Don your anorak and get technical about airplanes.
#810213 by iant01
09 May 2012, 12:50
Always thought to myself 'how often do passenger aircraft have to go in for service/safety checks?' Is it done by miles or flying time? How long does a service take on an aircraft and what is done exactly? Also where do these take place? I assume they do these at Gatwick where VS HQ is based?

Im assuming this would be the best place to find an answer to my question.... Discuss! :D
#810221 by slinky09
09 May 2012, 13:09
Here provides a good guide to maintenance service checks and provides a rough number for how long they take.

VS contracts 747 maintenance to KLM in Amsterdam and Airbus maintenance to Lufthansa, and these actually take place in Manila. Lots of previous comment on the site here if you do a search, you'll see occasional aircraft movements to MNL referred to for example.

As an edit, A and B checks I believe are carried out at home base.
#810222 by mitchja
09 May 2012, 13:15
VS (and all other airlines) also do certain checks & inspections themselves as well.

For example, I beleive all airlines have to do a breathing mask drop test/ inspection on a monthly basis.
#810354 by jwhite9185
10 May 2012, 19:12
slinky09 wrote:As an edit, A and B checks I believe are carried out at home base.


It would make sense as i believe they are carried out weekly and monthly respectively. An A check only takes a few hours so wouldn't make sense to send the aircraft away for that short time.

It'll only be the major C and D checks that they get sent away for. A C check is usually every year and i believe a D check is every 10 depending on the aircraft type. A D check is a lot more lengthy and costly, so that could be another reason why the 4x A346's are going as they are approaching their 10th birthday.
#810370 by tontybear
10 May 2012, 21:31
From thw wiki link Slinky posted above

A check - every 500 - 800 hrs
B check - every 4-6 months
C check - every 15-21 months
D check - every 5-6 years

The intervals depend to a degree on the make of plane and the number of flight cycles and distances flown.

And yes airlines will often plan disposal around the times of the D check but some leasors may require them before they take a plane back.

If VS were clerver (yes I did say IF ): ] then they may have timetabled the refits to tie in with the D checks.
#810376 by RLF
10 May 2012, 23:13
One of the 346's going later this year (OGE??) is undergoing a D at the moment so that one didnt work too well....
Virgin Atlantic

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