The Apprentice....... Part 2

Now that I see the apprentice boys in action, and how harshly we judge and grade them I can only look back at myself and try to relive just how I felt as an undisciplined, ignorant 20 year old. (an ignorant 20 year old girl at that......)

I wasn't much better. I definitely had my problems.

As a undeveloped tradeswoman, I was so overwhelmed by the man's man mechanic world.
- I didn't have any "trade" background!....
I concentrated on Fine Arts in High School. I liked to build things.
Obscure things, but it was building none the less.

I fucking well knew I was skilled enough. Girls can build aeroplanes too!

I went through a year of tech school training......
All of my other friends were in college, drinking and smoking and being young whilst I had to wake up at 5:30 am and drag myself to a huge cold room full of old aircraft with what seemed like a bunch of crabby middle-aged dinks who came across like they either wanted to hump me or see me fail miserably.

In those days, most nights I managed 5 hours of sleep with a slight hangover.

heh heh.
- What Technical school teaches you will never make you ready for "The Hangar Floor"

"The Hangar Floor" is a unstable place. You never know what will happen,
What problems you will face, and who will be watching your performance and judgments along the way.

The biggest stress point with aircraft maintenance is costs.

As technicians we are billed somewhere near $60 US per hour to a customer. Hardware costs are in the 10 of thousands....Sometimes a basic yearly Airline overhaul check can cost nearly a million.
The only cost control a Aircraft Maintenance Facility has to make profit is the "manhours". We are severely encouraged to make the best of every second we are in the facility.
We punch in for a shift. We punch in to every specific job we do. We bill out every square inch and every gram of material we use. We have estimated hours for each maintenance practice........ You dare not go over.

These are things you only appreciate after years in the "service"
You have to buy into the system. It's a group effort.

If you choose to be a fuck up and call in sick every couple of weeks and not "walk with a purpose" when you actually are at work you are let go without honour.
- The ones who work hard and fast are awarded with overtime hours and "out of town trips" which equal even more overtime hours.

Sometimes a 20 year old doesn't care to see this far.

I wonder what would have become of me if I hadn't made it.
What would I have turned to after being deemed no good for my chosen trade.......
I can't imagine what I would have ended up doing with myself.
Scary shit.....
So much of my recent history has been due to my job..... 9 years of my life.

My last 3 significant relationships are result of friends of friends of family I knew from work.
My comfort level, my house, new car and vacations are all results of working hard at my high skilled trade.
Everything that pertains to who I am today is because of my employment at the same company for so many years.

What would have happened to me if my "so called fate" hadn't meant to be?????
What would I have become?

At 20 who knows.

There are so many things out there to lure you away from a satisfying life.
Sticking with the "game plans" guarantees the pleasure.......

- Knowing this you want the best for your young guys coming in....

BUT knowing this you can only hope your young "only interested in partying" guys have the capability to already know and want this too.