777-200LR Flight Test Journal: Archives

09 October 2005

The human side of Flight Test

Les Tomminger, Flight Test Manufacturing Maintenance crew chief

I've been involved with Flight Test for 19 years, and I spent the better part of a month this past summer at Edwards Air Force Base in Cal., supporting WD001, the first 777-200LR Worldliner, as it went through part of its Flight Test program.

When we take off for places like this to do testing, it is called a "remote," and I've been asked to tell you a little about the "human" side of a remote operation. Of course, I'll also have to refer to some of the work we do because that's what these remotes are all about. It's not possible to separate the human side from the work side - they are wound tightly together.

Remotes are very efficient. This probably seems strange because the people involved leave behind their regular workspace and go someplace where they don't have easy access to equipment and other resources. When we go on a remote, we have to take everything we need with us - and if we forget anything, we have to wait until it arrives. Unlike Everett or Boeing Field, we can't just pull someone off the next plane if we need more people or someone gets sick. We have to make do with what we have.

So how can that be more efficient? Well, for starters, everyone on the remote is very focused on the job at hand. We leave our families, friends and other distractions behind while we are there. We've all made the commitment to stay until the job is done and that certainly makes it easier to concentrate.

Secondly, and probably just as important, is the fact that we are removed from many of the meetings and other cumbersome aspects of our jobs in the Puget Sound area. And finally, the teams we bring with us are hand-picked and are made up of high-performing people who know how to get along and work in a team environment.

Doing a remote from someplace like Edwards, which really is "remote," also makes the job easier. There is not a lot to do around there and, therefore, there are few distractions. And the traffic is great - because there isn't any. I've been on remotes all over the world - Hawaii, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Taiwan - and, of course, there are a lot of things to do and see in places like those.

When we take off on one of these remotes, we know we won't be home for a while. Some people think that when we clock out on Friday afternoon we all get to climb into a plane and fly home for the weekend, but that isn't the case. First of all, no one clocks out on Friday. We work practically every day we are there. Even when the plane isn't flying, there is plenty for everyone to do.

If a remote lasts more than 30 days, the company makes arrangements for your spouse to join you for a few days. The longest remote I have been on was two years in Hawaii. I was able to take my entire family with me. Parts of it were really nice, but we were happy when it was over.

Now, I don't want to give the wrong impression about Edwards. When we are not working, we are having fun. I don't think you'll find too many people watching "Oprah" in their hotel rooms in the evening. There is a lot of camaraderie during these remotes - there has to be. It's a team, and most everyone likes to work hard and play hard. Of course, the playing has to end pretty early because our work day begins at 3 a.m. - even earlier for some.

So there's what I can tell you about the human side of a remote. It is all about getting the job done and getting along with your co-workers. I sometimes wonder why we have to go someplace else to do that so efficiently.