planes on the ground: this is how it is stored

When planes are grounded for whatever reason, así is the process of preservationón and storage that must be met for keep it in óoptimal conditions. Photo author unknown.

Post written by: Capturesán Rodolfo Estrella
FAA Commercial Pilot
Twitter: @rodo_estrella

Now that after the global crisis of COVID-19 the largest aircraft fleetsíaerosolílines of the world areán detained on land, thousands of planes parked waiting for the solutionón of this serious health problem to be able to fly again and recover the losses.

Nevertheless, for the aerosolsíairlines and aircraft operators in general is not so fáhow to close your doors and return when everything is over, aircraft even if it is notén in service they must be maintained and suitable for their storage process until returning to service, that's what we'll talk about today.

Since everything in aviationón hold one isáSeparated, manufacturers issue their recommendations for the storage of aircraft that are notén providing service. They usually divide it into:

• parking
• docking
• Storage
• return to service

The manufacturer Airbus for instance, divides its recommendations depending on type and durationóstorage no.:  up to a month, more than a month, from up to one toño o superior a a añor and whether the conditioning of the aircraft will beá if this isá stored in flight conditions or not.

The priority beá always safety and integrity fíphysical condition of the aircraft minimizing the possibility of damageñby external agents on land.

If possible, the aircraft should be parked with the nose against the direction.ón from the wind if it is outdoors and its main landing gear secured with double shoes, atrás and in front of each wheel:

For berthing, some aircraft have fixed attachments on the wings or tail where the aircraft can be anchored with ropes or chains to fixed points on the ground, to avoid sudden movements of the aircraft in the event of external conditions of strong winds., You usually see this on small aircraftñfrom a helixópteros.

Control surfaces sometimes have fixed latches that engage at their lower parts.óvile to avoid equally sudden movements caused by the wind:

The flight controls tooén in many cases they are usually secured with locks in the cabin to prevent their movement:

Likewise, on the outside, air intakes are covered engines, tomas isátics and pitot tubes that are usuallyán exposed to the open air but must be protected from dirt, extra itemsños  y de manipulationón inappropriate:

In this way, if the aircraft is stored outdoors, it isá protected from the elements, and its parts más delicate in the same way it isán protected from external agents.

If the storage is going to be for a very long period of time, Engines are likely to be disassembled and stored separately in controlled environments afterés of a draining processíliquids and thenés of subjecting them to a protection processón with resins and protective waxes. There are other cases where aerosolsíairlines use planes with leased engines and the engines are returned to the owners.

Spaghettién see procedureá to protect  and indefinitely secure some parts of the aircraftón, skin is usedíSpecial heat-repelling films for windshields and windows, should beán disable systemséelectric, hydrateáulicos, cover and protect pneumáattics and all openings that the aircraft has, así as wellén the fuel tanks are drained and refilled with a preservative oil.

Aun así In this state of permanent storage, it is sometimes necessary to open the doors to recirculate air and tow from time to time.  the aircraft for a short distance to avoid settling in only one part of the tiresáticos.

For its commissioning again, some manufacturers suggest an inspectionón of 50 hours, where it is reviewed  the general condition of the aircraftón, revisionón of operation or malfunction of switches, to knockías, flight controls, avi systemsónica, which are tested for correct operation and alsoás in this inspectionón minor defects are corrected for return to service.

as we saw before, The parts that are protected are covered with colorful red elements marked with the phrase “Remove before flight”.

These elements are usually alsoás of colorful, quite bulky and flap loudly in the wind, all to thus alert operators that a part of the aircraft isá with its protective elementón and that said protectionón must be removed before each flight, Let us remember that in the past accidents have occurred where vital parts that were protected and these safeguards were not removed produced the catastrophe.ástanza.

Since a commercial aircraft is essentially a mámachine to make money, if it should be stored, the main objective is to do it in such a way that when it is required again for the service, This can be enabled in the shortest possible time, of the form más económica and that it operates again in optimal conditions.