Maintenance emergency

AOG is a bad word in aviation nobody likes to hear or read anywhere. It is an abbreviation and stands for “Aircraft on Ground” which indicates there is an issue with the aircraft serious enough to prevent it from flying. And even though it is an acronym, it is used like a (nasty) word as in “I am afraid, the aircraft is AOG” (usually followed by gasps and “awwwww”).
The whole thing usually comes with a sense of urgency to acquire parts quickly in order to put the aircraft back into service therefore avoiding further delays or cancellations. Parts guys usually have big red and white stickers that say “AOG” on them to slap on the side of the box and packages often get shipped “counter to counter” with the airlines which is pretty much the fastest way. It’s expensive but compared to an aircraft not making money, people getting delayed, or worse like in my job, fire not getting put out, it is often deemed worth it.

Working as a mechanic at a small flight school of course I have often seen the “emergency” turning out to be not quite as urgent as first suspected. Although the failure of a coffee machine or the only working microwave might just qualify as an emergency situation. After all, NOBODY wants to eat a cold bratwurst …

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10 comments on “Maintenance emergency
  1. Tampa says:

    Don’t make that look Julio, Bratwurst is life!

  2. Dom says:

    I must admit that I’m with Hans on this one. If that’s the only microwave in the hangar, it needs to get fixed, pronto.

  3. KenH says:

    Buy a new one

    Is the usual ‘maintenance’ technique

  4. Johsua says:

    Looks like the mechanics day off. This is not how to make a happy mechanic. As they say, happy mechanic happy life.

    …Okay, well they should.

  5. Yawnitz says:

    “Julio, are there any planes coming in for their annual, an oil change, or something?”
    “We have one. Why?”
    “Since the microwave isn’t working, can I wrap this bratwurst in aluminum foil and have you place it on the engine while you warm up the oil?”

  6. Fbs says:

    It could be worse. If the coffee machine was broken, the whole business would have been AOG, not only hans…

  7. ThisGuy says:

    Bratwurst in the microwave? That is heresy in itself. If it’s pre grilled it might work, but you run a very high risk of coating the inside of the microwave with sausage ir endig up with a dried out wurst. Neither is attractive. I’d expected Hans to have a gas grill behind the hangar (next to the fuel storage of course) for his daily lunchtime wurst.

  8. jan olieslagers says:

    Totally agree with @ThisGuy: it takes someone totally devoid of education and tradition to put Bratwurst in the microwave – I never expected such a fallacy from Hans!

    As an aside: for keeping up the traditions of Central Europe, long kept in good hands in Bavaria, the Czech and Slovak are much more trustworthy these days. Ask me how I know!

    http://imgur.com/v5nsRgc was taken at a Flugplatzfest in Western Bohemia, roughly one year ago – the sausages went into the fire only moments after the picture was taken.

  9. Captain Dunsel says:

    Agree! Cook bratwurst, kielbasa, etc., over an open fire. For reheating, use steam, not a microwave, to avoid vulcanizing the sausage. Leave the microwave for heating vegetables and cold coffee

    CD

  10. Bernd says:

    I have to disagree. Never reheat cold coffee. Make an iced coffee instead 🙂

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