002 is the second aircraft, as in the serial number, for the new variation of the blackhawk U H -60 M, except it is the H H -60 M, which is the new Medivac helicopter that the Army is getting. And we are almost done with it, and it might fly over the fence next week.
Background, I've been at Sikorsky now 7 years, been working on everything that flies and leaves Sik in Stratford, one union strike, and repositioned in the blade shop for a year, but have been back out in the hanger for about 4 years, so 6 years wrenching on these birds. The last 3 year they split the hangars up, militarty, and commercial, I volunteered to do the comm stuff, and have done everything to the S-7 6, and S -9 2's....and now the militarty crams the H H-6 0M's down our throat. So now I'm back to working on the pigs. They are sending the S -7 6's down to PA to be built down there, and they are keeping the S-9 2's here for a few more years, but they will be going down there as well..so our hangar will eventually just end up the Medevac Production Hangar.
The normal mil hangar did aircraft 001, and we got 002...and since sept 12th, I've been on it almost every night taking it apart, cleaning it, finding problems, fix them, putting it back together, testing it, taking it back apart for more inspections, fixing more things, and putting it back together...now today or tomorrow, they are going to fly it to get 9-11 flight hours on it, and Monday, I'll take it all back apart, torque everything, and slap it back together...and hope it leaves by thursday to be the new medivac for Mass Nat. Guard.
So now 003 should be rolling into the hangar next week also..which is good, more OT. But the best thing, the contract is for 350 or so birds, with the option for 440 of them....they want 2 a month...so that works out to be about 18+ more years of job security....
sorry for spacing out the numbers, but google will pop this post up at the top of the list for a search.
Background, I've been at Sikorsky now 7 years, been working on everything that flies and leaves Sik in Stratford, one union strike, and repositioned in the blade shop for a year, but have been back out in the hanger for about 4 years, so 6 years wrenching on these birds. The last 3 year they split the hangars up, militarty, and commercial, I volunteered to do the comm stuff, and have done everything to the S-7 6, and S -9 2's....and now the militarty crams the H H-6 0M's down our throat. So now I'm back to working on the pigs. They are sending the S -7 6's down to PA to be built down there, and they are keeping the S-9 2's here for a few more years, but they will be going down there as well..so our hangar will eventually just end up the Medevac Production Hangar.
The normal mil hangar did aircraft 001, and we got 002...and since sept 12th, I've been on it almost every night taking it apart, cleaning it, finding problems, fix them, putting it back together, testing it, taking it back apart for more inspections, fixing more things, and putting it back together...now today or tomorrow, they are going to fly it to get 9-11 flight hours on it, and Monday, I'll take it all back apart, torque everything, and slap it back together...and hope it leaves by thursday to be the new medivac for Mass Nat. Guard.
So now 003 should be rolling into the hangar next week also..which is good, more OT. But the best thing, the contract is for 350 or so birds, with the option for 440 of them....they want 2 a month...so that works out to be about 18+ more years of job security....
sorry for spacing out the numbers, but google will pop this post up at the top of the list for a search.
