Miss me yet?

[Katahu]

Wow, I'm still remembering a few names here. Fozzer, Ozzy, Pete, Bjorn.

I just came back after digging up the old copy of Flight Simulator X and installed it after years of sitting in the garage. The reason I came back to the simulator is because I wanted to practice engine run ups some more as I am almost done studying towards my Powerplant Rating. But just before that, I earned my Airframe rating. It feels great to have that FAA-approved card in my wallet.

So how has everyone been so far while I was away? I like to know what I missed, what's changed, what hasn't changed, and how much marmalade has been spilled since I left.

Cheers,

Jessy

[H]

Hi, Kat... time goes on and things have changed some here since the beginning of the century. Seems things are improving for you.

[Fozzer]

Hello Kat!

Good to see you again, and to know that your are getting on fine!

Lots of changes since we all gathered together long ago!

Many of our regular crowd of young, enthusiastic Multiplayers and crazy comedians have now all "grown up", and become "proper" Pilots!... ...!

I used to know them all by name at one time, but my memory fails me now!

Some of them still pop in to say "hello" now and again, and its always good to see them, with their tales of their progress!

We all used to have great fun, gathering together for Multiplay Air Shows and Fly-ins, etc, with our good chum Kat supplying the refreshment van on the airfield!.... ....!

Those were the days of FS 2002 and FS 2004 (before FSX) when Multiplayer connection was much simpler!
(The added complication of "Multiplayer connection" in FSX quickly put a stop to all that enjoyment!).... ...!

There are still a few of we "regulars" lurking around, and flying the Sim V flag each day!

So there you go, Kat!

Good to see you again...and take care!

Paul....still driving Kat's various vehicles around, (in the Sim V Library of vehicles).... ...!

[pete]

Good to hear from you Jessy!

Great to hear how you're doing too!

Don't leave it so long next time ...

[Flying Trucker]

Congratulations to you on obtaining those Ratings...Well done...

Have not heard from Bjorn or Andrew in quite some time...

Don't be a stranger and keep us informed on your progress...

[ozzy72]

A lot of marmalade Kat. I've even upgraded some weapon systems to Marmite

[expat]

The reason I came back to the simulator is because I wanted to practice engine run ups some more as I am almost done studying towards my Powerplant Rating. But just before that, I earned my Airframe rating. It feels great to have that FAA-approved card in my wallet.

Hi Kat, nice to see an old face again.

I would not take too much notice of how FSX does engine starts, I am hold trim run ratings on A320, 737NG and Dash8 Q400. The real world is as far apart from FS as it is possible to be. If you want to practice, I would you get to know someone in the business and ask if it is possible to sit in. However, saying that, I would not worry about it. You will not (generally) get a run up rating until you have a particular aircraft rating and even then it is only with company approval. With my company (I am one of the owners) we stipulate that a mechanic must have a level III rating on the aircraft type and must have either done a recognised engine run up course in the simulator of the required aircraft or completed at least 10 engine run ups under the supervision of a quality manager or authorised experienced mechanic.

And a top tip for you, it may feel great to have that rating in your pocket, but the most important thing to remember is it can send you to jail in a heart beat. After 30 years working on aircraft, the best tip I can give you is, never get pressurised into signing something off if you are not confident in those who have performed the task or you are not happy with the condition of something it as it can come back and bite you in the rear, your signature can hang you. And.........the job is NEVER finished until the paperwork is completed no matter what MOC/MCC tell you.....
Now, welcome to a exclusive club with limited membership.......

Matt

[Apex]

Ah ha, a blast from the past. OK, well, we're all still here, some new ones too, and welcome back to the, uh, club. It's always good to see someone who's been away for a bit. Cheers and Happy Landings here.

[Katahu]

The reason I came back to the simulator is because I wanted to practice engine run ups some more as I am almost done studying towards my Powerplant Rating. But just before that, I earned my Airframe rating. It feels great to have that FAA-approved card in my wallet.

Hi Kat, nice to see an old face again.

I would not take too much notice of how FSX does engine starts, I am hold trim run ratings on A320, 737NG and Dash8 Q400. The real world is as far apart from FS as it is possible to be. If you want to practice, I would you get to know someone in the business and ask if it is possible to sit in. However, saying that, I would not worry about it. You will not (generally) get a run up rating until you have a particular aircraft rating and even then it is only with company approval. With my company (I am one of the owners) we stipulate that a mechanic must have a level III rating on the aircraft type and must have either done a recognised engine run up course in the simulator of the required aircraft or completed at least 10 engine run ups under the supervision of a quality manager or authorised experienced mechanic.

And a top tip for you, it may feel great to have that rating in your pocket, but the most important thing to remember is it can send you to jail in a heart beat. After 30 years working on aircraft, the best tip I can give you is, never get pressurised into signing something off if you are not confident in those who have performed the task or you are not happy with the condition of something it as it can come back and bite you in the rear, your signature can hang you. And.........the job is NEVER finished until the paperwork is completed no matter what MOC/MCC tell you.....
Now, welcome to a exclusive club with limited membership.......

Matt

It's always a great feeling to come back and still talk to old friends. Thank you all for the warm homecoming.

As for the part of being careful, that much I understand. In fact, the first page of my binder has a copy of The Aircraft Mechanic's Creed so I can remind myself as to where I stand. Not too long ago, I was at the MRO Americas 2015 which was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The Aerospace Maintenance Competition was being held there sponsored by Snap-On and various other companies. My college picked me and 4 other students to represent them in the competition to see who can do the best maintenance tasks in 15 minutes each. By the end of the 3-Day event, I learned so many new things that would have otherwise taken me weeks or months to master. We didn't win as we were competing against better colleges and this was the first time my college got involved. A copy of the list of tasks we had to do are linked below.

But the best moment of the event was at the end when the winners were announced. Armed Service members from 3 different countries including our own were there competing in their own category. They all won, but unfortunately due to laws established here in the United States & New Zealand (forgot what the third one was) these service men and women are not allowed to receive gifts (which were sets of Snap-On tools). So they went home without them. The US Coast Guard was there but had to pay all expenses out of their pockets. The folks from Fedex were kind enough to relinquish their reward of "all expenses paid for the next competition" over to the Coast Guard. Everyone at least took this with stride by jokingly saying "why not just sell them the gifts for a penny?" That made everyone laugh and put a smile on the service members.

After all that, I actually managed to get a chance to personally meet the Honorable John Goglia himself. He interviewed my crew at the competition and presented each of us with a coin with his name on it. On one side it says "Presented by the Honorable John Goglia - Retired; National Transportation Safety Board" with the eagle emblem. On the other side it has the AMC logo saying "Knowledge Skills Integrity". I will carry that coin around with me as a constant reminder of the importance of aircraft safety.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/

https://www.aerospacemaintenancecompeti ... 5MAR15.pdf

PS: Found a video posted on YouTube of the event. You will see me and my crew at 5:15 into the video.

https://youtu.be/r5FhpE9xkSY

[Katahu]

Paul....still driving Kat's various vehicles around, (in the Sim V Library of vehicles).... ...!

Ah, the memories.