Episode 24 – Storing Airplanes Safely During COVID-19

Most aircraft are not getting used as often due to coronavirus-related restrictions. The Flight Safety Detectives explore the safety issues created by parking and storing airplanes of all sizes.

Airplanes are machines that like to be used. Counter-intuitively, there is actually greater potential for things to break with lack of use.

Greg and John bring two experts into the conversation: Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants, and Ken MacTiernan, PAMA board member and a 32-year aviation maintenance technician for American Airlines.

These veterans of daily use and maintenance as well as safety investigations highlight how to prepare aircraft for short term parking as well as longer term storage or “pickling.” The biggest enemy is moisture and corrosion.

Listen and learn what needs to be done to ensure airplanes can be operated safety after storage. For large airliners doing it right means 60-100 man hours of effort!

Once again, Greg and John talk about the issues impacting commercial, business and general aviation that are otherwise overlooked.