Recent UA peeling paint livery sightings
#16
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,524
when paint comes off like it has in that picture, either the paint was defective or the application was defective. Sure, it could be a one off, but given Kirby’s cut, cut, cut obsession, why dismiss the possibility he’s doing it here?
#17
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Join Date: Aug 2015
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That's how aircraft paint fails.
Even before the new livery was announced, it was becoming obvious that one was in the works due to the delay in repainting aircraft that needed it. You aren't going to repaint aircraft in the old livery when you know that a new one is coming soon.
Even before the new livery was announced, it was becoming obvious that one was in the works due to the delay in repainting aircraft that needed it. You aren't going to repaint aircraft in the old livery when you know that a new one is coming soon.
We don't know how many hours that aircraft has flown since repaint. It looks like normal end of paint-life wear I think. So I'm not sure this can be pinned directly on cost-cut Kirby.
#18
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 796
we can speculate (and probably rightly so) that its a combination of stretched out repaint schedule due to new livery, MAX issues and cost cutting, but bottom line, this doesn't happen on other airlines, and there are many airlines with MAX issues, new liveries and EVERYBODY has to watch their budget...
so, conclusion we can all agree on: exterior appearances seem to be unimportant for UA.
so, conclusion we can all agree on: exterior appearances seem to be unimportant for UA.
#19
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,324
we can speculate (and probably rightly so) that its a combination of stretched out repaint schedule due to new livery, MAX issues and cost cutting, but bottom line, this doesn't happen on other airlines, and there are many airlines with MAX issues, new liveries and EVERYBODY has to watch their budget...
so, conclusion we can all agree on: exterior appearances seem to be unimportant for UA.
so, conclusion we can all agree on: exterior appearances seem to be unimportant for UA.
#21
Join Date: Feb 2002
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In my experience, this is exactly how aircraft paint fails. I've seen it at every airline for which I've flown (UAL is my sixth). It comes from flying old paint through rain showers at up to 500mph.
#22
Join Date: Mar 2014
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From the consumer/passenger perspective, the root cause is irrelevant. It is a bad look that allows customers to draw their own conclusions as to the cause. At a minimum, it makes UA look less than a premium carrier. This hurts the perception of the airlines. The casual traveler has to at least wonder if this image of "lower quality" extends to more than the paint job.
#23
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Perhaps this airliners.net link to a picture collection of peeling paint aircraft from multiple major carriers might show otherwise. This is a common condition across the industry. Common is the sense it occurs across main airlines. That this thread started as a query on "what is this" seems to support it is not a common sighting.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 17, 2019 at 10:20 am Reason: cited source -- airliners.net
#24
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From the consumer/passenger perspective, the root cause is irrelevant. It is a bad look that allows customers to draw their own conclusions as to the cause. At a minimum, it makes UA look less than a premium carrier. This hurts the perception of the airlines. The casual traveler has to at least wonder if this image of "lower quality" extends to more than the paint job.
#26
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Smart move, in my book. A plane with an old livery (love it or not) and peeling paint screams neglect.
Now as for this 777 - I’m sure it’ll be repainted soon. Not neglect, really, just waiting for the paint lines to open with the new livery. The loss of frames - both the MAX and the bounced 757 - plus the busy summer season - can’t possibly help.
Would love to see some more frames painted in “historic” liveries (a meatball would be great!) but I doubt that’s going to happen ...
#27
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As others have said this was a major issue pmUA. As an example ‘rising blue’ came out in 2004 and at the time of the merger in 2010 there were still acft in the battleship livery.
#29
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Seems N210UA has some company!
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 13, 2019 at 2:58 pm Reason: cleanup after move
#30
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