How are New Planes Delivered to Airlines?
It is interesting to think about the way planes would be delivered to their customers, airlines. The answer is fairly obvious, by air. Airplanes are flown to where the customer airline needs it. This is possible in case of long range airplanes. They can be flown to their destination simply in a single trip. Low range airplanes and turboprops are delivered in a slightly different way. Let us see about the delivery of airplanes to airlines.
Engineer Checks:
After an airplane is finished building and before it takes off to the skies, all the functions of the plane are thoroughly checked. These checks include ensuring that the all the flight controls, switches, circuits, hydraulics, fuel pumps, etc. are all working the way they should. All connections by wires are checked. They are crucial as an aircraft mainly relies on those circuits for carrying out the correct functions. Most of these circuits connect the cockpit input and the flight computer and back. All inputs are verified by the computer before they are carried out. Although modern aircraft work this way, entire control should not be vested in the hands of the computer. Pilots should have the ultimate control of the airplane. Visit this page to get to know details about the parts of wings in planes.
Manufacturer Flight Checks:
After the engineer checks, the engines of the aircraft and fired up and tested for the first time. After that, various aspects of the flight like taxi, take-off, cruise, etc. are checked by the test pilots from the airplane manufacturer's facility. A landing is also performed after these checks. If the test pilots are satisfied and accept the plane, the plane's title would be transferred to the customer airline. If there are any defects, the manufacturer has to resolve it before handing it over to the customer. This check is very crucial for the safety of the airplane. The plane should meet all the regulations before it enters into its service.
Protection:
The interior of every plane is designed by the customer airline. It is entirely in the hands of the customer airline. Every detail including seats, toilets, screens, galleys, etc. are decided by the customer airline. It can even make slight modifications to the cockpit for their accommodation like adding a tablet holder for pilot's ease. Before being delivered, the interior is properly secured. The floors are covered with a temporary sheet for protection against damage. All the seats are secured by covering them with a temporary bag. All screens inside the cockpit, and the cabin are covered by a temporary plastic sheet to prevent them from damage. These protective materials are later removed by the airline to whom the plane is being delivered to.
Delivery:
The plane from the manufacturer's facility is flown to the place where the customer needs it. This is normally done by employees from the manufacturer's side or from the airline's side. People needed are two pilots trained on the type of the plane. One of the pilot should be a captain. Some cabin attendants are also needed to assist the pilots and making sure that things are alright in the cabin.
Delivery of Planes with Long Range:
Long Range airplanes reach their destination in a single trip. Long range airplanes are mostly jet engine planes. With the amount of fuel that they carry and with their speed, their delivery is very quick and easy. These deliveries are made with single trips. Some airplanes also carry extra fuel tanks on board to make direct deliveries. Precautions are also taken accordingly.
Deliveries of Planes with Short Range and Turboprop Airplanes:
Delivery of Planes with Short Range is quite a long process. It is the same even for turboprops. Mostly, their speed limit is also low. With their range being small, they will have to make many stops along the way to refuel and fly back again. Some airlines also assemble the seats and interior at their base once the airplane is delivered. They let the plane fly empty easily without excess weight. This increases the plane's range and also results in low fuel consumption making fewer or no stops in the middle.
Delivering airplanes marks a happy moment for both the aircraft manufacturer as well as the customer airline. This is how airplanes are delivered. Read our posts which tells you about the planes made by the two main aircraft manufacturers - Boeing and Airbus. We will see you later.
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