Heard a boss say 'just use speed tape' for everything and it bugged me
I was working in a hangar in Dallas last month and overheard a lead tell a new guy to just slap speed tape on a loose fairing. Said it would hold fine for six months. I got it, it's quick, but that stuff peels off fast on hot tarmac and leaves a mess. Has anyone else had a job where speed tape caused more problems than it fixed?
That bit about speed tape leaving a mess is spot on. I remember reading somewhere that some airlines actually banned the stuff on certain parts because the residue was worse than the original problem.
Wait wait wait, they actually banned speed tape on some parts? That's wild to me. I always thought speed tape was like the duct tape of aviation, you just slap it on and it works. But if airlines are banning it then the residue must be a real nightmare, like leaving a sticky film that attracts dirt and makes it harder to fix later. I guess if the tape gunk gets into sensors or seals it could cause bigger problems than a loose panel. That's honestly shocking, I never knew it could be that bad.