Does CAP have their own aircraft mechanics?
No.
If they have the $1,000,000 liability insurance policy on file with NHQ, I guess a member could conceivably work on a CAP aircraft...
Lots of corporations outsource maintenance work. AT&T has about a zillion independent local mechanics they contract with to keep all eleventy billion of their trucks running.
Quote from: usafcap1 on October 26, 2012, 12:56:05 AM
Does CAP have there own aircraft mechanics?
Yes, there are a lot of CAP members who are aircraft mechanics. I am one.
Side note: It should be their not there.
Quote from: David Vandenbroeck on October 26, 2012, 03:47:10 AM
Quote from: usafcap1 on October 26, 2012, 12:56:05 AM
Does CAP have there own aircraft mechanics?
Yes, there are a lot of CAP members who are aircraft mechanics. I am one.
Side note: It should be their not there.
But, do you work on CAP aircraft? Your response didn't really answer the OP's queston.
For the OP - all aircraft maintenance is performed by shops contracted by CAP. Members, in general, do not work on CAP aircraft, unlike the military, or the airlines.
Quote from: Garibaldi on October 26, 2012, 03:25:23 AM
Lots of corporations outsource maintenance work. AT&T has about a zillion independent local mechanics they contract with to keep all eleventy billion of their trucks running.
OFF TOPIC:
Yours may be "Independant, local mechanics", the ones we have in California work for a Fleet Service company.
No, we have a great system where a 100 hour inspection takes a week or two. That is after you get a bunch of pilots, planes, and a day to fly the one that needs MX to a facility far, far, away. :o
Quote from: PHall on October 26, 2012, 04:04:06 AM
Quote from: Garibaldi on October 26, 2012, 03:25:23 AM
Lots of corporations outsource maintenance work. AT&T has about a zillion independent local mechanics they contract with to keep all eleventy billion of their trucks running.
OFF TOPIC:
Yours may be "Independant, local mechanics", the ones we have in California work for a Fleet Service company.
Not totally. We get some of our A/C maintenance done locally, due to the distance from the FS company.
At one time or another in my 18 years, I managed three or four CAP airplanes. It seems to me that I recall a CAP reg or some other guidance that stated that CAP members were forbidden from working on CAP airplanes for pay. Could have changed in the past two years.
Centralized Maintenance has yet to prove itself unusable. I have heard the stories about taking a plane several hundred miles to the maintenance company, involving multiple crews and flights to accomplish. Keep in mind that the way that CAP Hq computes this, the cost of doing all this tooing and froing comes from another pot, not the maintenance pot and therefore, isn't figured into the cost of doing the maintenance at a centralized location. Also, members time doesn;t cost a dime. So what if a plane is in the shop for three or four weeks, that doesn't concern anyone at National.
It was predicted to be a mess and it looks like that is proving out to be true.
Quote from: bosshawk on October 26, 2012, 05:36:07 PM
It was predicted to be a mess and it looks like that is proving out to be true.
CMX has saved the corporation a significant amount of money, while at the same time providing additional flight opportunities
for the membership in aircraft movement. Hours are hours, and you will rarely hear a pilot complain about flying too many on
the USAF's dollar.
Further to that, a shop that gets CAP business will also give us the priority that a customer with 5-10+ aircraft deserves,
instead of CAP just being "one more in line" at the local FBO.
Quote from: bosshawk on October 26, 2012, 05:36:07 PMSo what if a plane is in the shop for three or four weeks, that doesn't concern anyone at National.
How long a plane takes to fix has little to do with CMX.
Quote from: SarDragon on October 26, 2012, 03:56:29 AM
Quote from: David Vandenbroeck on October 26, 2012, 03:47:10 AM
Quote from: usafcap1 on October 26, 2012, 12:56:05 AM
Does CAP have there own aircraft mechanics?
Yes, there are a lot of CAP members who are aircraft mechanics. I am one.
Side note: It should be their not there.
But, do you work on CAP aircraft? Your response didn't really answer the OP's queston.
Where in the OP's question does it ask if mechanics in CAP actually work on CAP aircraft? Yes, one can read between the lines and guess that is what he meant but the question as written lacked enough specificity to be certain as to that intent. My response was meant to reflect that fact.
Quote from: SarDragon on October 26, 2012, 03:58:26 AM
For the OP - all aircraft maintenance is performed by shops contracted by CAP. Members, in general, do not work on CAP aircraft, unlike the military, or the airlines.
This is true but if a unit does have A&P mechanics in their unit, they would be foolhardy not to have these individuals as their maintenance officers. Someone with the proper knowledge and experience needs to oversee the maintenance done by the contracted shop and review all the maintenance records. And per the FAA, this sort of oversight is considered to be performing maintenance.
So are there aircraft mechanics in CAP? Yes.
Do some of these mechanics perform an aircraft maintenance function for CAP? Yes.
Maintenance is a wing function, most units with an assigned A/C have POCs, but few are going to have an MX officer assigned.
There's no MX to "oversee" (that is the concern of the unit).
Quote from: David Vandenbroeck on October 26, 2012, 06:24:37 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on October 26, 2012, 03:58:26 AM
For the OP - all aircraft maintenance is performed by shops contracted by CAP. Members, in general, do not work on CAP aircraft, unlike the military, or the airlines.
This is true but if a unit does have A&P mechanics in their unit, they would be foolhardy not to have these individuals as their maintenance officers. Someone with the proper knowledge and experience needs to oversee the maintenance done by the contracted shop and review all the maintenance records. And per the FAA, this sort of oversight is considered to be performing maintenance.
So are there aircraft mechanics in CAP? Yes.
Do some of these mechanics perform an aircraft maintenance function for CAP? Yes.
My unit, which has an aircraft, at one time had two A&P rated members. They never worked on the plane. The maintenance was done at a wing-approved facility. They have both moved on, so the matter is OBE here.
As for the original Q, it was pretty obvious to me what was being asked - Do CAP members work on CAP planes? The answer remains no.
Interesting topic. CAPR 35-5 says an A or P mechanic can start at 2Lt, A & P mechanic at 1Lt and an A & P with inspection authorization at Captain. So I wonder why if they can not work on the plane why the enhanced promotional opportunities?
Anyways I have never had anyone request a promotion for that reason.
Quote from: Private Investigator on October 27, 2012, 03:10:42 PM
Interesting topic. CAPR 35-5 says an A or P mechanic can start at 2Lt, A & P mechanic at 1Lt and an A & P with inspection authorization at Captain. So I wonder why if they can not work on the plane why the enhanced promotional opportunities?
Anyways I have never had anyone request a promotion for that reason.
35-5 was written prior to Consolodated Aircraft Maintenance. It, like many other regs, needs a rewrite/update.