If the body's going, sounds like you'd make a great inspector!  For that post-retirement career, of course.

Hg

You said some key words in your story. "six sigma" is one of the worst things to ever happen to quality craftsmanship. It may look good on the books, and once in a blue moon have some value, but on the whole it's a license to produce crap. There was a time when one craftsman could spot a flaw missed by another and get it handled between them. That is a definite no no under the six sigma plan. Having any craft check their own work depends on another key factor that is going down hill. That being personal honor and integrity. The idea that the best inspector is the guy who made it, is dependant on that guy having core personal values of honor and integrity. There are a lot of people these days that have forgotten what that is.

Sounds to me like your a consciences person of personal honor and integrity. Which means your going to be in a world of chit in a shop run by the six sigma license to produce crap mentality.

Building aircraft is no different than buildings or bridges, the lives of the people who use them are in your hands.

My two cents worth,
Gerald

To back your claim that quality is on the decline.......think about everytime you have service done on your vehicle, or tile work done in your house, or etc, etc etc. I know that 9 times out of 10, I end up complaining about the qulity and they end up back at my house half a dozen times to fix it right. This is the way it is in every service based company. The almighty dollar takes presidence most times. Fortunately for us welders, either it's done right or it's not. There is no gray area. If it doesn't pass an xray, in most cases it wasn't done right.

I too enjoy the end result of my day - a job well done. A project that will outlast my lifetime......