Technobabble
In the (unlikely) event that this little space of ramblings ever gets read by, well, anybody, I'm posting this as a kind of ABCs of technical and/or mechanical terms, as well as psuedonyms I use a lot, so I don't have to add an explanation every time I use them. I will try and update this periodically.
A&P- Airframe and Powerplant. These are actually separate certificates- you can have one without the other, but it's best to have them both. They are required for work on all aircraft registered in the US- from little two-seat Cessnas and Cirruses (Cirrusi?) on up to 747s, including helicopters, antique aircraft, blimps, and what-have-you. If it lifts off the ground, unless it's a homebuilt, you need an A&P to work on it.
AS350- (also AStar) A type of single-engine helicopter. Most of my experience is with these. They carry five passengers plus a pilot, but typically most of the interior gets pulled out to do the medical conversions. By the time those are finished, they carry one patient, a pilot and up to three paramedics or nurses.
DC- my Lead. Quirky, funny and a major perfectionist, he mentored me through the very early stages of being an A&P, and has proved to be an excellent teacher, project manager, and best of all, good friend.
Drop-in- An aircraft that's come into the facility for something other than a full refurb- usually some inspections or a repair that can't be done in the field. Theoretically, they don't stay that long. In practice, though, we've had some arrive and set up housekeeping for 6 months!
IPC- Illustrated Parts Catalog. All the exploded diagrams of pretty much everything on the helicopter. Often very helpful. Sometimes maddening.
Lead- Lead mechanic. The team boss.
MGB- Main gear box. The part of the transmission system that takes engine rpm and makes it main rotor rpm.
Pitbull- Another mechanic in the shop. At the beginning of 2012, he was assigned to the team I work on. Loud, crazy, and hysterically funny, I never know what he's going to say next. He definitely keeps life interesting (and the rest of the team laughing).
Return-to-service (RTS)- The date the aircraft is supposed to leave the shop and be returned to its home base.
Safetywiring- The process of running stainless steel wire through bolt heads (they're specially drilled with little holes for this) and tying them together so that the bolts can't back themselves out or vibrate loose. It's a frustrating exercise, which often results in bloody lacerations from trying to do it in tight quarters. Common in aviation.
SR- My team's sheet metal guy. He always has a creative solution to any problem. He also rocks composites- does beautiful work, better than anybody else we've got (and works about twice as hard as anybody else too!). And has a wicked sense of humor.
The Wizard runs our component overhaul shop. This man has the patience of a saint, knows EVERYTHING (or so it seems!) and at the same time, is humble, even-tempered, and maintains a positive attitude. Someday, I want to be him.