Ask the Pilot: "There's Duct Tape On My Plane!"
 

... Or so it would appear.

Every so often somebody uploads a photo of what appears to be silver duct tape affixed to some portion of an airplane. The media or the internet gets hold of it, and instantly it's a scandal. This week it's a picture of a Cebu Pacific Air A320, photographed with a taped-over panel near its port side wing root, touching off a controversy in the Philippines.

But what are people really seeing? the truth isn't so scary.

What you're actually seeing is a heavy-duty aluminum bonding tape known as "speed tape." It's a temporary fix and it's used only on superficial or noncritical components, until more substantive repairs are made later on. The tape is extremely durable and is able to expand and contract through a wide range of temperatures. It costs hundreds of dollars per roll.

More in my story here, including photos....

http://www.askthepilot.com/duct-tape/


Please enjoy it, and if you have any similar pictures, please let me know or feel free to post them here.

-- PS

Meh...

One of my high school buddies had a car that was more than 50% duct tape.

Seeing that it's Cebu Pacific, they might start charging passengers for use of said tape...

Or,it might actually be,well,-silver duct tape.:rolleyes:

Still scary seeing it if you are a nervous passenger!!!

I've seen this on transatlantic flights - made me a bit nervous, but if the pilot was willing to go up, I was.

I saw a pic earlier this year of a Shenzhen A319 with this on the leading edge. Naturally everyone commenting on it assumed it was duct tape.