DURING A WALK AROUND; A PILOT NOTICES A SMALL PIECE OF ALUMINUM TAPE ON THE SIDE OF AN A320. AFTER REMOVING THE TAPE; HE NOTICED A FASTENER WAS MISSING. MAINTENANCE PUSHING MECHANICS APPEARS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRACTICE.

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ON THE WALKAROUND; I NOTED A SMALL PIECE OF ALUMINUM TAPE ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT. REMOVED THE TAPE TO FIND A FASTENER WAS MISSING. THIS IS HAPPENING QUITE OFTEN. A FASTENER IS MISSING AND IS COVERED BY TAPE. THE MAINT RELEASE HAS NO DOCUMENTATION. BY THE LOOK OF THE TAPE; IT HAD BEEN ON THERE A WHILE. A MAINTENANCE GUY SAID THEY ARE BEING PUSHED TO GET THE PLANES OUT ON TIME SO THEY JUST COVER UP THE MISSING FASTENERS WITH TAPE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE HAS SEEN THE PRACTICE OF SPEED TAPE BEING USED TO COVER MISSING FASTENERS MULTIPLE TIMES; WITHOUT ANY LOGBOOK OR MAINTENANCE DOCUMENTATION. HE HAS BEEN FLYING THE A320 FOR OVER TEN YEARS AND MISSING FASTENERS ARE A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. REPORTER STATED; JUST ABOUT ANY AREA OF THE AIRBUS AIRCRAFT COULD HAVE A SCREW OR RIVET MISSING; MANY OF THEM CONSIDERED CRITICAL. HE BELIEVES THE CONTINUING PUSH ON MECHANICS TO GET THE AIRPLANES OUT ON TIME; HAS DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SPEED TAPE PRACTICE.