A guy at the air show in Oshkosh told me something about old rivets I still think about

I was looking at a restored P-51 last summer, and an older mechanic was there just watching people look at it. I pointed out a line of rivets that looked a bit off to me, maybe a repair. He shook his head and said, 'Nope, that's factory. Back then, they knew a tight ship wasn't about every rivet being perfect, it was about every rivet doing its job.' It was a simple thing, but it changed how I look at my own work on modern jets. Do you ever find yourself focusing too much on perfect looks over solid function?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylerj221mo ago

That's a great story. Does that idea of "good enough" function ever actually clash with modern safety rules on your jets? Seems like a tough line to walk.

webb.daniel1mo agoMost Upvoted

My own car's a rolling "good enough" example.

dixon.iris1mo ago

It absolutely does clash sometimes. The rule book is the rule book for a reason, and I follow it to the letter. But that old guy's point sticks with me when I'm doing final checks. My job is to make sure the plane flies safe, not to buff out every tiny scratch. Getting hung up on cosmetic stuff can waste time better spent on real problems.