richard_shah•1mo agoProlific Poster

Hit 10,000 hours on a single Falcon 40 landing gear assembly and I'm split on whether that means I'm skilled or just stubborn

I've been working on the same gear setup since 2018 and just realized I've logged over 10k hours on those components alone. On one hand I know every crack and shim like the back of my hand, on the other hand maybe I should've moved around to learn more systems. What do you guys think - is deep focus on one assembly better than jumping between different airframes?

3 comments

3 Comments

karent751mo ago

Yeah fixin that same gear for years makes you the expert everyone needs, right @faith_thomas?

wilson.emma1mo ago

My dad's been running the same bakery for thirty years, and when his old mixer acts up he can tell you exactly what's wrong just by the sound it makes. That kind of deep knowledge doesn't come from jumping around to different jobs every two years. It's like the mechanic who's rebuilt the same engine model a thousand times versus the one who's done a little of everything but never really mastered any of it. The specialist might not have the widest resume but they've got this quiet confidence that comes from solving the same problems over and over until they become second nature. I see it in plumbers and electricians too, the ones who've stuck with one type of work for decades and can spot trouble before it even starts. Total commitment to one thing builds a kind of expertise that generalists just can't match.

faith_thomas1mo ago

Deep focus is underrated tbh. Being the person who can instantly diagnose a weird shim issue or spot a hairline crack before it becomes a problem saves a ton of time and stress for the whole team. 10k hours on one assembly means you're not just skilled, you're probably the go-to person when something goes sideways. Just keep a log of the weird stuff you find so you can pass that knowledge on later. Moving around is good for career growth but being the expert on a critical system is solid too.