Remember when we used to climb up to check antennas by hand?

I was talking to a guy I used to work with back in Atlanta, and we got on the topic of antenna checks. We used to actually climb the tail and physically look at the thing, maybe 10 or 15 minutes of work. Now we just pull up the MAT software and run a test from the ground. The whole process takes like 2 minutes. I guess it's safer and faster, but I kind of miss being up there sometimes. Has anyone else had that switch mess with their troubleshooting flow?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles10d ago

Is this just how everything's going now? Like ordering groceries on your phone instead of walking through the store and bumping into people. You lose something small but real, even if the new way is better.

ellis.leo10d ago

Forty years ago I slipped off a Cessna 310 tail and hung there by one arm for what felt like an hour before the guy on the ground got a ladder under me. My knees still ache when the weather changes just thinking about it. Now I can run a diagnostic from a lawn chair with a tablet and a cup of coffee. But you know what, I still catch myself looking up at the antenna like it's going to wave back at me. Progress is great until you realize you traded a good story for a boring button.

anthony_campbell8810d ago

Not sure it's that deep, @ellis.leo. Sounds like you swapped a scary moment for a comfortable chair and a hot cup of coffee. Progress is supposed to be boring. That's the whole point.