DfwRevolution From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 599 times:
Quoting Flybynight (Thread starter): I would imagine every plane at UA has a relatively firm date for when they come in for the new livery.
No such luck. Airplanes are being repainted by need, not in any particular order. The new paint is applied as a cost saving measure after the airplane is stripped down to metal for D-checks.
Flybynight From Norway, joined Jul 2003, 897 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 588 times:
Quoting DfwRevolution (Reply 1): The new paint is applied as a cost saving measure after the airplane is stripped down to metal for D-checks.
Yes, I realize that, but UA should know when the D-checks are scheduled since I believe it is based on a combination of age and flying hours. Shouldn't be too hard to have a chart produced.
Along those lines, I wonder what a D-check actually cost?
FriendlySkies From United States, joined Aug 2004, 3588 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 570 times:
Doesn't matter what a D-check costs, UA has no choice. Do them or don't fly the plane.
As for when they are scheduled, the dates are always subject to change, and I doubt UA makes a list of D-checks widely available. So, when you see the plane in the new livery, it was painted.
I'm a ramblin' wreck from georgia tech and a helluva engineer
UAL Bagsmasher From United States, joined Sep 1999, 2075 posts, RR: 14 Reply 4, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 559 times:
As soon as they find the new owners of each plane, I'm sure they'll be sent for paint.
Life of CRJ-200 A&P= PRESENT: NO SDN...ERR CODE: 109...LRU: DOOR...INHIBIT*
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 8409 posts, RR: 19 Reply 5, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 549 times:
The new paint is applied as a cost saving measure after the airplane is stripped down to metal for D-checks.
Incorrect....The planes are stripped and painted at the paint shop, which has NO connection to a heavy check line. Most, if not all come directly off fly a line and head into the paint shop.
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
FriendlySkies From United States, joined Aug 2004, 3588 posts, RR: 7 Reply 6, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 545 times:
EMBQA: You are the only person on this board who seems to feel that way. Do you have any evidence other than word-of-mouth that repaints are in no way connected to D-checks?
I'm a ramblin' wreck from georgia tech and a helluva engineer
Laxintl From United States, joined May 2000, 12127 posts, RR: 22 Reply 7, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 540 times:
Quoting Flybynight (Reply 2): I wonder what a D-check actually cost?
I am aware of an operator having several B747 checks recently. Cost was $3-4 million per aircraft with the amount varying depending on if any additional work was required. (ie terminating AD's, modifications etc..)
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 8409 posts, RR: 19 Reply 9, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 526 times:
First, I'm not some 16 year old wanna be that the thinks he knows commercial aviation because they play MS Flight Sim 2004 and subscribes to 'Airliners'. I've been in the business for nearly as long as you have been alive. Also, for nearly 10 years I've worked around airline paint shops and have NEVER seen an aircraft come in fresh from D-check. Most come right in from a revenue flight. For 6 years when I was working for an airline I was side by side with the guys from United, Continental, Northwest, Midwest Express, Air Wisky just to name a small few....... I have personally walked onboard a UAL 747 headed into paint that still had fresh food in the galleys as it just come in from Hong Kong.. Enough said.
[Edited 2005-05-04 02:42:00]
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
FriendlySkies From United States, joined Aug 2004, 3588 posts, RR: 7 Reply 11, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 505 times:
Quoting EMBQA (Reply 9): First, I'm not some 16 year old wanna be that the thinks he knows commercial aviation because they play MS Flight Sim 2004 and subscribes to 'Airliners'. I've been in the business for nearly as long as you have been alive. Also, for nearly 10 years I've worked around airline paint shops and have NEVER seen an aircraft come in fresh from D-check. Most come right in from a revenue flight. For 6 years when I was working for an airline I was side by side with the guys from United, Continental, Northwest, Midwest Express, Air Wisky just to name a small few....... I have personally walked onboard a UAL 747 headed into paint that still had fresh food in the galleys as it just come in from Hong Kong.. Enough said.
Now see, if you were to say it without the insults and attitude, it might gain you a little respect.
All I wanted was something to back up your statements so I could believe it.
I'm a ramblin' wreck from georgia tech and a helluva engineer
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 8409 posts, RR: 19 Reply 12, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 494 times:
Also, with today's EPA regulations few if any Maintenance shops also strip and paint. The only one I can think of might be BF Goodrich up in Everett, WA....and with today advanced technology's you don't need to strip to inspect. Most all can be done with NDT.
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
OzLAME From Australia, joined Feb 2005, 338 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 380 times:
Quoting Flybynight (Reply 13): What is NDT? A type of chemical? A form of sandblasting?
NDT is Non Destructive Testing and can take many forms. For example there is X-ray testing, Fokker Bond Testing (for composites), Magnetic Particle Inspection, Dye Penetrant Inspection (where a part is sprayed with a fluorescent liquid which is left on for a period and then washed off; if there is a flaw in the metal the dye will stay at that point and fluoresce when lit by an ultraviolet lamp). there are probably more on the list that I don't know about.
Monty Python's Flying Circus has nothing to do with aviation, except perhaps for Management personnel.
NZ1 From New Zealand, joined May 2004, 1805 posts, RR: 32 Reply 15, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 343 times:
Eddy current, Mag particle.
NZ repaint aircraft on condition. It has nothing to do with the check the aircraft is on. We have a 744 in for a D check at the moment, but it isn't being stripped.
NZ1
R.I.P: OJL & her 7 crew - 4:46 pm 27th November 2008 - Perpignan, France.
Potomac From United States, joined Jul 2003, 713 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 327 times:
would it be fair to say that the aircraft are repainted in new livery, not necessarily in conjunction with a D-check, but at the same time they would have been repainted in old livery?
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 8409 posts, RR: 19 Reply 17, posted (4 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 276 times:
would it be fair to say that the aircraft are repainted in new livery, not necessarily in conjunction with a D-check, but at the same time they would have been repainted in old livery?
That's pretty close. When I was working with the guys from UAL their Manager told that once a year they would do a fleet wide servey. Aircraft where graded on a points system and the worst where scheduled for paint that year. If it so happened that a new livery was in effect, it would be applied.
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
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