Come from Away; question about planes

[KatyMac]

Am I right remembering that in 'Come from Away' they discussed the planes being grounded affected them and caused them problems and might affect them flying again?

Or did I make that up entirely

They said exactly that. Planes are used to flying pretty much constantly, woth short turnarounds and they were worried about them sinking into the standings.
Not sure how true it is though?
I know that cars can get unreliable if not driven as they usually are.

Thanks @boomboomboomboom - I just wondered how the grounding of planes was affecting them in these circumstances

Try and find one of the current Flightradar24 threads - very knowledgeable people about planes on them! I seem to remember reading some discussion a week or so ago about whether
short flights were being done for pilot hours/plane maintenance preservation.

You need an engineer to really get into the real details of this and I'm not one..but I do know that basically aircraft "like" being kept running....fluids in things like hydraulic systems being circulated, electrical/electronic systems being kept up to temperature so moisture doesn't gather, hydraulic jacks (landing gear and other systems) being cycled to stop seals drying out...

If an aircraft is left "cold" for any serious length of time (I'm talking weeks plus) then there might come a point (depending on aircraft type) where engineering work - which costs - needs to be done before it can be powered up and flown again....

And yes, aircraft have been known to sink into the tarmac, especially if the weather is hot..it's also been known for tyres to develop flat spots if the aircraft is parked for long enough....

I wonder if they'll be doing 'ground runs' and basically powering them up and getting all the systems running to stop anything seizing up.

I thinks some started to sink into the asphalt as they're not really meant to sit about!

Maybe they take them around the block like I do with my Toyota Aygo?

Yes. In the show Beverley discusses the planes sinking into the tarmac.

I wonder if they'll be doing 'ground runs' and basically powering them up and getting all the systems running to stop anything seizing up

I believe Ryanair's tactic is not just to ground run but to actually fly the aircraft (also helps keep the pilots "recent" = in practice, so to speak).

Other airlines are doing ground runs and/or accepting the cost of engineering work and using simulators for pilot recency.

@notimagain

Probably a good plan to continue flying, where viable.

Probably a good plan to continue flying, where viable.

As you imply, cost v benefit..

Engineering POV - probably down to contracts..whether there are maintenance deals with the manufacturer...

Piloting POV - If you have access to good simulators (some companies run their own rather than hiring off a third party provider) you can probably pack more "events" in, such as take-offs and landings, during a simulator "session" than during in an equivalent time in the air..You can also chuck in the odd "emergency" in the simulator to really sharpen people up...

Yes, some of the simulators are pretty good. Not quite as good as the real thing but better than nothing. 🙂