Scenario 1: A company reached out to me with a question. I thought it was an odd question coming from them. Did the parts they receive require an 8130-3? This was for some hardware, and we first established that the part numbers did not fit the definition of Standard Parts. So, under the circumstances presented and the requirements in their own manual the answer was yes. They then showed me the documentation received with the parts which they had already received and placed into working shop sto...

A noticeable trend which should give all of us pause for circumspection is that of training vs competency. The noticeable trend is that on paper, employees have the documented training, but in practice the corresponding skills are noticeably lacking. Overall, the issue of training in our challenged and evolving environment is well known. For background on this, read this prior article titled “Critical Need for Training Including Executives”: https://www.aviationsuppliers.org/critical-need-for-tr...

As an auditor of Quality Systems and a consultant, I find myself in a unique position to observe the evolving conditions of many companies both domestically and globally. A conspicuous phenomenon is that the status quo or stability in Quality Systems which existed before the covid period have been profoundly upset in the post covid era. Generally, factors which have influenced instability in Quality Systems during and since covid include: Many companies had to go into survival mode to stay in bu...

POV: Forever that acronym will be etched in my memory as Privately Owned Vehicle of government expense report fame, but today it has gained social media popularity as Point of View. Today I’ll stick to the latter. Depending on your POV, Artificial Intelligence, herein AI, is either a panacea fueling aerospace growth, or is a harbinger of the apocalypse. I’ll stick to the former. As many of you know if you have been following my posts for any length of time, I fancy myself an unofficial historian...

INTRODUCTION: As I was researching and writing this article the morning headlines read “Thousands Flee as Wildfires Burn Out of Control Around Los Angeles.” Honestly, I was in wonder at this coincidence, but here we go. I had the pleasure of being engaged in working on a project to certify aircraft on behalf of a US State who contracts with Aerial Firefighting companies. In the process I learned a lot about the distinctive aspects of these aviation operations, and since I know a few of ASA’s con...