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What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird?
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Three and a half hours after I was expecting to head home I'm starting to get curious.

What happens to a plane that hits a bird and how do they validate they have fixed it?
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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Moonrocket wrote:
Three and a half hours after I was expecting to head home I'm starting to get curious.

What happens to a plane that hits a bird and how do they validate they have fixed it?

Been in management with the airlines for many years. It all depends on what maintenance finds as far as the severity of the bird strike, and where on the plane it is. The airline's and the plane maker's engineers often need to see pictures of the damage to determine the extent of the bird strike inspection, first of all, which could include an in-depth boroscope and repair/replacement of any damaged portions of the plane. At minimum, they'll have to mark the area that's been struck and do logbook entries and then get a go-ahead from the airline's engineers and maintenance people plus something from the plane maker. That can take time.

Then, the plane's captain has to agree to take it and he or she may ask for additional inspection/repair/replacement and documentation. It's sometimes pretty involved, in other words.

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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Personally, if I were the plane's skipper I'd want a whole lot of inspection done before I agreed to fly it.

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you! Is it a bad sign the latest departure time has come and gone and it's no longer listed on the departures board?

I need to get a dog sitter ASAP if I'm not getting home today.
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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Moonrocket wrote:
Thank you! Is it a bad sign the latest departure time has come and gone and it's no longer listed on the departures board?

I need to get a dog sitter ASAP if I'm not getting home today.

They may be trying to find replacement equipment and/or the crew "timed out" and can't fly that day by FAA rule. They won't cancel until they absolutely have to, because it would mean big-time compensation if it's a cancellation for maintenance. If you see fellow passengers being re-booked onto flights or being sent over to other-airline flights on a FIM ("Flight Interruption Manifest") you'll know it's one or both of the two issues I described.

If they took the departure time off the board, it's either because their flight system is recalculating or it's because that plane is going to be there for some time. The gate agents are told not to make very many announcements in that case, because the airline will need time to set up its re-booking counter or phone hotline. Are you on an airline flight that's at one of that airline's hubs or are you at a lower-ranking non-hub airport for that airline?

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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You're always free to go ask the gate agent if it will be necessary to re-book you on another flight to get you home tonight. If they can, they'll do it.

"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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What about vet services for the birdie?
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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I got in line but the line is super long. It's not a huge deal as long as I get home today. I'm flying out of a medium airport (SJC) that is 45 minutes from SFO (where I think they got parts from) flying direct to a major hub (DEN). But Friday commuter flights are usually really full.

They appear to only be rebooking other united flights at this time. They did provide free water and stropwafals.

Thank you!
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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You might want to ask about flying out of Oakland.
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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Depending on the size of the bird and how fast you're flying birds can do a lot of damage. Of course there was Capt Sully who lost both engines when the birds went into the intakes. Quite a few military jets get bird strikes while flying low level. Among other things, they can punch holes in the leading edge of a wing and take out one of your hydraulics. Worse yet is when they hit the canopy. There have been fatalities from some of these.

Standard procedure when I was in the USAF was to abort the sortie and return to base if you thought you had a bird strike. However, once I was flying an A-10 over Germany and I thought I might have hit a fairly small bird right on the nose of the airplane (saw a bird and heard a bang) but I didn't head straight back to base. (It was different flying in a 270 knot A-10, "built to take hits", vs a 540 knot F-4 or F-111). After I landed and got back in the chocks, the crew chief noticed some blood dripping from the gun bay access door. Turned out the bird had gone right in the air scoop that led to the 30 mm cannon that helped expell gun gas when you fired the cannon. Made a mess, but no damage to the airplane.

"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Alvin Tostig] [ In reply to ]
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They changed the gate and I walked obnoxiously fast to new gate and am now first in line :-)
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Alvin Tostig] [ In reply to ]
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I just posted a pic in that USAF Thunderbirds Over Lock Ness thread I started up, of shot-up A-10 that was flying in support of my beloved ground pounders. Hell of a plane, sir. :-)




"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Alvin Tostig] [ In reply to ]
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once I was flying an A-10 over Germany

I'm currently experiencing a bout of insane jealousy. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this!
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [eb] [ In reply to ]
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eb wrote:
once I was flying an A-10 over Germany

I'm currently experiencing a bout of insane jealousy. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this!

Nope. You are most certainly not alone!
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
I just posted a pic in that USAF Thunderbirds Over Lock Ness thread I started up, of shot-up A-10 that was flying in support of my beloved ground pounders. Hell of a plane, sir. :-)



The plane better look like this since after 7 hours of waiting they cancelled the flight

United Sucks
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [keepcycling] [ In reply to ]
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keepcycling wrote:
What about vet services for the birdie?

This is United, right? So it probably ended up in the galley.
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [The Wall] [ In reply to ]
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The Wall wrote:
eb wrote:
once I was flying an A-10 over Germany

I'm currently experiencing a bout of insane jealousy. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this!

Nope. You are most certainly not alone!
Flying fighters in Europe with the USAF during the Cold War was the definition of a "paid holiday".

I'd do it all over again if I could.

"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]
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Moonrocket wrote:

The plane better look like this since after 7 hours of waiting they cancelled the flight

United Sucks

It is rather SJC that sucks.
Ever wondered why they try so hard to get people flying in/out of there?

http://www.flysanjose.com/
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [Alvin Tostig] [ In reply to ]
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Alvin Tostig wrote:
The Wall wrote:
eb wrote:
once I was flying an A-10 over Germany

I'm currently experiencing a bout of insane jealousy. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this!


Nope. You are most certainly not alone!

Flying fighters in Europe with the USAF during the Cold War was the definition of a "paid holiday".

I'd do it all over again if I could.

I'd pay for your holiday all over again if I could! :)
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Re: What maintenance do they do on a plane that hit a bird? [big kahuna] [ In reply to ]
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big kahuna wrote:
I just posted a pic in that USAF Thunderbirds Over Lock Ness thread I started up, of shot-up A-10 that was flying in support of my beloved ground pounders. Hell of a plane, sir. :-)




I don't say this very often, but that is one Bad Ass plane. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!

DFL > DNF > DNS
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