Heard a manager say A&P mechanics don't need engineering knowledge and I'm still mad about it

I was at a hangar last Tuesday grabbing parts for a 737 flap repair and overheard this regional airline manager telling a new hire that mechanics just need to follow the manual, period. He said understanding why a part fails or how stresses work is above our pay grade. I kept my mouth shut but later thought about the time I caught a bad repair on a pylon because I knew about harmonic vibrations from my own reading. So is it better to stick strictly to the manual or should we be digging into the systems deeper to catch problems before they leave the ground? What do you all think?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_taylor3226d ago

Managers who say that have clearly never watched a good mechanic save an airplane. Following the manual is the baseline, but understanding why things break is what keeps you from just swapping parts until something works. That pylon vibration you caught is a perfect example of how deeper knowledge prevents in-flight failures. Blindly following the manual without thinking is how you end up with repeat defects and unnecessary downtime. The manual tells you how, but engineering knowledge tells you why, and that's what separates a parts changer from a real mechanic. Keep reading and keep questioning, because that manager's attitude is how mistakes happen.

angela_harris26d ago

My dad was the same way when I worked in a grocery store stockroom as a teen. He told me reading the shelf tags and stacking cans is just the start, you gotta actually learn why certain items sell faster or which brands always have damaged boxes. That pylon story reminded me of it instantly. Its like the difference between someone who can follow a recipe and someone who actually understands how baking soda and acid work together. You can follow the recipe and get lucky, but when something goes wrong you're lost. Real skill is knowing the system well enough to predict problems before they happen. That manager sounds like he'd rather blame the mechanic than admit there's a gap in his own understanding.

tarabell26d ago

Hear hear. It's frustrating when management doesn't understand that real skill comes from knowing the "why" behind the manual, not just following it.