I rebuild machines and minds. Aircraft by trade, systems by instinct.
I speak torque and code, ask inconvenient questions, and drag the curious into deeper waters — gently or otherwise.
If it breaks, I’ll fix it. If it thinks, I’ll challenge it. And if it doesn’t? I’ll probably poke it anyway.
Sometimes inspiration is surprising.
And, while time ticks away, I managed to pull things together enough to make this happen last Saturday:
Yes, yes, heavily censored.
Even though I’ve been a mechanic for a specific kind of aircraft for the last year and a half, I’m stoked that I can now call myself an aircraft mechanic for pretty much any certificated aircraft.
…so I got that goin’ for me. Which is nice.
Ural Airlines appears to have confirmed that they are going to attempt to fly the currently-stranded A320 out of the field near Omsk.
Clearly, they’re going to lighten the aircraft as much as possible and ensure it has minimal fuel load. They’re also awaiting landing gear testing results to ensure it’s at least possible without ripping the struts off of the airframe.
But if you think about it, this is a 50/50 risk scenario. You either succeed spectacularly. Or you fail spectacularly.
Spectacular success means that Ural Airlines, the pilots in command, and even Putin will go down as those who took off from a muddy, Siberian field and, in a way, proved that runways are somewhat optional where aircraft are concerned.
But…
Spectacular failure means that the risk was too high and the struts fail, or other parts of the airframe fail, or family of medium-sized moose saunter casually across the field in front of it while on the takeoff-roll, and all of the flight crew dies in a small fireball in the field.
The risk is expected because Russia has a dwindling number of aircraft and no reliable spare parts to ensure the aircraft remain airworthy.
But somewhere there’s a Russian pilot casually (or drunkenly) saying, “Подержи мою водку.”
My Spidey-sense is telling me that Whisper Aero is the Elizabeth Holmes of aviation.
the rest of me 