This book is dedicated to my parents,
without their help I couldn't
remain in this business.

It is also dedicated to all the mechanics
that I have worked with over the years.
Your dedication has made the experience worthwhile.
This book is therefore a tribute to the following:

PREFACE

         The purpose of this book is to provide information about life in the airline industry to prospective Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) students or to those persons already in an A&P program.  An A&P refers to the Airframe and Powerplant license that permits the holder of the license to perform repairs and maintenance on aircraft.  It is hoped that the material in this book will help new hires to the airlines understand the way they operate and that by doing so they will find themselves better prepared for the life they are about to live.  It is also intended to educate the public about the conditions that we as aircraft and airline mechanics are forced to deal with on a daily basis.  It is the hope of this writer that the information contained in this book may provide the impetus for some much needed change in the industry. 

         New aircraft mechanics come from the public at large and as a result enter into the field with very little real knowledge of what is expected of them or what to really expect out of their involvement in the airlines.  This book will address this subject in detail so that the bumps and potholes a new mechanic may encounter in his career may be as small as possible. 

         It is important to realize that the opinions expressed by me in this book are my own and do not reflect the opinions of any other person or corporation.  Also it should be remembered that the conclusions that will be drawn by me only reflect what I myself was exposed to through my involvement with one particular airline.  If I had been hired by another company I may have come to some different conclusions.  At the same time there are many things that can be inferred about all airlines, even if you have never worked for them, due to similar corporate structures and the problems and regulations they are forced to deal with.  None of these things the public in general is aware of and likewise the prospective aircraft mechanic is unaware of them also. 

         I believe in giving credit where credit is due, therefore anytime a particular subject is discussed regarding a positive issue, the mechanics name is used.  At the same time I don't believe it is necessary to provide notoriety to persons who create more trouble than they solve. 

         Therefore the person in question will simply be referred to as the "mechanic" or by their title.  Whenever my airline is referred to in this work the name of my airline will be omitted.  Unfortunately anyone with any close knowledge of the route structures or bases of operation will be able to guess which airline I have worked for.  Because of this I can only offer my apologies to the airline in question. 

         I have titled this book Wings Of Faith for two reasons.  The first reason is that new mechanics come into this line of work with a tremendous amount of faith regarding what they expect to get out of their involvement with aviation and what they expect airlines are all about.  The second reason is that of the amount of faith required to remain in this business and survive.  The degree of faith and the amount of self confidence required staggers the imagination. 

         Read closely and one of the most interesting careers in the world will reveal itself to you as much as it possibly can from a book.  This work is the culmination of approximately five years of employment as an aircraft mechanic. 

         Please note that I attempted vigorously to get this book published and on the bookshelves of your nearest book store.  Unfortunately the publishers almost unanimously agreed stating: "We don't believe the public has an interest in this material."  Thanks to the internet this information is now available to you free of charge.  That's how important I believe this information is!

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