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Author
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Topic: Different view of a 737
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Jaguar
Pilot
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posted 06-14- 04:56 PM
   
Yesterday I got the unique opportunity to take a walk around of a 737-284 (Reg. C-GGWJ). I
had applied to Westjet for a job, and they took me (along with a group) to their hangar to
show us how to perform a daily inspection on this type of aircraft. It was awesome! we
started at the nose and worked our way round the aircraft. They extended the flaps for us,
and that was something to see! the whole wing came alive! Those types of flaps are called
fowler flaps (If memory serves) and they extend rearward and down, they also have Kruger
(SP?) flaps on the leading edge, I swear the wing's chord doubles when they are fully
extended. I got a good look at the engine too it'a amazing that such an engine can haul this
beast around. Stuck my head in the back of it..... never seen so much carbon before! We
then got to see all the servicing panels.... potable water, Oxygen..... waist management  .
We took a look at the APU in the tail (basically an engine that supplies power and pneumatic
air to the plane while it's on the ground. I then got to stand up in the main gear bay. All the
lines and wiring in there is nothing short of amazing! There is even a little periscope in there
that the crew uses to verify if the gear is down and locked, in the event that they can't get a
positive down lock indication. I then got to stick my head in the nose gear bay and the
avionics bay. I have never seen so many black boxes in my life!!! (yes they were actually
black). Finally we got to go up into the SMALL cockpit and went over the gauges and what
they should be reading.The thing that really got me was how small the plane actually is. Well obviously it's big, but I
was expecting something huge! From the inside the thing seems so big, and watching them
take off, they looked huge! When I walked into the hangar, the plane was off in the corner. I didn't see it right away
because I was looking for massive wings and a huge tail. when I finally did see it I
remember thinking.... ohhh.... that's it?  So hopefully I will get a call back from these people.... If not it was cool to see that bird from
the outside. Just thought I would share it with you guys. ------------------
Cheers!
Jaguar
The FS Hangar
 [This message has been edited by Jaguar (edited 06-14-2000).] IP: Logged |
Jerry
Pilot
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posted 06-14- 05:01 PM
Yes, but can it take-off vertically? IP: Logged |
Jaguar
Pilot
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posted 06-14- 05:05 PM
Like I said before........ Nothing is perfect LOL!ohhhh, and ironically, they had an A-STAR from Canadian helicopters there in the same hangar!  At first I was focused on that thing untill the guy lead us over to the 737.  I guess the hangar is shared by 3 different companys because there was a learjet in there too. that helicopter looked awsome!.....sigh [This message has been edited by Jaguar (edited 06-14-2000).] IP: Logged |
semmern
Pilot
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posted 06-15- 02:57 AM
Hehe. Jag, if you think that the 737 cockpit was small, you should see the DC-9's. The '37 is twice as big 'up front!'
And those are called fowler flaps. They slide backwards and downwards. (Just like the P-38's flaps do in SDOE)
A few months ago I flew to London in a 737-800, fresh from the assembly line. It was only a week old. I was allowed into the cockpit. There are almost no analogue gauges left, only glass LCD's.IP: Logged |
Kraftwerk
Pilot
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posted 06-15- 09:30 AM
Yeah, a 737 IS small. Especially when you work around them on a daily basis, you really see that. Short and stubby little thing.But at least i don't have to crouch under the wing! On a DC9 any normal man has to crouch when under the inside half wingspan. I have bumped my head in many a DC9 wing.
IP: Logged |
Jaguar
Pilot
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posted 06-15- 02:43 PM
all manufacturers are going towards the glass cockpit...... makes you wonder what will happen in the evet of an electrical failure . What I found most surprising, is that they run the "blue juice" through the avonics bay!!!! and it has been known to leak there.I almost hit my head on the aft part of the wing! I almost had to crouch under it looking at the gear. The body is so low to the ground too! must be no more than 4 feet clearance. Do you still work around them Kraftwork? IP: Logged |
Kraftwerk
Pilot
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posted 06-16- 09:07 AM
Unfortunately no. Have you guys ever seen the grimy brown coating emanating from the nosegear area on the underbelly of a passenger aircraft? Almost all aircraft that I saw on the ground have this ugly grime on them. I couldn't for the life of me figure what it was, until a coworker gently pointed out that it was in fact coffee.
I did however get toppled by the wash of a 737 some 50 meters away when it was gunning the engine after push-back. Not fun at all. It ain't the wash itself that'll hurt you, its the stuff it brings with it. I sustained some FOD that day. Ahh.. airport work....IP: Logged |
Jaguar
Pilot
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posted 06-17- 08:15 PM
coffee? how did that get there? My teacher was telling me, that back in the day when they allowed smoking on aircraft (buisness flights I guess) the tar would leave long brown streaks from the outflow valves. yuck!I'll keep an eye out for any jet wash coming my way I hope you were't hurt too bad by it. Even still, I would love to work in that type of job! Have any other interesting stories to tell? I'm sure you seen alot of interestng things working at an airport. IP: Logged |
Kraftwerk
Pilot
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posted 06-20- 02:30 AM
Yeah. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Sorry.
The coffee emanated not from the nosegear doors, but rather from the galley purge vents. They are located about a foot behind the nosegear door on a DC9. There are regulations regarding hot beverages aboard and it must be either stowed or dumped for landing. Ever try to stow a pot of coffee?
Scandinavian's DC9's are white and of course this makes the coffee show even better.IP: Logged |
semmern
Pilot
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posted 06-20- 03:08 AM
Which country do you live in, Kraftwerk?? I'm up in forever cold Norway. All the planes you see here are 737's and DC-9's exept for the occasional 767, DC-10 or 747. Sometimes, (read: once a year) there are interesting planes here, too. The Scandinavian Historic flight is based not too far away, and in the summer, I often see their A-26 Invader, Mustang, DC-3, and Harvard flying by. Aaaaah, that noise!------------------
Quote from a TWA hostess: "If you ever feel the urge to blast through the air in a pressurized metal tube again, please choose TWA!" IP: Logged |
Kraftwerk
Pilot
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posted 06-20- 09:37 AM
In case you don't understand norwegian (yours is probably better than mine) I'll just say that I worked at Fornebu for two years.
No big planes in Norway? Larger airplanes than those you mentiones were taken down even at rinky-dinky old Fornebu. I remember late summer /fall 98 BA pulled up in a brand spanking new 777. What a seriously BIGASS plane on such a TINY airport. I'm not sure if they even got off the ground again.
US. Airforce Strategic Airlift Command even had landed and parked one of their cargo jets (NO PETE NOT A C-5) but the slightly smaller one. The airport is closed now and is a construction site but I know where all the holes in the fences are and use it as a shortcut on my way home from work. Hehe. [This message has been edited by Kraftwerk (edited 06-20-2000).] IP: Logged |
semmern
Pilot
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posted 06-20- 01:07 PM
Hehe. I also saw that triple-seven. And that Yank one was a KC-10 Extender tanker. I remember I was out there when it landed. My dad and I were at Fornebu once or twice every week. We stood at a spot about 600 meters from the runway and watche deverything land. I remember once, I saw an F-16 screaming at 30 ft above the runway with full afterburner! Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh. Those fond memories! When Fornebu closed the 8th of October '98, I was there, and to say it as Glen Miller did, 'in a sentimental mood,' to say the least. You bet it was disheartening watching the runway lights being put out for the last time. (exept for when that medic plane that had to land later that night and they were put on again) When I said that there were no interesting planes around, I ment after the airport was closed down, and the new at Gardermoen opened, 30 miles from here. Now, there's a 45 minute car trip to watch planes, before, I used 15 mins. With Fornebu closing, all warbirds had to move from there, to small strips scattered all over southern Norway. Now, I hardly ever see them anymore.Where d'ya live, Kraft?? Sounds like it's somewhere near! If it is, I'd very much like to meet you IP: Logged |
Thunder
Pilot
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posted 06-20- 11:00 PM
Hey just to point out a little fact, or should I say misinterpretation.
The "Black Box" the media always refer to is actually DAYGLO ORANGE with silver reflective stripes. These boxes are the flight recorders they talk about.The Black Boxes you saw are just general instrument boxes, eg radios, gps receivers etc. IP: Logged |
Biggles
Pilot
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posted 06-20- 11:28 PM
Sounds like fun Jag!What exactly were you doing?
Mechanical course? IP: Logged |
Jaguar
Pilot
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posted 06-21- 02:10 PM
Thunder- Ya, I know Plus the "black boxes" are in the tail, not in the E-bay.Biggles- I just graduated from an Aircraft Maintenance course. It covered everything from Harvards to 737s. The only crappy part about the whole thing is that they won't do anything to help me find a job. Simmern- I was at a airshow this past weekend, and they had a KC-10 there. That thing is HUGE! They parked a C-130 next to it and it looked like a toy compaired to the KC-10 . I even got to walk through the upper cargo bay, it was pretty cool. IP: Logged |
semmern
Pilot
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posted 06-21- 02:55 PM
Yeah. That KC-10 is quite big. It's so heavy that it has to have two additional wheels under the mid-fuselage to support it. Looking for something big?? Go see an Antonov An-124. Looks as though it could transport a C-130 in its cargo bay. Damn, that thing is HUGE!! I saw it here when there was a war going on ik Kosovo. It was here to transport supplies down there. It loaded on quite a few white UN Land Rovers.Kraft: Do you live here in Norway?? If so, where?? IP: Logged |
Kraftwerk
Pilot
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posted 06-23- 07:34 AM
I live at Snarøya.IP: Logged |
semmern
Pilot
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posted 06-24- 04:25 AM
Cool. I live just across town, at Nordstrand.IP: Logged |
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