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Airframe! and Welding...

 

 

Hello all!

 

I am quite glad to announce that I have officially finished General and am hard at work in Airframe. Right now our two classes are Welding, and Electrical systems + troubleshooting. The class has been divided up into Alpha and Bravo teams that switch between electrical and welding every week.

 

Electrical

 

 

One of our projects is to do a 500 hr inspection of an alternator and a generator. This is the Chrysler alternator that is used on many of the small Cessna and Piper airplanes. After I inspected it, I repaired some of the discrepancies, like a bad solder joint, and then ran it up to test it.

 

 

And these are the generators that we took apart. Part of the testing is to use probes that are at 110v wired to a test light (you can see it top right in the picture) and test to make sure no electricity is leaking out of the windings and the commutator (the copper spinning part). A friend Caleb, while he was spinning the armature (the round steel spinning part) accidentally touched the two pieces with his finger and I electrocuted him. His hand was numb most of the day.

 

 

The other test on the generator is called the growler. You place the armature on it then spin it. If it vibrates then there are magnetic leaks and you have to replace the generator, if not then it is good. After we reassembled the generators we ran them up on the test machine.

 

 

The other project that we had was to map and then troubleshoot these system boards. This is the aircraft fuel pump system. Under the lid are a bunch of wires and switches that the instructor flips and creates simulated errors and troubles for us to shoot. These are really fun, like big puzzles.

 

Welding

 

 

This is a meme a classmate made for welding class. (The third year student is holding a welding tip)

 

 

Here I am doing Oxy-Acetylene welding, which is basically like holding a fire breathing dragon in one hand and a tiny stick and the other, then deciding to pat your head and rub your tummy. After a, ahem, LONG, while, it gets to be fun, and you can weld pieces together with it.

 

 

This is a lap joint (not very good though) it holds two stepped plates together.

 

 

Then we jumped ahead to TIG welding, which is a little different. This kind uses a stick of tungsten that you use to zap the metal super hot. So this is like holding a lightning bolt in one hand and a stick of steel in the other, then trying to pat the head and rub the tummy of a rambunctious three year old in the pitch dark.

 

 

It is super challenging, I spent all week 7 hrs a day to get to this set of beads. And I need to make one more plate, so...

 

But altogether it is super interesting. Welding definitely gives your patience a thorough workout, and it is so much more art than science.

 

Rest!

 

 

A missionary family from Jefferson, that have been serving in Papua, Indonesia, Courtney and Beth Zehr, are now working at Moody with student services to organize more community activities. This is from a hike we did to the Rocks of Sharon. This is from the top of the tallest one, so I got some climbing in, a friend says its technically Free solo climbing? I don't know, I just scrambled up a gigantic rock. Oh, and the little blue smudge with a tan dot on top down there is Evan, one of my new house mates. He doesn't climb rocks.

 

 

I was recently blessed by my science class with these!!! They made me paper airplane notes. It made me smile like all day long!

 

 

Another project I finished up was on the metal lathe! After working with my Grandpa on a wood lathe and loving it, this was sooo much fun! I think the lathe is my favorite power tool.

 

 

We recently had a wonderful fall, with these great rainy days. (It lasted just over two weeks) and now it is winter, dark and cold, and we never see the sun... but thanksgiving is near!

 

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I just finished with our Missions Conference, it was great to have the whole school join together in worship and fellowship, it doesn't happen often. It was a really great thing. The worship team did a wonderful job, it was my first time leading worship for a big team for a big crowd (~200 people).

 

Well, I've enjoyed sharing with you what I have been up to, and now it's time for sleep!

 

Jonathan