How do ya tell when someone is having a BAD day?

When you roll into the parking lot at 5:30 in the morning and Second Shift guys are still there.

I knew what had screwed up their evening.

Fuel leaks. One of the most insidious problems an aircraft can have.

Leaks can be damn hard to find and hard to stop.

These are what we call "Wet Wings". The cavities are sealed with gallons of two part sealer instead of having a liner.

Any repairs in the wet areas beg for leaks. Even putting it together wet, meaning you put sealer on the skins and frames and rivets and everything else as you assemble them doesn't guarantee a thing.

This old airplane had both leading edges replaced and that's a lot of area to reseal.

Night shift handed off to Day shift and they handed it back again this evening. Still leaking.

As I was leaving I heard my name called, "HEY! David, come fix these leaks!" I reverted to Spanish and backed out the door at a run!

I'm probably boring you.

Thing is, all day long I watched this thing from one plane over thinking, "Glad that ain't me!" But, I know, my day (or night) is coming. It's just a matter of time.