223. What Do Aircraft Mechanics Wish Pilots Understood?

Doug Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO of Avtopia, joins Dylan and Max to pull back the curtain on aircraft maintenance, AOG headaches, and what mechanics wish pilots understood about keeping airplanes flying. With 35 years of maintenance experience, Doug shares practical insights on writing better squawks, working with maintenance teams, navigating parts shortages, and avoiding the mistakes that make an already stressful AOG even worse. From MELs and elusive "cannot duplicate" discrepancies to Gulfstream maintenance nightmares, the A&P shortage, and AI-powered troubleshooting, the conversation covers plenty of familiar territory for anyone who's ever watched a perfectly good trip unravel at the service center. Join us for an entertaining look at the other side of aviation maintenance, and subscribe to 21.Five for more conversations from the professional pilot world. Show Notes

0:00 Intro & Doug's Background

5:17 Maintenance Tech Disparity

18:00 Tips for Write-ups & Pictures

27:49 Avoiding "Cannot Duplicate…"

35:44 Pilot & Maintenance Experience

39:56 Handling an AOG

56:51 Parts Landscape

1:08:30 Resources for Managers

1:17:01 Technology & AI Impacts

1:24:37 Avtopia & Final Thoughts

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