Ask the Captain: What will it take to return parked airplanes to service after coronavirus?
Question: As aircraft are stored throughout the country because of the coronavirus-induced decline in travel, what work will be necessary to place them back into daily usage?
– John C., Glenshaw, Pennsylvania
Answer: The longer an airplane has been stored, the more has to be done to return it to service.
Engines need to be run regularly or properly set for long-term storage. In addition, aircraft either need to be rolled at least weekly to keep the tires from going flat . All the necessary plugs and covers must be installed to protect vulnerable areas.
When an airplane is scheduled to return to service, maintenance teams remove those plugs and covers, check all the fluid levels and tire pressure and test all the systems. It’s also common to run test flights to ensure it’s ready to safely carry passengers and cargo again.
Q: Do airline cabins have special breathing masks?
– C.W. Hughley, Missouri
A: Airlines have masks for dispensing oxygen to passengers who may require it because of a medical issue that arises in flight. There are also oxygen masks that deploy automatically if the cabin loses pressurization. Those are the only masks in the cabin.
If you are inquiring about medical-style surgical masks, most onboard medical kits contain one or two for use by medical professionals in case they have to treat a sick passenger while in flight.
John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.