much they charge the government for the work, when i started on the C-17 program we were still in the testing phase, i believe we were on test plane 3 and we literally had nothing to do for three months, we were just told to show up to work and look busy just to make it look good for the Air force people that would walk by every so often.

100319453 karma

I've honestly never stepped foot inside an airport, nor have I ever been in an airplane. If you were in my position, would you put flying on your "bucket list"?

What advice would you give me, in the event I need to fly somewhere?

Mickyd41906 karma

Just do it, I know i will have to some day.