Cleaning outside of aircraft
#1
Original Poster


Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 373
Cleaning outside of aircraft
Someone in a recent travel report stated as she boarded her plane, she noticed it was "filthy and dented" on the outside.
Is this unusual? How often are the outside of planes scrubbed and cleaned?
Is this unusual? How often are the outside of planes scrubbed and cleaned?
#2


Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
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Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
Someone in a recent travel report stated as she boarded her plane, she noticed it was "filthy and dented" on the outside.
Is this unusual? How often are the outside of planes scrubbed and cleaned?
Is this unusual? How often are the outside of planes scrubbed and cleaned?
I seem to remember reading that a dent the size of a nickel on the leading edge of a wing could add 2% to the fuel consumption on a typical flight.
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
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Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
How often are the outside of planes scrubbed and cleaned?
#5
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Join Date: May 2001
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Originally Posted by SEA_Tigger
I imagine when it comes time to clean a plane, they put a retiring pilot on it for their last flight so they can run it through the water cannon salute. 


Seriously, how much dirt can adhere to an airplane moving over 500 mph? Wouldn't that kind of breeze tend to blow off most dirt during flight?
Add to that the frequent rain, snow and de-icing sprays in the winter and I would assume that airplane exteriors are pretty clean.
#6
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Pennsylvania
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Originally Posted by FWAAA
Add to that the frequent rain, snow and de-icing sprays in the winter and I would assume that airplane exteriors are pretty clean. 

Frequent rain, snow, (salt), and windshield de-icer make my car dirty...
#7


Join Date: May 2000
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I seem to remember reading somewhere about an airline that realized the false economy of not washing the planes very often: the savings in labor was more than offset in reduced fuel economy.

