How long does it take to "un-mothball" a jet.

Sluggo63

Sluggo63

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Talking with my fellow airline buddies and we were talking about how the airlines are putting airframes into long-term and short-term storage.

I figured one of you maintenance types would know what was involved with each type of storage and what it would take to get the aircraft out of storage and back flying again.

We had no idea.
 
I believe there are basically 3 kinds of storage. "Hot," where they can basically go out to the plane and fly it immediately with just a quick, standard maintenance check. Then sort of a medium-short term storage where they have to do something like an A check. Then there is longer term storage.
 
The 250 800MAX's at Grant County (KMWH) are on "hot" standby and have been for months. Each is on a GPU 24/7.
 
kgruber said:
The 250 800MAX's at Grant County (KMWH) are on "hot" standby and have been for months. Each is on a GPU 24/7.
Click to expand...
What does the GPU power that helps keep them
More Flight ready
 
Storage requirements vary based on how it's being stored and for how long. If bird was Code 1 when it went in, as little as a few days. Worst case, would be a couple of weeks. Ones at work get tire rotations and battery charges every 7 days. Requires an engine run every 14 or so. Longer than 30 days schedule, lots of stuff get done, including a preservation and pickling run on the engine. 90+ day schedule is pretty involved, but would have to look it up to see what all gets done.
 
In “Battlefield Earth”, you can fire up a Harrier after 1000 years easy...


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Sluggo63 said:
Talking with my fellow airline buddies and we were talking about how the airlines are putting airframes into long-term and short-term storage.

I figured one of you maintenance types would know what was involved with each type of storage and what it would take to get the aircraft out of storage and back flying again.

We had no idea.
Click to expand...

Depends upon your maintenance program, and what phase of storage they were placed under. Ask one of your guys in maintenance control.
 
A pilot posted on our Facebook group that a mx guy told him planes are good to fly out of storage in 2 days and be fully ready on the line within a week.
 
jordane93 said:
A pilot posted on our Facebook group that a mx guy told him planes are good to fly out of storage in 2 days and be fully ready on the line within a week.
Click to expand...
Thanks. That's what I figured about for short-term storage. I guess that's what all the unused planes littering runways across the country are doing. They'll be ready to go fairly quickly.

Every once in a while we pull jets out of the desert that are obviously in long term storage. I'm sure it'll take a lot longer to get those jets to the line and flying again.
 
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