Ask an Aircraft Mechanic anything

155 Questions

Last Answer on July 09, 2022

Okay. Then why don’t they fly anymore

Asked by Mikey over 5 years ago

Look. I’m not going to get into an argument with you. You could very easily educate yourself about the aircraft type if you wish.

They don’t use DC-10s for passenger use much anymore for the same reason you don’t see 747-100’s and -200’s out there flying passengers much.

Economics.

Newer aircraft can fly the same amount of people for less money in operating and maintenance costs. That’s all aviation is really. It’s a money game.

Why don’t they fly 707s or DC-8s anymore in passenger mode? Money.

Why are they parking so many of the much newer A380 aircraft? Money.

If you ever see an older aircraft out there flying revenue flights; it’s because someone figured out a niche market where it makes financial sense to do it. Like Buffalo Air and their DC-3s.

638 Votes

What precautions are being taken on airplanes for the COVID-19?

Asked by Merl Haggard Fan over 5 years ago

Same sort of things that are being done for restaurants and other public spaces.

Lots of cleaning. Health checks for everyone coming in. And extra space for people (when possible)

638 Votes

So you wanna be an Aircraft Mechanic?

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How often do people try to sneak a smoke on a plane? Do flight crew ever try and do this? What about Air Marshals like that movie where he duct tapes the alarm and smokes in the bathrooms.

Asked by Mike over 5 years ago

I don’t really know about what they do on passenger flights. I know on the cargo flights, we used to step back into the cargo bay for a smoke. But that was a long time ago.

Got any actual career related questions for me? Anyone?

637 Votes

Why did they stop flying the Concord?

Asked by Bill over 5 years ago

I love that you asked a question. But questions like that, I would just have to google, and read articles to try and find you an answer.

So let’s skip the middle man, and have you do that.

Cheers

628 Votes

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Oh also are you ever going to answer or delete that question at the very bottom?

Asked by adf over 5 years ago

That was part of a 6 part question that someone asked about plugged up pitot static tubes. I put my answer to them on the 6th part of the question. I deleted parts 1 through 4 already, and must have missed the part 5.

Thank you for your concern. I will delete it now.

627 Votes

Is there radios on planes? Like to listen to music or talk shows?

Asked by Carla over 5 years ago

No idea. Google is your friend.

622 Votes

What went wrong with the 737 planes that where dropping like flies?

Asked by Johnson over 5 years ago

If you are referring to the 737 Max aircraft, I think better experts than me have written extensively about the issue.

A quick synopsis, I suppose, would be that Boeing wanted to upgrade the 737 series to a certain level of performance and efficiency, which required re-engining the aircraft, among other things.

Then several “needs” of the program started colliding.

In order to make the new model more appealing to airlines, Boeing promised that no new flight training would be needed for the crews.

Then the new engine just wouldn’t fit in the same profile space as the old engine. So the pylon has to be redesigned. Which put the engine a little forward and higher than the old one. This changed the c/g of the aircraft slightly, and placed the thrust point a little different.

This made the aircraft handle a little differently. But in order to make good on their promise to the airlines, Boeing had to make the plane handle exactly like the old one. Which now required complicated systems to compensate for the design changes.

Cap that off with the FAA handing off the engineering design and test approvals to internal Boeing designers, and you have effectively no oversight of the program.

Now the planes get out into the hands of the commercial operations, and the systems don’t work exactly right, or a sensor has failure issues; and these pilots who are expecting to treat the new plane just like the old one, have problems.

Basically, the new system had to compensate for a tendency for the new plane to go “nose up” under heavy thrust, causing a stall condition. But the system often corrected too aggressively, causing the plane to lose altitude and pitch nose down.

And you know the result. Two of the flight crews were unable to override that automatic system in time to avoid a crash.

It’s sad. Especially because it was avoidable.

620 Votes