"He loves coming to work," said Robert Needham, Mr. Blackman's boss and the station manager for the airline's New York maintenance base. "His work ethic I'd love every one of my 368 mechanics here to have." Five days a week, Mr. Blackman drives himself from his home in Queens Village to the airport . sunrise and well before his 5 a.m. start time. His job as crew chief is to review paperwork detailing has been completed and what remains to be done on 17 jetliners that are kept overnight at the airport.