Whats Your Age & Whats Your Occupation

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BLM

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OK I'll start. I'm 68, so I've been washing cars a long time. Yes i started with the double D method. That being the Dish towel and Dawn. I retired in April 2023 which is why I have so much more detailing time.
I actually had two careers. I was a flooring contractor ( ceramic tile, hardwood, carpet) from my late teens till about my early 40s. I spent the last 22 years as an Aircraft Mechanic for an airline. Have always been interested in mechanics and building trades. Also a self proclaimed car nut and always have been. Started with minibikes then motorcycles before old enough to drive.
Got my drivers license on my 16th birthday. Two months later I had my first car. It was a 1965 Chevrolet Impala, Super Sport, Convertible. I've had a lot of nice vehicles over the years.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
How did you go from being a flooring contractor to an A&P Mechanic?
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Well along the way and still doing the flooring I went to a technical school and acquired my FAA Airframe & Powerplant licenses. At one point the Airlines were doing a lot of hiring so I made the switch.
Working for the airline was interesting. I have been all over ( east of the Mississippi ) fixing broken airplanes. Even went to Canada a few times.
I recall being in Ottowa in January fixing a broken plane. Was staying downtown in a hotel. They have a canal that flows to or from one of the great lakes. In the evening there were thousands of people ice skating on the groomed ice of the canal. Folks from 8 to 80. They had food vendors on the ice. It was an impressive sight.
 
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That's kind of the reverse of usual, you must have been the oldest guy at the A&P school.
 
Rideau Canal. It's a big thing for winters here.
You were working on a plane at a hanger at the airport correct? Surprised they put you up downtown, closer hotels to the airport. Oh well, you got to experience Winterlude. Did you head down to take a skate? Or grab a beavertail?
 
Well i was in my 30s with plenty of working years remaining. There were several guys my age and even older. At the time there were many closures in the Steel industry so guys who had worked in the Steel business were being retrained.
I acquired my licenses in my 30s but didn't work in the industry till my 40s.
 
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Silly Rabbit said:
Rideau Canal. It's a big thing for winters here.
You were working on a plane at a hanger at the airport correct? Surprised they put you up downtown, closer hotels to the airport. Oh well, you got to experience Winterlude. Did you head down to take a skate? Or grab a beavertail?
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Well part of the time the aircraft was in a hangar the rest was out on the ramp. I did not partake in the skating. Just observed.

Come on guys. Don't be shy. Let's hear your tales.
 
Age: 69

Occupation: Professional curmudgeon

Former Occupations: How much time do you have?

What do I want to be when I grow up: If I ever grow up I will let you know
 
Setec Astronomy said:
-what aircraft?
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Well I worked for a division of American Airlines. I started on Dornier 328 Turbo Props. Those were replaced with Bombardier 200s, 700s and 900s. Along the way we occasionally worked on other Airlines aircraft if they broke at your station and they had no maintenance presence there. Over the 22 years I worked at Pittsburgh intl, Charlotte Intl and Canton OH.

So are you an A&P as well or a Pilot?
 
No, Professional Curmudgeon like Chilly. I mean, I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you...no, that's not right. Jack of all trades, master of some? Maybe master of none, depends what day it is. Chief cook and bottle washer?

Oh, you were in the commuter division, what was that, American Express? Oh wait, that's a credit card. Funny how later the big carriers swallowed up all those commuter airlines. Deregulation, but I guess you got in way after that.
 
I actually worked for PSA Airlines. They operated in the 70s and 80s up and down the west coast. They were bought by US Airways who was our original parent company. US Airways bought American Airlines some years ago and they merged the two into American Airlines.
I actually made the switch to US Airways mainline and agreed to take a position at Philadelphia Intl. That agreement was made on September 10th 2001. So they revoked their offer a week or so later.
I was actually fortunate to work at a regional. At the majors an A&P usually gets Pigeon holed into one area or another. Either the interior shop or the engine shop or on overhaul. At the regional an A&P works on all areas of the aircraft which is what i preferred. One exxperiences all the systems.

But enough about me. Anyone else here had a job or birthday???
 
BLM said:
But enough about me. Anyone else here had a job or birthday???
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First ‘real’ job was a car wash when I was 14; was there off and on until I got outta college.

Went to work for a legal publisher once out of college, stayed there nearly 25 years doing tech support/internal software development until they offshored our satellite location in 2010.

Weaseled my way into a swimming pool service company for the next 10 years, pool tech/crew management/technology & warehouse mgmt.

Left there in 2021 to work for a detail company where I’m still at today.

At 62, like many I’d guess, still wondering if I’ll ever grow up as I figure my mental age is about 12.

Never really worked in a ‘bad’ place, have been lucky enough to work with & for some amazing people everywhere I went.


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I did warehouse and delivery jobs during the holidays the last 2 years I was at school, so I sort of fell into logistics when I left school, although I was interested in the military, but I couldn't fit their height to weight ratios for general enlistment, apparently they like them skinny.

At 18 I didn't get my first full time job, they gave it to the other guy, but a week later he broke his leg. So they called me to cover for him while it healed, but he never came back. I ended up being there 32 years, and ran the warehouse for the last 20. When I started there they were Remington, as in typewriters, not rifles or shavers. They were bought out by Pitney Bowes and we ended up doing all kinds of office machinery. I left there in 2020 because we moved 2 hours north, in the last year they've had a bunch of redundancies and now the warehouse is closed, they went with third party logistics.

I have had a job since we moved up here, I lasted 14 months there, it was just going to be pick/pack role, but the GM realised my experience and asked me to help make them better and more efficient, which was good, until he left because the owners kept blocking any improvements that cost actual money, but would spend money on stupid things elsewhere. Business was slowing down anyway, so I left too.

And now, at 54, you could say I'm a self employed dog walker, with only 2 customers, and they don't pay me in money. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do next, but I'm not in a rush.
 
67 years old going to be 68 next month a mechanic for 55 years started when i was 10years old at local gas station worked ever since that age till retirement in 2022 after my dad passed to care for my mother
 
Every year i creep closer to cresting that hill that so many of yinz have already fallen down over.

I play in an adult sandbox everyday....although this sandbox is more stressful than i remember it being as a kid.

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Chilly........you must have a good wheel cleaner you recommend, seeing how you were around when it was invented.... (y) :ROFLMAO:
 
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