Okay, I'm probably broaching severe, I don't know, craziness, loneliness, to much feeling sorryforselfness?
I'm writing.
Just so you know I have the Navy Hymn from the previous post blaring in my ears, it does provide some comfort. Understanding really. Oops! The YouYube video changed on to Taps.
Here's the sea story, if you're still reading, give me a chance and I'll tell you another.
From around 1983 to 1989, I went from E1 to an E6. I was a maintainer, an Aircraft Electrician, or as we liked to call ourselves, Aviation Everything. I started out working on F-4S Phantoms. An F-4S Phantom, a McDonnelDouglas aircraft. Not sure it if still does but at one time it held the record for speed and climb rates. Big ass General Electric J-79 axial flow turbojet engines. I think they were rated around 34,000 pounds of thrust - peak. They made a brick like an F-4 Phantom fly fast.
AEs, Aviation Everything. Everything on an airplane is connected electrically by wiring. So to do our job well we needed to understand the systems the electrical powered. Whether it be landing gear control, engine operation (electrical) , autopilot, hydraulics, air conditioning... whatever, we needed to know how it worked. Nothing like a good electrical/hydraulic schematic to makes things understandable. I guess our specific purpose was aircraft lighting (believe me, it was the only test I ever failed, thought it would be easy, it's pretty complicated actually) ,AC/DC power generation and distribution, flux valves - the airplane's compasses, Attitude systems. Gyros - might be outdated but they are still super cool in my opinion. Automatic pilot, the list goes on. Neat thing about the rating was we were troubleshooters for the most part. We usually were the ones to tell an Airframer his hydraulic actuator was bad, or a mech their engine wasn't going into after burner because a pressure sensing switch was bad.. Hell, I could go on an on, there is just to much stuff.
What sucks is this. I have forgotten most of the stuff. I used to spend hours studying electrical schematics.. The theory and understanding of electricity at one time was fresh in my brain.
I did pretty well in the Navy, didn't make Master Chief though, retired as a Senior Chief. Once, at least in the Navy, a person makes it to E7 (Chief) the technical knowledge is not really needed. You have to have a general idea but no longer need to know all the details. That sucks really. You become a "leader" and that's great and all but you start forgetting stuff.
Okay. If anybody actually made it through this long rambling post. I'll buy you a beer. In thought anyway.
I'm writing.
Just so you know I have the Navy Hymn from the previous post blaring in my ears, it does provide some comfort. Understanding really. Oops! The YouYube video changed on to Taps.
Here's the sea story, if you're still reading, give me a chance and I'll tell you another.
From around 1983 to 1989, I went from E1 to an E6. I was a maintainer, an Aircraft Electrician, or as we liked to call ourselves, Aviation Everything. I started out working on F-4S Phantoms. An F-4S Phantom, a McDonnelDouglas aircraft. Not sure it if still does but at one time it held the record for speed and climb rates. Big ass General Electric J-79 axial flow turbojet engines. I think they were rated around 34,000 pounds of thrust - peak. They made a brick like an F-4 Phantom fly fast.
AEs, Aviation Everything. Everything on an airplane is connected electrically by wiring. So to do our job well we needed to understand the systems the electrical powered. Whether it be landing gear control, engine operation (electrical) , autopilot, hydraulics, air conditioning... whatever, we needed to know how it worked. Nothing like a good electrical/hydraulic schematic to makes things understandable. I guess our specific purpose was aircraft lighting (believe me, it was the only test I ever failed, thought it would be easy, it's pretty complicated actually) ,AC/DC power generation and distribution, flux valves - the airplane's compasses, Attitude systems. Gyros - might be outdated but they are still super cool in my opinion. Automatic pilot, the list goes on. Neat thing about the rating was we were troubleshooters for the most part. We usually were the ones to tell an Airframer his hydraulic actuator was bad, or a mech their engine wasn't going into after burner because a pressure sensing switch was bad.. Hell, I could go on an on, there is just to much stuff.
What sucks is this. I have forgotten most of the stuff. I used to spend hours studying electrical schematics.. The theory and understanding of electricity at one time was fresh in my brain.
I did pretty well in the Navy, didn't make Master Chief though, retired as a Senior Chief. Once, at least in the Navy, a person makes it to E7 (Chief) the technical knowledge is not really needed. You have to have a general idea but no longer need to know all the details. That sucks really. You become a "leader" and that's great and all but you start forgetting stuff.
Okay. If anybody actually made it through this long rambling post. I'll buy you a beer. In thought anyway.