Fungus, bugs and bird nests Find Home in Grounded Aircrafts !
Bringing back aircrafts to serviceable condition is always a challenge, specifically when its been through a long term storage ! Vaccination drive and summer holidays have increased the demand of travel this year compared to last .
To match up to such demand, specifically in Europe and the North America , airlines are clearing the covers off the aircrafts that were grounded during the pandemic, and in the process they are meeting some unwanted guests and agents like fungus, bugs and bird nests , those needs to be cleaned before certifying the planes as flight worthy or Airworthy.
An AFP report says, an Air France aircraft that had been parked outside for a year at Orly Airport was towed to a hangar where technicians uncovered the aircraft to discover some unwanted agents apart from regular expectations.
Apart from Multiple operational checks of aircraft systems, airlines must go through additional inspections to remove corrosion , deposits and build ups mostly due to enviromental factors.
Like all other carriers, Air France had to ground most of its aircrafts during the pandemic as travel restrictions battered the air travel.
Not only Air France , Most of the carriers had grounded as much as 80 to 100 percent of their fleet during the peak months of year 2020.
The Airbus A321 at the Orly hangar will soon have to make up to seven flights a day as the summer season kicks off in Europe and Covid-weary travellers seek respite in sunny Mediterranean destinations.
Although planes that were grounded received regular maintenance, getting the Airbus ready to carry more than 200 passengers per flight again is not a quick job.
"There are a whole bunch of systems that were shut down and haven't been in operation for a long time and that we have to retest and recheck," said Vincent Rigaudie, one of people responsible for preparing Air France aircraft for flight at Orly."We need to check oil levels in the hydraulics, we check all of the engine systems," he added.
Then aircraft are given a 'performance test flight' to ensure all systems are operating normally before a plane is given the green light to return to commercial service.
In the hangar the size of several football pitches, teams of technicians normally work in shifts 24/7 to ensure Air France aircraft are fit to fly, whenever needed.
But the long term storage of aircrafts have created its own sort of problems that technicians must confront, Rigaudie explained above the din of shrieking loudspeakers meant to drive away pigeons.
The birds love to make their nests on parked planes, particularly on the wings at the level of the ailerons, and their droppings are corrosive.
Some airlines like Qantas have even encountered rattle snakes , while bringing their aircrafts back to service.
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"They don't need much room to get inside," Rigaudie said.
Two other potential problems: the contamination of fuel tanks by fungus and insects blocking air speed sensors.
The tarp covers protecting the plane present their own challenge as humidity can build up under them.
There are specific Bags that absorb moisture were placed near the fan blades of the Airbus.
"These are to capture moisture that can stay inside the motor (engine) for the entire time it is parked," said technician Julien Breuzard.
Depending on where a plane is parked, such as in a hot and humid city exposed to pollution, more corrosion than normal can be expected.
At Orly, between 200 and 300 hours of work is needed to take a parked Airbus A320 family model aircraft and make it ready to fly again.
It all starts with a visual inspection, including using a micro-camera mounted on a long flexible tube to get into inaccessible areas. Then it comes to the systems, where Airbus has a dedicated computer that detects malfunctions, while in communication with computers of Sub-system.
A drone is used to check out areas high up and crown areas, based on findings , then equipment / aircraft part is tested and repaired or replaced if necessary.
Deep cabin cleaning, fumigation are among other maintenance activities to bring back normalcy prior flights.
Batteries are reconnected and interior and exterior surfaces cleaned before the plane is ready to take passengers again.
