Azriel Blackman, an airline mechanic for American Airlines, is not allowed to climb ladders, drive on t.hr airfield at Kennedy International Airport or even use any tools. That's understandable — Mr. Blackman turns 92 next month. But those limitations have not stopped him from showing up to work at a job he started in an era when trans-Atlantic commercial flights were novel achievements. "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 is something 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. long before sunrise and well before his 5 a.m. start time. His job as crew chief is to review paperwork detailing what maintenance has been completed and what remains to be done on 17 jetliners that are kept overnight at the airport. Then, wearing a lime-green vest and holding a document containing a list of planes and service requests, he starts his walk through a massive hangar, often passing below an enormous mural on the wall featuring his portrait surrounded by four types of aircraft flown by American Airlines. Lunch is at 10 a.m., followed by more walking and more consulting until it is time to go home at 1 p.m. "Every day the job is different," Mr. Blackman said. "You're not doing the same thing repetitively, and that's good. If, in my journey around the hangar, I see something I can help on, 1 do that." "I'd like to do more if 1 was allowed to, but that's a thing of the past "Mr. Blackman said. "At this point in the game 1 don't think it would be good to go back to doing manual work. 1 don't think capable of Nevertheless, Mr. Blackman said he did not have any plans to reture.