Unbelievable Offduty Delta mechanic notices my LED lights reversed from the ground

[dmloftus]

Last night I had the most unbelievable and unique exchange on Facebook Messenger. I had just flown home to KLZU from KPNS, where I and two friends had just flown down for the day to watch the Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow. I crossed the KATL Bravo at 4500 feet, where I passed over this gentleman's house. Around 9pm I got the first message.

BEGINNING
Delta: If you own N868US, your plane flew over my house at roughly 19:45 tonight and your red and green nav lights are backwards. Please double check them.

Me: Where do you live, how did you assess that, how did you get my contact information?

Delta: Ok I live in Fayetteville ga
I was looking for a usps package on my porch when I saw the plane
I looked up the plane on flightradar24 to get the N number. I looked up N number on FAA website gave me the company that owned the plane. I look up the llc and your name was the agent. Looked the name up on fb and I saw you flying an airplane and hoped it might be you. I'm a mechanic at Delta airlines.

Me: Wow, that’s some great detective work. Please forgive my questions, we have been victims of identity fraud multiple times so I am cautious with any anonymous contact. You are exactly right. I had LED lights installed last year at my annual and it looks like they put them on backwards. The year before they reinstalled my nose gear wheel backwards. I’m sure as a Delta mechanic you perform at a much higher level than my shop. Incredibly perceptive of you to catch that. BTW, I actually had a Delta pilot on board with me tonight. We were returning from Pensacola where we saw the Blue Angels today. Thanks for reaching out.

Delta: I'm glad I could help. As an aviation enthusiast my whole life and second generation delta mechanic, I'm always looking to the sky. Fly safe.

Me: Thanks. I just texted my Delta pilot friend and told him Delta has some great mechanics.
END

I've been flying with the lights on the wrong sides for over a year! Needless to say, I will be thanking Delta for employing some fantastic A&P's with incredible attention to detail.

[TAILspin38]

WOW! Great experience.

[Steve]

That is amazing - you need to write that up for the “Never Again” section in AOPA Pilot magazine. We were also at the Blues Homecoming airshow. Couldn’t fly down, the airplane is just done the Annual, and I need to have the logs finished up.

[FlyingPenguin]

Incredible story! Thank you for sharing.

Great work Delta!

[Joey]

Great story! I vote for a article to "Never Again" also.

[haykinson]

What an incredible story!

Though, given your profile picture... maybe you were just flying upside down at the time? )

[krellis]

They are the best in the business. For me, 35 years of depending on their quality work. If you could see some of the repairs they do at Delta Tech Ops - you would be amazed.