Orly: As this summer trip increases, airlines clear the plane based on a pandemic, check them clearly from mushrooms, bugs and bird nests before sending them back to the air.
In Paris this week, the Crane Tractor won the France aircraft that had been parked outside for a year at Orly airport and took it to the Hangar Kavernous where the technicians quickly took out tarpaulin.
Like most airlines, Air France took most of his aircraft outside of service during a pandemic as a restriction of trips strangling traffic to droplets.
As many as 80 percent of his fleets were parked at the peak of the crisis.
Airbus A321 in Orly Hangar will soon have to redeem up to seven flights a day when the summer starts in Europe and tired tourists looking for a break in a bright Mediterranean destination.
Although aircraft based on routine maintenance, getting Airbus is ready to carry more than 200 passengers per flight again is not a quick job.
“There are a large number of systems that are closed and have not operated for a long time and that we have to retest and re-examine,” said Vincent Rigaudie, one of the people responsible for preparing air planes in Orly.
“We need to check the oil level in the hydraulics, we check all the engine systems,” he added.
Then the plane was given a test flight to ensure that all systems operate normally before the plane was given a green light to return to commercial services.
In the size of several soccer fields, the technician team usually works in a 24/7 shift to ensure the French aircraft is suitable for flying.
But the long hibernation of the plane has created such a problem that must be confronted by technicians, Rigaudie explained on the Din of Shrieking Loudspeakers who intend to expel pigeons.
Birds are happy to make their nests on a parked plane, especially on the wings at the Aileron level, and their dirt corrosive.
“They don’t need a lot of space to enter,” Rigaudie said.
Two other potential problems: contamination of fuel tanks by fungi and insects block the air speed sensor.
Tarpers who protect the plane presents their own challenges because moisture can build under them.
A bag that absorbs moisture is placed near the fan bar from Airbus.
“This is to catch moisture that can remain in a motorbike all the time parked,” said Technician Julien Breuzard.
Depending on where a plane is parked, like in hot and moist cities exposed to pollution, more corrosion than normal can be expected.
In Orly, between 200 and 300 hours of work needed to take the airbus A320 model aircraft parked and made it ready to fly again.
It all starts with a visual inspection, including using a micro camera installed on a long flexible tube to enter into an inaccessible area.
Airbus has a computer system that detects function failures.
Drones are used to check high areas.
Then the equipment is tested and repaired or replaced if necessary.
The battery is re-connected and the interior and exterior surface is cleaned before the plane is ready to pick up passengers again.