If you ask maintainers what’s their most unpleasant, even disgusting, job the response is invariably working on lavatory systems. They’d prefer cleaning out the nastiest, fungus-lined fuel tank to wearing the “blue stain of courage.”
"Every experienced international pilot has things on his or her personal checklist that they assiduously take care of, that they are careful about, so every pilot who’s had a problem with the lav will never have it again, every pilot who’s been under-fueled will never be again, and so forth,” observed Gary Tucker, Ball Corp.’s flight department safety officer.
It Was 50 Years Ago Dave Esler does an excellent job describing and analyzing the various jet card options in “Dealing Cards” (October 2014, page 72 ), and the reasons for their emergence as a popular option among turbine aircraft users. But the “jet card” was born much earlier than the 1999 Sentient or 2001 Marquis card — or even the mid-1980s charter broker “reminder card” as recalled by Fred Gevalt.
Handling waste material is unpleasant, but mishandling it can be even worse. You can receive heavy fines from federal, state and local government units for improper discharge and mishaps i nvolving exposure to your technicians. To learn more about waste handling safety in the U.S., go to: www.epa.gov and www.osha.gov
