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PSA: A lead inspector told me my safety wire was 'too pretty' and it actually made me a better mechanic
About 2 years ago at a regional airline hangar in Boise, I had an FAA lead inspector walk by as I was safety-wiring a landing gear bolt. He stopped and said 'that looks like jewelry, but it won't hold if the bolt backs off a quarter turn.' He showed me how to leave just a tiny bit of slack so the wire actually twists under tension instead of snapping. I had been pulling it drum-tight for 6 years before that. Anyone else get told their work was too clean or too tight and had to re-learn a basic task?
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piper_green1mo ago
That FAA lead gave you solid advice, but it makes me wonder how many other "perfect" practices we learn early on are actually wrong. Did he mention any other common mistakes he sees from experienced mechanics? I'm curious if the pretty wire trap is just one of several.
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jesse841mo ago
Oh man, @piper_green you had to open THAT can of worms! I bet half the stuff we call "quality work" is just pretty wrapping on a time bomb. Probably the same guy who taught me to torque bolts by feel is rolling in his grave right now.
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