Delta777-XXX From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1017 posts, RR: 8 Posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2893 times:
Boeing757fan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2656 times:
I dont know, but, judging by the date and type and airline, I can almost bet they didnt want to wash it because they new it wasnt going to be around much longer... Its like washing your car when its going to rain in the next couple hours... you know.
RonE From Israel, joined Jan 2001, 326 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2611 times:
Seeing as he plane was delivered in '79, so the maximum time that passed since it was last washed was 22 years. So, in my estimation anywhere between 5 and 21 years ago was the last time it was cleaned.
Flying_higher From France, joined Jun 1999, 77 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2592 times:
Concerning the frequency of washes : well that depends I think of the amount of air pollution existing near the airline's hubs!
I noticed that in Europe the small Crossair (CRX) planes (S2000, ERJ145) are all white and are quite never dirty, they are based in a smaller town and surely washen more often than the bigger SR or AF planes!
Lindy field From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 3072 posts, RR: 15 Reply 6, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2569 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
Here's another to examine. Also dirty because the operator plans to repaint?
H. Simpson From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 949 posts, RR: 3 Reply 7, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2556 times:
it might get this dirty after 30 seconds of delivery...:D
ABQ757 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 293 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 2517 times:
All I know is that Frontier never washes thier 732's or as I have been to know to call them, "Dirty Birds".
777boy From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 287 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 2489 times:
Isn't most of this "dirt" really smoke? I remember that the L10s really smoked up on startup. And, when the winds were right, the smoke would blow right past the cabin windows and I would guess to the top of the plane. If it were smoke, not just dirt, this would explain why the dirt would not wash off after the plane was in a rainstorm. Also, we notice that the older planes, with engines that smoke more, tend to be dirtier. Coincidence? Maybe just age collects more dirt, but I think it has something to do with smoke also. Plus, how would dirt get to the top of a plane?
As for how they clean planes, try to find that picture with the hangar filled with soap suds.
JmhLUV2fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 559 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 2397 times:
One question I would ask is why do airlines allow there airplanes to get really dirty in the first place.
Dirt adds a considerable amount of extra weight to an airplane, thus more fuel is used and in the end becomes a greater expence to the airline.
I understand a plane on the ground is a plane not earning money, however, I would think a clean airplane should be top priority, not only so that the plane can look nice and clean but also so that the airplane can perform its best.
JMH
242 From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 498 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 2319 times:
It's not dirt. The paint has degraded from too many years in the sun. You could scrub 728 till your arm fell off and it wouldn't be any cleaner or whiter.
DatamanA340 From South Korea, joined Dec 2000, 547 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2245 times:
How do they wash them?
With usual detergent and water, of course. One of Korean TV program showed a singer does one-day-employee of KE so washes KE planes.
By the way, even though it's june in the picture so nothing to do with it, snow is the greatest cause to planes get dirty, and many more suspectives.
HLZ Man From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2237 times:
I remember reading an article about JAL and their maintainance department and it showed the device which they developed. It is basically a cherry-picker that has brushes on the end platform. It was designed to clean above the wing. Below this manpower and extendable brushes did the job. I then read about a structure that was like a moveable container crane.
The a/c was parked, and the structure moved down the length of the a/c cleaning in the process. As a result I think they have the cleanest fleet.
Note: I read this info. about 6yrs ago, So things may have changed.
Tu154m From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 667 posts, RR: 6 Reply 20, posted (11 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2214 times:
Here is the scoop from working midnights in ATL for DL. Our layover planes(ones remaining at the airport overnight) of course cannot all be washed every night! A company called SkyClean comes to certain ones and washes and waxes them...I don't know how they determine which ones. As for the mildew like effect on the 1011 in the pic, I have heard that about 10yrs ago the EPA tightened its grip on paint emissions and additives. I heard that this reduced the adhesion characteristics which produced the mildew like appearance you see. Some of our MD-88s and 767s had the same appearance. Of course it also depends on the last paint visit, which are scheduled like a regular maint. visit. White also looks the worst after a few years of having dirty jetways against them the planes develop grey boxes around the doors. AA had the right idea! Hope this helps!
Steve
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