Victorville, Ca then Kavala, Greece

[Tom Wilkinson]

Just finished another job in Marana, AZ and driving to Victorville tomorrow to drop and hang some 767 engines. Stay there for a few days then back to GA for a few days then I have an big sheet metal job on an A320 in Kavala, Greece. Got hired as a lead on that gig. Should be interesting.


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[Decourcy]

So how’s retirement?

[StevenBauer]

Sounds like a fun retirement job!

[L.W. Baxter]

our dude should be sponsored by red bull

[Paul Pless]

Victorville, Ca

does joe's tesla have enough range to get to victorville?* he should drive out and y'all have an ebs together

that would be epic


​* my troll of the day

[amish rob]

our dude should be sponsored by red bull

He would be receiving a package with the new flavor in it right about now.

[Paul Pless]

He would be receiving a package with the new flavor in it right about now.

no amount of vodka makes it worth drinking though

[amish rob]

no amount of vodka makes it worth drinking though

I know a few cats who drink it gladly. On camera.

Ch-Ching!

[Jim Bow]

Victorville, former home of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and Trigger, Buttermilk, and Bullet.

[Joe (SoCal)]

does joe's tesla have enough range to get to victorville?* he should drive out and y'all have an ebs together

that would be epic


​* my troll of the day

I could do back and forth twice on a single charge

1 hr 18 min (85.4 miles)

Hey Tom shoot me a DM

[Tom Wilkinson]

I could do back and forth twice on a single charge

1 hr 18 min (85.4 miles)

Hey Tom shoot me a DM

Done!

[Tom Wilkinson]

So how’s retirement?

It’s fantastic. I only work the jobs I want to. And only when I want to. Having a blast.

[Rich Jones]

I like the "to drop and hang some 767 engines".
Tom makes it sound so simple.
What is a sheet metal job?
Some of the aircraft skin need replacement?
Glad you are enjoying your "retirement" job!

[Tom Wilkinson]

I like the "to drop and hang some 767 engines".
Tom makes it sound so simple.
What is a sheet metal job?
Some of the aircraft skin need replacement?
Glad you are enjoying your "retirement" job!

They are pretty simple. Some fluid lines, some electrical connectors and 8 big bolts.

The plane in Greece landed with no fluid/air in nose strut so essentially had no shock absorbing ability. Front of aircraft is bent/buckled all around nose landing gear wheel well. We are rebuilding that whole section.


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[Tom Wilkinson]

Here is one article on the Greece plane. https://www.aeroinside.com/15919/con...t-landing-gear


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[Tom Wilkinson]

Here is another with pics.

https://mentourpilot.com/accident-co...om-gear-issue/


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[bluedog225]

Living the life. Glad for you.

Sounds like that plane got beat up. Interesting to read about the progression of damage.

[Tom Wilkinson]

The trip to Victorville was definitely worth the drive. I mean, I got to have dinner with So-cal Joe! Thanks for making the long drive out Joe, it was great to meet you. And the Tesla really does drive nice.




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[bluedog225]

Twins?

[Joe (SoCal)]

When I posted last night google maps said it would be an hour and 18 min. When I left my house at a 3:45 It said 2hrs. By the time I hit the 15 time and traffic stopped time, I was already committed so just sit back and let the Tesla drive the stop and go.

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Thank God for self driving, set it and forget it.

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then it slowed to a 3mph crawl

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The worst part driving out to the middle of no where you can see the traffic all the way into the horizon

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But was all worth while once I met Tom, It felt like we had known each other forever.

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[Joe (SoCal)]

Cont.

After I got Tom to drive the Tesla - welcome to the dark side

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After dinner we took the obligatory selfe

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I headed home and did a quick Supercharge

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The drive home was 1hr 12 min and just flew home 0 traffic

[L.W. Baxter]

i have just crossed some kind of threshold, have now seen more pictures of joe's face than of any other person, living or dead.

i suppose congratulations are in order.

[Paul Pless]

i have just crossed some kind of threshold, have now seen more pictures of joe's face than of any other person, living or dead.

i suppose congratulations are in order.

congratulations lee

[L.W. Baxter]

muchas thanks man. (that means a lot to me)

[amish rob]

Ah, yes. Mucho!

[Jim Bow]

Love to see a pic of those big bolts.

[Tom Wilkinson]

Love to see a pic of those big bolts.

This is the engine removed and sitting in shipping cradle. We had just lowered it down.

Here are three of the four aft mount bolt locations. You can see the head of one bolt. 15/16 inch 12 point head. The large bolt in foreground holds the mount assy to the engine rear case.




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[Tom Wilkinson]

Love to see a pic of those big bolts.

This pic is of the forward mount bolt locations, left side of engine. The circled part is part of the boot strap equipment that we mount the chain falls to. It is removed after new engine is installed.

It is pretty tight getting a big torque wrench under there but not too bad. You Chan see one of the four chain hoists in this pic.



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[Jim Bow]

What does an engine like that weigh?

[Tom Wilkinson]

What does an engine like that weigh?

This one is about 12,000 lbs.


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[Tom Wilkinson]

What a motley bunch.


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[JayInOz]

So... Tom... might be time to upgrade that avatar and put in the older, greyer (wiser? ) version JayInOz

[The Gentleman Sawyer]

Norwegian Dreamliner behind you?

Ken


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[Tom Wilkinson]

Norwegian Dreamliner behind you?

Ken


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I think it was. Lots of Dreamliners out there. And tons of 777. All of United’s grounded 777 fleet is there,roughly 50 planes due to a Pratt Whitney blade root issue.
I was told a lot of the Dreamliners are there due to quality control issues straight from Boeing. An awful lot of very new metal (plastic) sitting there.


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[Paul Pless]

if it's boeing you probably ain't going?