Rare continuous high temperature, China Eastern Airlines "aircraft doctor" to "protect the health" of the fleet
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Civil Aviation Resources Network, August 8, 2024: It is cold in the coldest days of the year and hot in the hottest days of the year. Since the beginning of the hottest days of the year, many places across the country have issued high temperature warnings. Especially in Shanghai, the main base of China Eastern Airlines, it has experienced many high temperature days. Faced with the rare continuous high temperature weather and the high-level flight production guarantee during the summer transportation, the front-line maintenance personnel of China Eastern Airlines Technology Company took on the responsibility of "aircraft doctors", braving the scorching sun and stepping on the heat waves, using sweat and wisdom to guard the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft day and night.
"Aircraft worshipers" who grew up with C919
"Captain, the B-919E aircraft is in good technical condition and meets the release standards." At noon on August 6, in the C919 cockpit of MU9191 Shanghai Hongqiao-Beijing Daxing, Xie Lipeng, a maintenance worker who had just finished the turnaround inspection of the aircraft and was already sweating, handed the flight log book to the captain while speaking. Afterwards, he got off the plane and waited for the plane to board and be pushed out on the tarmac with a temperature of more than 40 degrees. He waved goodbye to the C919 and passengers...
Xie Lipeng is a release officer of the domestic aircraft maintenance department of China Eastern Airlines Technology, or what people usually call an "aircraft farewell officer". Being a "farewell officer" is not as simple as just waving. Every time they wave, they cannot do without the detailed inspection of hundreds of links behind. Including the inspection and repair of the aircraft, the pre-flight, short stop, and rapid troubleshooting of the aircraft are all their responsibilities. "Let the aircraft meet the release standards and depart as punctually as possible." Xie Lipeng explained the significance of his job in this way.
The high temperature and sauna days are a greater test for the physical fitness and professional ability of the front-line maintenance personnel. The high temperature and the minor problems of machine parts will increase. On the hot apron, clothes will be soaked after just a few minutes. The sunlight shining on the aircraft shell and metal equipment is particularly dazzling. Xie Lipeng and his colleagues put on sun hats, gloves and other protective equipment to start maintenance and inspection work.
This maintenance worker with nearly 20 years of aircraft maintenance experience actually joined China Eastern Airlines through social recruitment last year. After joining China Eastern Airlines, he happened to encounter the expansion of the domestic aircraft maintenance department. He signed up without thinking and passed the assessment successfully. In February this year, he became a maintenance personnel to ensure the domestic large aircraft. C919 has a brand-new system and standards. The proficiency of the new model requires continuous learning. Xie Lipeng often studies the C919 maintenance manual in his spare time. After six months of work and study, he and his colleagues are becoming more and more familiar with domestic large aircraft. "I have the opportunity to join China Eastern Airlines and to do maintenance work in the domestic aircraft maintenance department and contribute my own efforts. I really cherish it."
"When I came here at the beginning of this year, there were 4 C919s. Now there are 7, and the routes have increased from 2 to 5. Our domestic large aircraft will definitely get better and better." Xie Lipeng is full of confidence in his work team and domestic large aircraft. With the increase of the C919 fleet, the maintenance team of the domestic aircraft maintenance department is also expanding. It has increased from 140 when he first came in to more than 200 people.
International route attendant maintenance staff who can "stand on their own"
This summer, China Eastern Airlines' international and regional flights have recovered to 102% of 2019, which also means that all front-line employees related to international route security are busier than in previous years, including international route attendant maintenance staff - when there is no China Eastern Airlines base or agency at the destination airport of the international route, it is necessary to arrange a maintenance staff to fly with the crew to the destination to complete the aircraft inspection, release and other tasks. In other words, this assistant maintenance man has to take on the workload and responsibilities of a group of domestic maintenance men, which places extremely high demands on their "individual combat" capabilities.
On August 2, Shanghai was still hot. Huang Yitian, Boeing route technical manager of Hongqiao Maintenance Base of China Eastern Airlines Technology Company, arrived at the unit two hours earlier than the crew as the assistant maintenance worker of FM823 "Shanghai Hongqiao-Seoul Gimpo" flight. After completing the detailed inspection on the apron, he entered the stuffy cabin for routine inspection.
"In fact, for work on hot days, the airtight cabin is more difficult than the apron. After a pre-flight inspection, our clothes are often wet and dry, dry and wet." Huang Yitian explained that in order to save energy and reduce emissions, the APU must be turned off after the aircraft is parked. The aircraft near the bridge can connect to the bridge power supply to start the aircraft air conditioning, but the aircraft parked at a remote parking position cannot operate the on-board air conditioning, and the cabin will be like a steamer, bringing a "baking" test to the maintenance work. "However, if long-term maintenance work is required, the company allows us to turn on the APU to start the air conditioning in such hot weather, which is very humane." Huang Yitian did not forget to add that the company's employee care measures.
Having good "brain power" and "physical strength" is indispensable for international assistant maintenance. Since international long-distance routes often depart late at night, assistant maintenance not only has to arrive at the departure hall earlier than the crew to start pre-flight work, but also has to get down to business after arriving at the destination. They have to complete all the work such as post-flight inspection, maintenance and release by themselves abroad. If there is a fault maintenance, staying up late to work overtime or even all night is also normal.
As a grassroots maintenance manager, Huang Yitian often tells employees, "Our job requires not only good brain power and physical strength, but also strong learning ability. Only with a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the aircraft system can we ensure the safe takeoff and landing of every flight."
Although it was the beginning of autumn on August 7, the temperature and summer travel were still "hot". Nearly 800 passenger aircraft, including 7 domestically produced large aircraft C919, put into summer travel by China Eastern Airlines are jointly guarded by all front-line maintenance staff.