Why I love my job
Mark Layne: Line mechanic, Delta Air Lines
Friday, November 21, 2008
» What I do: Replacing burned-out light bulbs and fixing flat tires sounds like something the neighborhood garage could take care of. But Mark Layne also checks landing gear and autopilots.
Layne, 43, is a line mechanic with Delta Air Lines’ TechOps Department. They are the folks who keep the planes flying from the hangar at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport under the “Fly Delta Jets” sign.
Karl W. Ritzler / Special
‘I’m Scotty [from ‘Star Trek’] one day and Schneider [the building super from ‘One Day at a Time’] the next,’ Mark Layne said in describing his job as a line mechanic for Delta Air Lines. He compares his job to working with the urgency of a NASCAR pit crew, while stressing that safety comes first.
“I work on ‘live’ flights,” Layne said, meaning that he is on call to make quick repairs while the plane sits at the gate between landing and takeoff. “We get the plane out safely and in an on-time manner. We see something different out there every day, from high tech to the mundane,” he said. “I’m Scotty [from ‘Star Trek’] one day and Schneider [the building super on ‘One Day at a Time’] the next.”
Layne is part of a team of more than a dozen mechanics who tend to planes coming into the 32 gates on A Concourse. If a plane needs attention — for anything from a warning light on the instrument panel to a dead bulb in a passenger reading light — the pilot will call ahead to alert the ground crew.
Some days are busier than others, Layne said, adding that “if there are no calls, we’ll do a walk around,” looking at tires, brakes and other parts of the plane. They follow a checklist that’s part of Delta’s overall maintenance program. “If we find anything, we’ll fix it right then.”
If it’s something that can’t be fixed quickly and safely, Layne has the authority, along with the maintenance tower and his supervisors, to hold the plane for more extensive repairs. “It’s not a decision taken lightly,” he said. “It’s my signature in the log” for aircraft maintenance.
Major repairs, such as replacing an engine, are done in the hangar, he said, and all the line mechanics are trained to work on every part of the plane. “We’re all equal,” he said. “Everyone does everything. … We’re all expected to carry the load.”
Problems crop up more often in the summer because of the heat, he said, but “there’s never any pressure on line mechanics to rush a flight. Safety is our first concern, on-time is second.”
Layne said he and his crew take care of more than just airplanes. Sometimes, they’ll get a call from the concourse about a passenger who needs help. “You get pretty good at stroller fixing, too,” he said.
» What got me interested in this: “I was a line mechanic in the Marines,” Layne said. “It was a natural progression to Delta.”
Before the military, he said: “I was that kind of kid who tore apart toys and put them back together. I like to fix things.”
» Best part of my job: “The people,” he said. “They are the best group of people on the line I’ve ever been with, especially when the pressure is on.”
He compared the work in the hour or so that the plane is on the ground to a NASCAR pit crew when it has to make brake repairs, for example.
» Most challenging part: “When it’s push-back time [before takeoff] and you have to make the right decision,” Layne said. “Everybody is watching you.”
The nastiest maintenance call, he said, is a stopped-up lavatory. “That’s the call nobody likes.”
» What people don’t know about my job: “We’re licensed by the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] on the airframe and the power plant,” he said.
Also, he said, “We get to taxi the aircraft from the gate to the hangar.”
» What keeps me going: “The people I work with,” Layne said. “I look forward to seeing them every day. And I know my job is never going to be boring or routine.”
» Preparation needed for this job: “You need to be cool under pressure and have self-awareness — knowing what’s going on around you,” because working on the tarmac can be hazardous if a person isn’t careful, Layne said.
He also said it helps to have a sense of humor, especially when dealing with a troublesome lavatory or changing the brakes in 95-degree heat.
While a college degree is not necessary, graduation from an FAA-certified aviation school or applicable experience, such as work in the military, is. “To get a license, you have to take a test,” Layne said.
An FAA license is valid as long as the mechanic uses it, and continuing education is required. “Training is nonstop,” he said. Mechanics are constantly going to school or taking classes online.
In addition, there are schools for different aircraft. When the Delta and Northwest Airlines merger is completed, Delta mechanics will get training from the aircraft manufacturer on planes that are new to the fleet.
Mechanics also are expected to be aware of airworthiness directives on potential problems with planes and FAA rules. Mechanics are required to take yearly tests to show they are in compliance.
Layne was a Marine for four years and graduated from Colorado Aero Tech. He began work with Delta about 18 years ago.
- By Karl W. Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.
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