Documentary on 'what happens to the planes?'

Melburnian1

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Channel News Asia (Singapore) has a YouTube documentary that I'm part way through watching on 'with airlines grounded, what happens to the planes?'

It's filmed in Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore.

So far they've shown a wing that had a hawk nesting, and a brief glimpse of a QF plane (possibly at Lufthansa Technik in Manila) as well as lots of 'inside' footage.

For instance, a Singapore Airlines engineer says they've had difficulty procuring the number of large silica gel packs they need to place inside each engine - 15 per plane - that have to be regularly replaced in a tropical climate when humidity reaches a certain level. Engine covers, too, have (as we might expect) been in short supply). Huge numbers of smaller silica gel packs have to be procured as SQ appear to be placing one on each seat and adding to that, some on the carpet.

Airlines also measure humidity inside the cabin of stored aircraft. The aim is for it to be under 60 per cent apparently.

One of our aviator's favourite subjects of pitot tubes is also extensively covered. IIRC our aviator members have said previously correct maintenance (and covering when not in use) of these is incredibly important. The cameraman managed to get footage of at least two small insects crawling, one on a cover (although that may have been an engine cover not a pitot tube cover).

Interestingly, the doco suggests depending on the plane model, engines only have to be run every month, or with some, every three to six months. I had thought it was more often.

The English of the three engineers (from Air Asia in KUL, Philippine Airlines in MNL and Singapore Airlines in SIN) is excellent. They have quite a few more interesting insights.

At the end, it's a mixture of joy and sadness. Watch it to find out why.

As we might expect from Singapore, it wasn't sensationalised or over-dramatised like some of these airport shows from the UK. Instead, lots of close-ups of procedures including the incredible amount of manpower needed to place parcels on seats of an SQ passenger aircradt. Clearly not bound for Oz as the labour costs here would kill the economics of that amount of manual handling.

Well worth a look.
 
Last edited:
Channel News Asia (Singapore) has a YouTube documentary that I'm part way through watching on 'with airlines grounded, what happens to the planes?'

It's filmed in Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore.

So far they've shown a wing that had a hawk nesting, and a brief glimpse of a QF plane (possibly at Lufthansa Technik in Manila) as well as lots of 'inside' footage.

For instance, a Singapore Airlines engineer says they've had difficulty procuring the number of large silica gel packs they need to place inside each engine - 15 per plane - that have to be regularly replaced in a tropical climate when humidity reaches a certain level. Engine covers, too, have (as we might expect) been in short supply).

Interestingly, the doco suggests depending on the plane model, engines only have to be run every month, or with some, every three to six months. I had thought it was more often.

Well worth a look.
Do you want to give us a hint as to where to find it? YouTube is a big place.

JB
 
Do you want to give us a hint as to where to find it? YouTube is a big place.

JB

Just tap in the words I used in the first sentence of the original post. It will appear. It's a 'CNA Insider' production.
 
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