QANTAS747-438 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 1800 posts, RR: 2 Posted (9 years 8 months 13 hours ago) and read 3325 times:
I tried a search on this but didn't find what I wanted. I'm very curious about Mojave and Victorville storage facilities. What is the point of a place like this?
Also, I'm curious as to if an airline later chooses to fly this plane... what kind of condition could it be in sitting in the roasting sun of the desert 24/7? Wouldn't the cabin be musty inside and have bird droppings on it, and creatures crawling all over it?! And what about the equipment and fuel lines and all that?
According to the photos, it looks like they just threw the planes there with no care. It's not even an asphalt taxiway!
Any help in helping me understand this would be appreciated! Thanks!
B747skipper From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (9 years 8 months 11 hours ago) and read 3293 times:
Desert storage, is better than storage in any other (humid) areas. The planes are stored, and if they are meant to be flown again, they are stored with ample protection (engine covers), and avionics well protected... old tires are often fitted which are not reused for future flying of that aircraft.
xxx
I have taken airplanes out of Mojave or Victorville, that were stored for over 2 years, or sometimes more... sure, there are some mechanical problems, but they are properly inspected before flying again.
xxx
The other point is that storage at these airports is inexpensive, I cannot remember the numbers, but less than $1,000 per airplane per month. There are other locations as well, Kingman, and near Phoenix, in Arizona...
xxx
Happy contrails
(s) Skipper
COspn From Northern Mariana Islands, joined Oct 2001, 1473 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (9 years 8 months 8 hours ago) and read 3263 times:
see www.cactuswings.com for aircraft in the desert..the ground is hard and can support the aircraftt and it almost never rains so it is the best place to store them to refly or to preserve the "parts" for later..
IMissPiedmont From United States of America, joined May 2001, 6201 posts, RR: 43 Reply 3, posted (9 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 3160 times:
here are several levels of storage here in the desert.
The cheapest is land and park where nothing is done, the airplane will be scrapped.
The most expensive is when the airplane has all possible openings covered including windows. Every 90 days the aircraft is moved a bit so the tires rotate 90 degrees and the hydraulic system is tested. An inspector checks all the seals and any getting questionable are replaced. One particular AAirline, which I will not name, goes so far as to replace all tires and brakes on any aircraft being returned to service, no matter how long in storage.
And, in all my years at MZJ, I have yet to see an aircraft fitted with old tires for storage. Of course it's only been 20 years so I might have missed one or two. Tires are cheap to keep, hubs and brakes are not.
What is it with all the "is there a possibilty airline X will.." threads? The answer it'll is possible.
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From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 1800 posts, 
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