Split between letting the new guy touch the APU bleed valve or keeping him on paperwork only

My lead back in Denver let a rookie try to isolate a bleed leak on a 737 and after 2 hours of him fighting it we found out the whole issue was just a loose clamp, but man, did that teach me anything about when to step in and when to let them learn the hard way, so what do you all think, do you give green mechanics the reins or stick to babysitting?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.kim1d ago

Ive seen a rookie strip out the threads on an APU bleed valve access panel because he reefed on it with a breaker bar instead of checking the torque spec. That bird sat for two days waiting on parts, and the lead ate that overtime on his own dime. Paperwork is boring but it teaches a green guy how the system works on paper before he touches the real thing. Once he knows the steps cold on paper, then he can grab the tools with a clear head. You cant unlearn the feel of a stripped bolt or a 15 minute delay, but you can avoid it by making him prove he knows the basics first. Let him mess up a TMS form or two, not a live aircraft.

cora_scott771mo ago

My buddy let a new kid touch the APU valve and the whole crew had to chase a 15 minute delay.

nancy4751mo ago

@cora_scott77 I get what you're saying but I see it different. That rookie who messed up the APU valve? He learned more in that one 15 minute headache than he would have from a month of paperwork. Letting them touch real stuff builds their confidence and makes them think twice next time. A seasoned guy once told me he fixed a valve the wrong way and it dumped fuel all over the ramp, but he never made that mistake again. Paperwork is safe but it doesn't teach you the feel of a bolt or the sound of a clamp that's loose.