Aircraft Maintenance 101 for Autistics

or

Rebuild an Airplane With an Aspie!

 

This is a slight diversion for Arctic Artique. I have been trying focus on art and wood projects from both myself and my wife Kitty Wolf. I have recently received the opportunity to take an old Cessna 182 apart, inspect it, repair it, and then put it back together with new paint and interior. As I have been a professional helicopter mechanic for 30 years, this ordinarily would not be that big of a deal for me. I lost my career however, in 2013 and this is the first opportunity for me to work since then. Yep, it's been a rough couple of years. Enough of that.

I had previously removed several components before these pictures were taken. I've been on this about three days now. This is going to be a long term project that will take about six months or so I have been told. If I am allowed to work on this project every day, I believe I can do it in probably four months. I'm not bragging or over estimating, I just happen to have a lot of experience working with big maintenance projects. This post is the first of what I hope will be many installments of this project. I would love to show you just what it takes to complete a large project like this.

Why did I title this post as such? Simple. I live right smack dab in the middle of the spectrum. I am a high functioning autistic, otherwise known as Asperger Syndrome. I also have Tourette Syndrome, and all of the related problems and quirks that go along with the spectrum. I want to do this with the hope that maybe someone somewhere will realize that he or she can do anything they want if they work for it, even if 'handicapped.' I like to call it handi-capable.

Join me. I will post pictures of the progress and hopefully at some point be able to add some video. I'll add bits a pieces of me to the story and see just how many of you can relate. Along with this project, I will still be showing other Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse projects in the works and as they are completed. Currently, I am in the middle of building a blanket chest from reclaimed rough cut Alaska Spruce. Sorry, no pictures of that one yet.

Stay with me, follow this story, and most of all...Enjoy!